By TRACY RINGOLSBY, Scripps Howard News Service

When Doug Melvin took over as general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in September 2002 and began rebuilding the franchise, he retained one department head, scouting director Jack Zduriencik.

The 2008 World Series by the numbers:-- 1: World championship won by the Philadelphia Phillies, fewest of any of the 16 original teams. The Cubs and Indians have won only two each.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- So much for tradition.Philadelphia and Tampa Bay will face off in a World Series that features less postseason history than any since the infancy of the event.

In the aftermath of the Dodgers' failure against Philadelphia in the National League Championship Series, Los Angeles owner Frank McCourt finally gave general manager Ned Colletti a pat on the back. He confirmed that Colletti will return for the final year of his four-year contract but sidestepped questions about whether Colletti will be given an extension.

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Pat Gillick says he is retiring -- again.But will baseball let him?How long will an owner desperate to win wait before calling Gillick and making him an offer he can't refuse?Remember, the man has retired three times previously but has been lured back each time. He's a baseball lifer. And he knows what it takes to win.

While a faction of the media has attempted to create a buzz about the future of Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, there never was a desire within the organization to make a managerial change.

Philadelphia reliever Brad Lidge never blinked.His mental toughness questioned in Houston, where he became the scapegoat for former manager Phil Garner's failures, Lidge embraced the challenge of Philadelphia this season, winning over fans that take pride in an image of booing Santa Claus.

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio stretched the budget as much as possible and added CC Sabathia in midseason to help in the team's bid for its first postseason since 1982.With the anticipated free-agent losses of Sabathia and Ben Sheets this offseason, he knows the Brewers must win now or else.

A year ago Sunday, the Colorado Rockies began their great run, which concluded with sweeps of Philadelphia in the National League Division Series and Arizona in the NL Championship Series, giving the Rockies 20 wins in 21 games and the first pennant in franchise history.Now look at them.

Two years ago, it was Atlanta that didn't report for the postseason, ending its record-setting stretch of 14 division titles. Last year, Oakland found itself with a losing record and below second place in the standings for the first time in a decade.