Lidge voted Daily News Sportsperson of the Year

That's part of the reason that Lidge has decided not to participate in the second World Baseball Classic this spring. Understandably he'd rather stay with his family than travel to Toronto and, possibly, Miami and Los Angeles if Team USA advances.

The other reason is superstition. He played in 2006 ... and never found his stride after that.

"To be honest, if I said that wasn't it at all, I'd be lying," he said. "But I wouldn't say superstition as much as that I got into some extremely bad habits. I feel like that might not happen again. Or it might. And I don't want to take that chance. I signed a deal with the Phillies [3-year, $37.5 million extension] and I want to perform at the highest level I can every single year now.

"I loved playing in the first [WBC], I really did. I think the experience of it was awesome. At the same time, the 2006 season [1-5, 5.28] was far and away my worst one. How I felt pitching, my mechanics, trying to repeat pitches. I just struggled the entire year. Obviously, a lot of that's my fault. We should be able to make adjustments at the major league level. But, for whatever reason, I had a tough time. And I don't want to get in a bad way and have to battle through that again."

This year, Lidge can't wait for the season to begin, even though he knows it means putting his streak back on the line.

"Inevitably it will end," he admitted. "There's no question about that."

Of course Lidge will be unable to hold a lead and the Phillies will lose as a result, someday. Baseball is a game of failure, after all.

The vote totals

The balloting for Daily News Sportsperson of the Year used a 5-4-3-2-1 system and was voted on by a panel of the Daily News sports staff and other experts (first-place votes in parenthesis).

1. Brad Lidge, 133 (13)

2. Charlie Manuel, 100 (12)

3. Cole Hamels, 93 (7)

4. Ryan Howard, 26

5. Bernard Hopkins, 22

6. Brian Dawkins, 19

- Paul Holmgren, 19

8. Chase Utley, 17

9. John Stevens, 12

10. Jamie Moyer, 11 (1)

- Pat Gillick, 11

11. Mike Richards, 10

12. Brian Westbrook, 9

- Curtis Drake, 9

13. Pat Burrell, 5 (1)

- Carli Lloyd, 5

- Jeff Carter, 5

16. Jay Wright, 3

17. Ed Stefanski, 2

- Maurice Cheeks, 2

- Fran Dunphy, 2

- R.J. Umberger, 2

- Dionte Christmas, 2

22. Shane Victorino, 1

- Matt D'Orazio, 1

- Tyreke Evans, 1

- Martin Biron, 1

- Steve Devlin, 1

- Gabriela Marginean, 1