SNEAK PREVIEW: Phils admit they're wrong

Here's a taste of the Phillies notebook that will be in Saturday's News Journal. If you ask me, it's some interesting stuff.

But I'm looking for more feedback. Let me know what you think of how the Phils have handled this matter.

By SCOTT LAUBER
The News Journal
TORONTO – After a week of being vilified, criticized and accused of blatant insensitivity to the seriousness of domestic violence, Phillies president David Montgomery and general manager Pat Gillick offered this admission.
They were wrong.
Montgomery, reached by telephone Friday, said the Phillies never should’ve allowed troubled right-hander Brett Myers to start in Fenway Park last Saturday, 36 hours after being arrested and charged with hitting his wife, Kim, on a Boston street corner.
“It was wrong because we sent an unintended message that we don’t understand the problem of domestic abuse,” he said.
Gillick, who met the Phillies here for a three-game inter-league series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, said the organization had wide-ranging discussions last Friday about whether to let Myers pitch.
Ultimately, Gillick told reporters that Myers was the slumping Phillies’ “best pitcher” and “it was in our best interests of the club” that he pitch.
Does he regret those words?
“Looking back, it was possibly the wrong decision to make,” Gillick said before Friday’s game. “That’s hindsight. It definitely wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.”

June 28: PREGAME -- Injury updates

A few minutes before today's first pitch at Camden Yards, here's an update on some injured Phillies, from assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Jon Lieber, P (groin tear): After allowing four runs in five innings Tuesday night for Class A Clearwater, he will pitch Sunday either for Clearwater for Class AA Reading. "He threw OK," Amaro said. "He wasn't super sharp. But he's on track."

Randy Wolf, P (elbow, hand): A non-displaced fracture of his fifth metacarpals bone in his left hand prevented him from pitching Tuesday night for low-Class A Lakewood. Amaro said his rehab from Tommy John elbow surgery will be pushed back by about 10 days, but the Phillies are still hoping he can pitch for them by late July.

Mike Lieberthal, C (strained hip): He still has discomfort when he runs the bases, and Amaro said he probably won't be ready to play for the Phillies until after the All-Star break either in San Francisco or San Diego.

Here's today's lineup, which includes Pat Burrell. Manager Charlie Manuel thought about giving the badly slumping Burrell a few days off, but wanted his right-handed power in the lineup against O's lefty Erik Bedard.

SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
RF Bobby Abreu
DH Pat Burrell
1B Ryan Howard
CF Aaron Rowand
LF Shane Victorino
3B David Bell
C Sal Fasano

More later.

BREAKING NEWS: Myers sent home

Five days too late, the Phillies have finally done the right thing.

Today in Baltimore, the Phillies and Brett Myers released statements that Myers has requested and received time off to begin reconciling his marital and legal problems stemming from his arrest last Friday night for allegedly hitting his wife on a Boston street corner.

My only question: why did this take five days? Instead of making insensitive remarks like, "I'm only sorry this got public," Myers should've asked for the time off -- or been told to go away -- after the incident occurred. GM Pat Gillick should've known better than to stand in front of reporters and say Myers would pitch Saturday because "he's our best pitcher" and "it's in the best interest of the team."

Shame on the Phillies for how they bungled this matter.

My colleague, Geoff Mosher, is filling in for me tonight and will have complete coverage in tomorrow's News Journal and at www.delawareonline.com. For now, though, here are transcipts of both statements.

Brett Myers Statement
On the day of my arrest, I consulted with my attorney by phone, who advised me to make no comments about this matter. While I followed his advice at the time, I have felt the need to make some comments about this situation and I do so now.

First, while I dispute that the facts are as alleged, I recognize that my behavior was inappropriate and for that I apologize.

Second, I recognize that the incident created an embarrassing situation for many people, including my wife and family, my teammates, the Phillies organization, and fans, and I am very sorry for that.

Third, my wife and children are very important to me and I am willing to do whatever is necessary to address any problems that might harm our marriage. I have asked the Phillies for some time off so that I can concentrate on this matter and make plans for whatever assistance is appropriate.

