Phillies Notebook: Phillies manager Manuel says he called Rollins' walkoff double

Were you surprised by Jimmy Rollins' walkoff two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Monday night?

Charlie Manuel wasn't.

In fact, the Phillies manager said that he called Rollins' shot, pointing to rightfield moments before the shortstop unleashed the laser that scored Carlos Ruiz and Eric Bruntlett and lifted the Phillies to a 5-4 win.

According to Manuel, the sequence of events went like this: During Rollins' at-bat, Manuel looked over to the visiting dugout and locked eyes with Dodgers slugger Jim Thome, a longtime friend whom he managed in Cleveland. Manuel said he then pointed to rightfield, indicating where Rollins was going to hit the ball.

"Thome is standing over in the other dugout, and Thome looks at me, and I motion like that," Manuel said, holding out his arm. "I told Thome, he is going to hit one. I go like this [points finger] and point to the rightfield stands. I did, but I had a good feeling about it. It wasn't like I was joking or kidding or nothing.

"He was looking at me, and I went like that, and he's shaking his head like no, he's not, or something like that. You can ask him. I had a real good feeling. I was talking to [bench coach Pete] Mackanin the whole time. With Jimmy up there, I liked that moment. I liked the guy hitting."

The Daily News was unable to find video proof of Manuel's called shot, although TBS cameras did briefly show him talking with a goofy smile on his face in the dugout just before zeroing in on the last two pitches of Rollins' at-bat against Dodgers righthander Jonathan Broxton.

Thome said he didn't notice Manuel gesturing, although TBS cameras showed him standing to the right of Joe Torre near the steps of the visiting dugout, where he could have been in Manuel's view.

"I really didn't notice any of that," Thome said. "We were trying to lock down a win there."

Righthander Pedro Martinez threw a bullpen session yesterday and declared himself ready for action. Martinez, who threw seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, would likely start Game 6 or Game 7 if the Phillies are unable to clinch the National League Championship Series tonight at home.

"We're all on the bubble," Martinez said. "I'm ready right now, if you ask me. If you ask me if I could pitch today, yeah I could pitch, relief or whatever. I don't know how long, because you never know. Nowadays, you just never know what you are going to get."

Ace lefthander Cliff Lee, who pitched eight scoreless innings in an 11-0 win in Game 3, would be on normal rest for Game 6, meaning Martinez likely would not be utilized until Game 7. Pitching Lee in Game 6 would also put him in line to start Game 1 of the World Series on normal rest, while pitching him in Game 7 would keep him from starting until Game 2 of the World Series. Pitching coach Rich Dubee declined to discuss his pitching rotation beyond today.

"We haven't announced anything yet," Dubee said.

The official National League Rookie of the Year award will not be announced until November. But Phillies lefthander J.A. Happ picked up a Golden Globe of sorts yesterday when the Sporting News named him its National League Rookie of the Year.

Happ, 26, went 10-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 23 starts this season after starting the year in the bullpen.

The Phillies held an optional workout at Citizens Bank Park yesterday. Righthanders Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick, neither of whom are on the NLCS roster, pitched to batters. Centerfielder Shane Victorino, leftfielder Raul Ibanez and second baseman Chase Utley were all spotted at the stadium . . . Utley, who was charged with throwing errors in Games 1 and 2, spent some time working on his doubleplay pivot. He declined to speak with reporters . . . Dallas Green will throw the ceremonial first pitch before the game, to Charlie Manuel.

Daily News sports writer Marcus Hayes contributed to this report.