NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona swam laps in the pool yesterday while Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz played golf in a charity tournament. And they were miserable.

"I don't know what to do with myself," says Francona, whose team was bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. "I'm mad. Once you're fortunate enough to taste it, it's not enough. You want to do it again even worse. It burns you when you don't."

The Red Sox have won two World Series titles this decade but never got back the following year. The Braves won 14 division titles from 1991 to 2005 and were the last National League team to win back-to-back pennants until this year. Yet they have only one World Series banner from their reign.

The Philadelphia Phillies, beginning tomorrow, will attempt to go where neither team has gone: winning back-to-back World Series championships.

"I don't think people realize just how tough that is to do," Schuerholz said. "It's tough enough to win one division. One league championship. And really tough to win a world championship. But to put yourself in the position where you may have the opportunity to win back-to-back world championships is so difficult. The Phillies deserve a lot of accolades and recognition."

In the past 87 years, the only NL team to repeat as World Series champions are the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76. The Tampa Bay Rays, who were in last year's World Series, finished 19 games out of first place. And the Red Sox, who won 2004 and 2007 titles, have never returned to the Series the following year.

"It's no coincidence what happens," Francona said. "What makes it so hard is that when you go through the playoffs, and have the success to get through three rounds, you're leaning on people pretty good.

"We leaned hard on (Curt Schilling). We leaned on (closer Keith) Foulke. You're adding 30, 40, 50 innings on somebody. Relievers are making 10 more appearances. It just wears on you. It makes it that much harder the next year."

The Red Sox paid the price in 2005. Schilling, who went 21-6 and pitched 249 1/3 innings in the regular season and postseason in 2004, went 8-8 the following year, lasting 93 1/3 innings. Foulke had 83 combined appearances and 35 saves in 2004. He never made more than 44 appearances in a season the rest of his career.

"Everybody wants to pitch into November," Francona said, "it's just difficult to do it several years in a row. You look at (Phillies starter) Cole Hamels. I think he's feeling it now."

The Phillies returned 17 players from their World Series roster, including center fielder Shane Victorino of Maui, but made their necessary changes during the season. Hamels, who went 14-10 last year in the regular season and 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the postseason, is 10-11 record. Brett Myers underwent hip surgery. Jamie Moyer is out for the year with a torn groin muscle.

The Phillies traded for defending AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee from Cleveland and signed veteran Pedro Martinez. While Hamels is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts this postseason, Lee is 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA. Martinez has pitched seven scoreless innings.

"We were really struggling with the rotation at the time," said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro. "We weren't going to go very far with what we had at the time."

Then again, sometimes you just need a combination of luck and karma to reach the World Series.

"It's not all about the talent," Amaro said, "because each team that's in the playoffs has enough talent to win the World Series. You hope to have a lot of luck."