At this time, I do not intend to make any further public comments about this matter.

Craig Landis, Agent for Brett Myers
Landis Baseball Group

Phillies Statement on Brett Myers
            The Phillies have agreed to Brett Myers’ request for time off to concentrate on personal matters associated with his arrest in Boston last week.  He is expected to be off for two and one-half weeks, through the All Star Break, until July 14.  The Phillies have made available appropriate, professional, employee assistance resources to help Brett and Kim Myers in these circumstances.

            After last Friday, the Phillies did not comment further on the events surrounding the arrest of Brett Myers out of respect for the Myers’ privacy and because there is a criminal prosecution pending.  Likewise, the Phillies did not summarily suspend Brett Myers immediately upon his arrest, prior to any judicial determination of guilt or complete evaluation of the entire matter.  Such a decision, unfortunately, has been portrayed or interpreted as the Phillies indifference to problems of spousal abuse.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We abhor such violence and recognize that it is a very serious problem affecting a substantial number of victims, particularly women, across the country.
           
If we have been guilty of delay in expressing these sentiments, we are sorry.  We have been engaged in a difficult balancing of concerns for the rights of our employee, the presumption of innocence, the rights of his spouse, and the legitimate public concern about allegations of spousal abuse by a Phillies ballplayer.  We believe that the present status, including a public apology by Brett Myers, time off from baseball, professional assistance for Brett and Kim Myers, and this statement achieves the appropriate balance for now.

                                                David Montgomery
                                                President
                                                The Phillies

It gets worse

This morning, Comcast reported that a Phillies employee may have witnessed Brett Myers hit his wife on a Boston street last Friday. If true, that would make the Phillies' handling of this situation even more reprehensible. You mean to tell me that if I go out with a friend from work and get charged with asssaulting someone else in front of that coworker, my boss isn't going to want to listen to my coworker's account. And if the coworker's account is as troubling as that of Courtney Knight, you think my boss would let come within 10 feet of the office.
Knight told The Boston Globe she witnessed the alleged attack. "It was disgusting," Knight said. "He was dragging her by the hair and slapping her across the face. She was yelling, 'I'm not going to let you do this to me anymore.' "
Knight said the 6-foot-4 ballplayer dwarfs his wife, who the police report said was 5 foot 4 and 120 pounds.
"She's a real small girl," Knight said. "It was awful."
The Phillies have to understand that their silence will not make this story go away, especially since they insist on trotting Myers out every five days.
What does it say about the Phillies when the Eagles suspended a superstar for an entire season and he wan't even arrested. I guess that's the cruel reality of pro sports. You can be charged with hitting your wife but you can't be a jerk.
I'll suggest it one more time Phillies: suspend Myers with pay and send him home, call a press conference to apologize for being so insensitive and let the case move through the courts.
Clearly the Phillies don't understand what they have done by turning their heads. It's time for fans to turn away from the Phillies.

READER POLL -- Should Myers have pitched?

Should the Phillies have allowed Brett Myers to pitch Saturday in Boston?

All weekend in the Fenway Park press box, that has been the hotly debated subject. Several fellow scribes, including Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe and esteemed Inquirer columnist Jim Salisbury, were vehemently opposed to Myers pitching and heavily criticized the Phillies in print.

Personally, I think the Phils should've benched him, or maybe more appropriately, allowed him to return home to sort out whatever personal problems he and his wife, Kim, are obviously having. Since Myers hasn't been convicted on the charges of domestic assault and battery, the players' union would've objected had the Phils tried to suspend him. Sitting him or sending him home would've been the next-best things.

Phillies GM Pat Gillick said Myers is "our best pitcher" and that it was "in the best interests of the ballclub" that he make his scheduled start Saturday, about 36 hours after his arrest. To that I say, why? If Myers had thrown a no-hitter against the Red Sox, the Phillies still would've been 10 games behind the first-place Mets. It's not exactly like they're fighting for a division title right now.

I'm curious to know what you think.

You can post responses to this blog, or if your prefer, please e-mail me at slauber@delawareonline.com.

