Don’t be sorry, Charlie, start Happ if you have a Game 7

Memo to Charlie Manuel: if you get a chance to have Game 7 in the World Series Thursday, start J.A. Happ. He’s your best chance.

All the former St. Bede Bruin has done for your Phillies this season is go 10-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 23 starts. He is 12-4 overall.

He has already received the Sporting News and the Player’s Choice N.L. Rookie of the Year honors and awaiting a hat trick by the Baseball Writers of America for the official MLB Rookie of the Year award.

Yes, he may be a rookie and would be making his very first World Series start and just his second postseason start of his career. But Charlie, you should know ... Happ played for John Bellino at St. Bede, who has been known to toughen up a few young men or two over the years.

Having played basketball with a few hundred LaSalle-Peru students yelling in your face, Happ can certainly handle a few thousand rowdy Yankee fans.

Now if there is a rainout, Charlie, you can come back with ace Cliff Lee and you should. He’s been nothing but lights out against the Yankees.

But if the Phillies force a game 7, and it played Thursday as scheduled, go with Happ. You’re only other option is Cole Hamels, and we all know how he’s done this season.

Hamels was the darling of the postseason a year ago and World Series hero. But he’s not the same guy right now as then. He struggled all season long — believe me, I know. I dropped him from my fantasy team — and has only continued his poor pitching, going 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in the postseason.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi, an East Peoria native, has already opened the door by pitching A.J. Burnett on short rest on the road in Game 5 when he could have held him back for regular rest at home.

So, Charlie, go with the kid. If you don’t, we’ll be saying, Sorry Charlie.

• I’ve had one local baseball fan tell me over the weekend, he thinks the Phillies have jerked Happ around, pointing out they’ve tried to trade him the past year, started him out in the bullpen and now have put him back there even though he’s been there best starter since May.