Elliot: Amaro with a good day

How ‘bout that Ruben Amaro?

Not a bad job.

Could the Philadelphia Phillies general manager be baseball’s executive of the year in his rookie season?

The Phillies opened the World Series with two starters who weren’t on their roster at the all-star break. Not in the 105-year history of the fall classic has a team begun a World Series that way.

Lefty Cliff Lee, acquired from the Cleveland Indians on July 29, started Game 1 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. The fallback position to obtaining Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Lee pitched a complete game, allowed only one unearned run and struck out 10.

Another good day was on June 7, 1991. His teammate at triple-A Edmonton was Mark Wasinger.

“He’d been in the big leagues with the Giants and the Padres,” Amaro remembered. “We’d tease each other—‘Skip (manager Max Oliveras) was looking for you. You’re getting called up’—as a joke.

“One day, I’m leaving the hotel for lunch, Wasinger is screaming: ‘Skip wants you. You got the call, man!’ I waved him off and kept walking. He chased me two blocks before I believed him.”