June 24: PREGAME -- Play ball

For the moment, at least, the rain has ceased, and Curt Schilling is warming up. I didn't think it was possible when I woke up this morning and walked to Fenway in a light drizzle.

As expected, Brett Myers is starting for the Phillies today, despite his off-field incident of Friday morning. He walked to the bullpen to a smattering of boos, but surprisingly, he didn't take much abuse from Sox fans in the bleachers while he warmed up.

Obviously, we'll have more coverage in Sunday's News Journal.

All for now.

Myers situation

The Phillies are quick to say Brett Myers has not been convicted of a crime and they're correct in that regard. Where they fall down is in their quickness to remind everyone how important Myers is to the Phillies' rotation and that he must start Saturday.
"I think getting back on the mound will be good for him," Manuel said. "I don't think this is going to be a big distraction. I think [the team] will definitely rally behind him. If they like him, they'll get behind him, and I think they have respect for him."
Charlie, you rally behind someone who is ill or whose house has been destroyed by a hurricane. You don't rally behind someone who is accused of hitting his wife and pulling her hair.
GM Pat Gillick called Myers "our best pitcher," and said, "I think it's in the best interests of the club that he pitches [today]."
What does that mean Pat? Unless you're shopping Myers around (and who's going to want him now), Myers could throw a no-hitter today and it wouldn't put the Phils back in the race.
At the very least, the Phillies should have held Myers out of this start pending their own investigation. Doing that would show respect for the gravity of the charges and also spare Myers from the disdain he's likely to feel from the Fenway crowd today.
Brett Myers may have been bailed on $200, but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass on the mound.

June 23: BREAKING NEWS -- Myers arrested

Here's an Associated Press story about Brett Myers, who was arrested early this morning here in Boston.

Obviously, we'll have more details in tomorrow's News Journal.


ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested Friday and charged with assaulting his wife on a downtown Boston street.

Myers, 25, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday against the Red Sox, got in an argument with his wife at about 12:20 a.m. at the corner of Boylston and Dalton streets, according to David Procopio, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Myers’ wife, Kim Wickman, and two witnesses told police that the pitcher hit her.

“The evidence at this point leads us to believe the victim was struck in the left side of her face,” Procopio said.

One of the witnesses told investigations that Myers also pulled her hair.

Police responded to a 911 call and found Myers’ wife crying with a swollen face, Procopio said.

Officers found Myers nearby and arrested him. He cooperated with police, Procopio said.

Myers was booked by Boston police and his wife posted his $200 bail.

Myers pleaded not guilty to assault charges at his arraignment Friday morning in Boston Municipal Court, Procopio said.

A Phillies spokesman had no immediate comment.

Myers and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter.

Myers’ next court date is Aug. 4. A judge ruled over the objections of prosecutors that he did not have to attend the hearing in person, Procopio said.

June 22: BONUS COVERAGE

The Phillies notebook from last night wasn't posted online in its entirety, so here it is, in case you missed ...

