PHILADELPHIA -- The Marlins were high on pitcher Cliff Lee long before he won a Cy Young Award with the Cleveland Indians and became an instant World Series sensation with his Game 1 masterpiece for the Phillies.

Problem was, the Marlins didn't produce a signing bonus large enough to satisfy Lee when they grabbed him in the eighth round of the 1997 amateur draft, and the young high school hurler from Arkansas landed in college instead of the pros.

``He turned us down,'' said Marlins special assistant Orrin Freeman, who scouted Lee for the Marlins in '97.

Freeman said the Marlins offered Lee a $75,000 signing bonus. But the pitcher held out for $400,000 -- the amount the Marlins gave to Wes Anderson, another Arkansas prep star Freeman scouted.

Anderson was taken in the 14th round.

But Freeman said that was only because the player, who graded out as a first- or second-round pick, told teams he planned to attend college and had no intention of turning pro. Freeman said Anderson changed his mind, though, when the Marlins dangled the six-figure signing bonus in front of him.

As for Lee, Freeman said that after a team-imposed signing deadline passed, the left-hander changed his mind and told the club he would accept their original offer. But it was too late.

``We didn't have the money anymore,'' Freeman said.

Lee ended up going to college, was chosen by Montreal in the fourth round of the 2000 draft, and began his pro career in the Expos organization -- back when Jeffrey Loria owned the franchise.

Anderson pitched for several years in the minors but never fully recovered from shoulder surgery and hung up his spikes in 2003.

A DOUBLE FEATURE

The Phillies and Yankees weren't the only pro teams from Philadelphia and New York City to face each other Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants hooked up at Lincoln Financial Field, just across the street from Citizens Bank Park, earlier in the day. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time a World Series game and NFL game matching teams from the same two cities played in the same city on the same day.

SPOTLIGHT ON ARKANSAS

When it comes to World Series pitchers from Arkansas, it's tough to beat the Dean brothers, Dizzy and Paul. They almost single-handedly won the 1934 Series for the Cardinals, accounting for all four St. Louis wins against the Detroit Tigers.

Now, 75 years later, native Arkansans Lee and A.J. Burnett have put the state back on the national baseball map. Lee and the New York Yankees' Burnett not only emerged with victories for their teams in Games 1 and 2 but also are set to face each other on Monday in Game 5.

``It's not very often two guys from the state of Arkansas make it to the big leagues, much less square off against each other in the World Series,'' said Lee, who is 17 months Burnett's junior. ``So if that happens, it's going to be a neat deal for our state.''

Burnett will be starting on three days' rest.

A-ROD AND REPLAYS

The home run by Alex Rodriguez in Game 3 wasn't the first one awarded to him through instant replay. Rodriguez was the batter the first time instant replay was used. His home run at Tropicana Field on Sept. 3, 2008, was upheld after umpires examined replays.

Rodriguez's home run originally was ruled a double. But replays showed the ball striking a television camera positioned atop the wall near the right-field foul pole, and umpires changed their decision.

The Fox network Sunday moved the camera back slightly so the edge of the lens was in line with the top of the wall.

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