This may be the final postseason together for this aging Phillies roster

"Though nothing can bring back the hour

"Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower."

Get ready to say goodbye, Philadelphia.

Savor the sight of these Phillies when, to one more ovation, they awkwardly arrange themselves along the first base line before Saturday's start of their 2011 National League division series.

As they stand there in the glory of a fifth straight postseason appearance, surrounded by the splendid grass of Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies almost certainly will be providing Philadelphia with a valedictory snapshot.

At any moment in win-or-go-home October, the cynical city that has fallen red-capped head-over-heels for them could be getting its final glimpse at the familiar core of the most successful Phillies team ever.

Free agency, financial considerations, fading performance, and time are at last breaking up that old gang of nine. No matter what happens in these playoffs, the aging Phillies will face some difficult disassembling.

Consider that:

Jimmy Rollins, the smiling and sure-handed shortstop who was the first stone laid in the phenomenal reconstruction of this franchise, will become a free agent at season's end. He has said there will be no hometown discount. Without a viable replacement, the Phils could face a gut-wrenching choice.

Free agency also awaits Scott Boras-represented closer Ryan Madson. Given his agent and the interchangeability of closers, a Madson exit would hardly be a shock.

The contract of Raul Ibanez, a popular fixture in left field these last three seasons, runs out after the postseason. Though his Philadelphia stay has been remarkably sunny, few expect the slick-domed 39-year-old to be back in 2012.

Who knows what the future holds for Chase Utley? The second baseman's patellar tendinitis, whatever its true extent, seems clearly to have impacted his skills and perhaps permanently detoured him on the road to Cooperstown. Will he need surgery? A diminished role?

Will the Phillies pick up the $12.5 million option on reliever Brad Lidge, whose-drop-to-his-knees elation at the conclusion of his perfect 2008 season will be the enduring symbol of this era? And if he does come back, will it be as a setup man? A replacement for Madson?

What about Roy Oswalt's $16 million option? The fourth ace could easily find himself in the Phillies' discard pile.

Besides John Mayberry Jr., who figures to assume Ibanez's spot in left, how many of the 2011 Phillies reserves will be back? If Madson goes and soon-to-be-40 Jose Contreras isn't back, what might next season's bullpen look like?

And maybe most significantly for the Phillies' long-term future is the fate of Cole Hamels. The stud lefthander, just 27, will be arbitration-eligible after this season and a free agent after the next. Will the Phillies - can the Phillies - tie him up with a long-term deal that probably would cost them a minimum of $20 million a year, Justin Verlander's salary with the Detroit Tigers the next three years?

Another world championship this autumn might make the inevitable transition go down smoother for the remaining players and for a fan base that has fallen in love with this group and become a cash cow in the process.

Whether there's another Broad Street parade or not, of course, the Phillies figure to at least stay competitive in the immediate future with Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee returning in 2012.

Long term, the outlook gets fuzzier.

Despite attracting a baseball-best 3.68 million fans this season, the payroll, now at $172 million, can't get much higher without incurring a costly luxury tax.

And what might the absence of familiar veterans such as, say, Rollins, Ibanez, Madson, and Oswalt do to clubhouse chemistry, a remarkably stable and overlooked element of the Phils' recent success?

Throughout baseball's history, the gradual disintegration of a team's longtime core hasn't always meant a long exile from contention. But that's what happens more often than not.

Though it came before free agency, the Yankees' dynastic heart of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Elston Howard began to splinter with Berra's 1963 retirement. New York would win another pennant in 1964, then, despite its wealth, go 12 years before its next postseason appearance.

The Dodgers infield of Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes, and Steve Garvey played together for nearly nine seasons, during which time L.A. captured four pennants and a World Series. In the 30 seasons since that group was disbanded, L.A. has won just one pennant.

Likewise, in the three-plus decades since the Big Red Machine came apart, Cincinnati has been back to a World Series only once, in 1990.

"One of the things I think today's fan really misses the most is the continuity," Garvey said. "Guys come and go much more rapidly than they used to. A fan base and a team used to grow up together. And in some cases, like with Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels, and those guys on the Phillies, they still do. But whenever and however that split comes, it's difficult for everyone concerned."

Though no one in the Phillies front office is willing to discuss such a transition at this early and delicate stage, the kind of personnel changes that confront this team require significant, though less-visible, adjustments.

All those photos, uniforms, commercials, promotional material, and merchandise that contain the image or name of a departing player will have to be scrapped or altered.

"To some extent, that kind of thing happens every year," said John Hart, the MLB Network analyst who was the Indians general manager when that franchise began to make wholesale roster changes. "Ideally though, you never want too much change in any one year."

So bring your cameras to Citizens Bank Park this weekend. Set your TiVo to record all their games. The seconds are ticking off on this particular Phillies team's hour of splendor in the grass and dirt.

"You never know," said Garvey. "Maybe they'll make the transition successfully and go on to win 14 straight division titles like the Braves."