By SCOTT LAUBER
The News Journal
PHILADELPHIA – Before a game the other day, Larry Bowa spotted Bobby Abreu on the field at Citizens Bank Park and went to say hello to his former right fielder.
“He looked like something was bothering him, and I said, ‘You OK?’” Bowa said Wednesday. “He said, ‘I’m taking a little heat.’ I said, ‘Sometimes, a change of scenery is good.’”
To that, Abreu smiled.
Bowa, now the Yankees’ third-base coach, related the same story Tuesday on a New York radio station, except the former Phillies manager said Abreu was the one who suggested a change.
“I didn’t say that,” Abreu said Wednesday. “Honestly, I don’t really pay attention to that stuff. I don’t really follow if they’re going to trade me or not. Whatever happens is going to happen.”
At the winter meetings last December, the Phillies discussed dealing Abreu, who makes $13.6 million this season and is due $15 million in 2007, but were unable to land the ace pitcher they continue to crave.
The Yankees, with injured outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield sidelined until at least September, are looking for another hitter.
During his WFAN interview, Bowa said of Abreu, “If you put him on another ballclub, I think he’d go off. I think he’s stagnant here.”
On Wednesday, Bowa added that he thinks Abreu, a .302 hitter with a .413 on-base percentage in 11 seasons, is underappreciated in Philadelphia, where he’s routinely booed for a perceived lack of effort and defensive foibles in right field.
“People don’t realize what he does,” Bowa said. “Sometimes, you don’t really know how good a guy is until he’s gone. Not many guys can do what he does.”
Asked if he feels like he’s being treated unfairly here, Abreu smiled.
“Since the start of the season, I think I’ve played good,” he said. “Last week, I made a couple mistakes in the outfield, and now I’m not good? It doesn’t bother me.”
Abreu has a no-trade clause. Would he waive it if the Yankees came calling?
“If it comes to that, I’d have to think about it,” he said.
ROTATION SHUFFLE
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said rookie right-hander Scott Mathieson won’t start in Boston this weekend but may be used out of the bullpen. Mathieson’s next start likely will be Tuesday or Wednesday nights against the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Right-handers Ryan Madson, Brett Myers and Cory Lidle will start against the Red Sox. Boston will start Josh Beckett on Friday night and Curt Schilling on Saturday.
WOLF WHACKED
Left-hander Randy Wolf, starting for Class AA Reading, lasted only 3-2/3 innings against Erie. He allowed six runs, six hits, two walks and struck out five and threw 71 pitches (46 for strikes).
HOWARD’S POWER
Ryan Howard’s upper-deck home run Tuesday night, the first hit in 3-year-old Citizens Bank Park, was caught by 9-year-old Daniel Levine of Newark. His seat (Section 304, Row 1, Seat 8) was marked by a white ‘H.’
On Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Torre was still talking about Howard’s 3-for-4, seven-RBI performance.
“He’s something special,” Torre said. “He reminded us, unfortunately, of David Ortiz.”
NOT READY YET
Still unable to run at full speed, catcher Mike Lieberthal (hip) ruled himself out of playing this weekend in Boston. He will try to run again at Fenway Park and said he may play in a few minor league games early next week for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
INSIDE PITCHES
With the Phillies playing their next nine games in American League parks, Manuel said Pat Burrell will be the DH while David Dellucci or Shane Victorino play left field. Burrell continues to be hampered by a sore right foot. … Manuel on setup man Arthur Rhodes’ 7.22 ERA in 49 career appearances against the Yanks: “There’s probably a lot of pitchers whose record wasn’t so good against the Yankees.”
Contact Scott Lauber at slauber@delawareonline.com.

June 21: IN-GAME -- More from Bowa

In tomorrow's News Journal, you'll read plenty about Larry Bowa, who made some comments related to Bobby Abreu possibly getting traded.

Here's some more of Bowa's greatest hits:

On Jimmy Rollins: "He's got tremendous skills. But sometimes, he gets caught up in being J-Roll."

On Pat Burrell: "To me, Burrell's an American League player. He's a good DH."

More later.

Love those promotions

A great place to keep up with minor league baseball, including box scores that are updated every half inning, is www.milb.com

One if its weekly features is a preview of the upcoming promotions and giveaways at ball parks around the nation. Here's some good ones.

Rome (Ga.) Braves (June 23). Whistles will be distributed to all fans in an attempt to break the world record for simultaneous whistle blowing. I think the current record is held by the people who turned in Enron.

Lake Elsinore (Calif.) Storm (June 30). Tom Cruise Night. Maybe if you wear Ray Bans and jockey shorts, you get in for free.

Reading (Pa.) Phillies (June 30). Darren Daulton pint glass night. Interesting choice for a player who has racked up three DUI charges, according to www.wikipedia.com

Hagerstown (Md.) Suns (July 9). "World's Longest Slip and Slide." If they leave it in the basepath for the game, now that would be something.

Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs (July 26). "Unorganized Cookie Monster Protest." Super Grover must be behind this one.

Buffalo (N.Y.) Bisons (Aug. 5). Appearance by Survivor's Rudy Boesch. I still can't believe he took his hand off that pole. He had the million in the bag.

Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads (Aug. 5). Soccer ball giveaway. Here kids, learn this sport instead.

Lowell (Mass.) Spinners (Aug. 19). Stopwatch giveaway. Twenty seconds! Twenty seconds! Automatic ball!

Columbus (Ohio) Clippers (Sept. 1). Appearance by Sgt. Slaughter and George "The Animal" Steele. I say the Sarge takes him.

Hagerstown (Md.) Suns (Sept. 2). "World's Largest Game of Duck-Duck-Goose." Tip: When you tag someone as goose, run back around in the opposite direction.

June 21: PREGAME -- Friday's starter

I'm expecting the Phillies to announce in a few minutes who will be starting Friday night in Boston. Once they do, I'll file an update to www.delawareonline.com.

But, if it's any indication, the Red Sox game notes for today list Ryan Madson as Friday's starter, followed by Brett Myers on Saturday and Cory Lidle on Sunday. That would mean the Phillies are skipping rookie Scott Mathieson and going to a four-man rotation, a luxury they have with the off-day tomorrow.

In case you're wondering, the Red Sox will start Josh Beckett on Friday and Curt Schilling on Saturday.

Here's tonight's lineup for the rubber game with the Yankees:

SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
RF Bobby Abreu
LF Pat Burrell
1B Ryan Howard
CF Aaron Rowand
3B David Bell
C Sal Fasano
LHP Cole Hamels

June 20: POSTGAME -- Howard's power

Ryan Howard's workday started at about 2:30 p.m.

As I walked into Citizens Bank Park, I spotted Howard at first base. Bench coach Gary Varsho was hitting him ground balls, and every so often, infield coach Bill Dancy would stop the exercise and give Howard some instruction.

Soon after that, Howard went through the Phillies' usual stretching routine, took batting practice and went 3-for-3 with two homers, a triple and seven RBIs.

If you're counting, that's 49 career home runs in 176 games for Howard.

And the best thing about him is his humility.

Asked what he thought of Yankees CF Johnny Damon's remark that "it was a pleasure to watch him," Howard said, "It's kind of exciting for me to hear those guys say something like that."

Later, Howard was told he has surpassed Albert Pujols for the major-league lead in RBIs with 66. He said, "That's cool. Albert's a great hitter. He's been out for like a month, but hey, I'll take it. I'll be up there with him."

Finally, here's the best quote that didn't make the cut in your morning paper: "We kept coming back and coming back, and eventually, we beat Howard." -- Yankees SS Derek Jeter.

June 19: POSTGAME -- Phillies 4, Yankees 2

I was struck by two things I heard tonight after the Phillies' win:

1. Jimmy Rollins related a story that tells us something about Bretty Myers' psyche. Rollins was in the clubhouse, preparing for his second at-bat, when he heard the announcers on the ESPN broadcast talking about a conversation between Steve Carlton about Randy Johnson. It had to do with the greatness of a pitcher being measured by how often he can keep his team close in games he starts.

Myers also was in the clubhouse, heard the discussion and admitted later that he drew some motivation from it. Over the years, Johnson has kept his team in games, and that's what Myers strives to do each time he pitches.

2. Charlie Manuel got a little chippy in his postgame news conference when he was asked about why he didn't pinch-hit Ryan Howard or Bobby Abreu for David Bell with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. Manuel said he was trying to prevent the Yankees from bringing in Mike Myers, one of the toughest lefty relievers in baseball.

That's a fair point. Lefties are only 7-for-34 (.206) against Myers. Problem is, I don't recall Myers warming in the bullpen.

Regardless, Bell struck out but reached first base anyway after the ball skipped by Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, allowing a run to score for the final 4-2 margin.

June 19: PREGAME -- Lineup changes

Randy Johnson may be 42 years old, and his ERA may be approaching 6.00. But he still forces teams to change their lineup. The Phillies are no different, and tonight, against The Big Unit, who is notoriously tough on lefties, they won't start Ryan Howard or Bobby Abreu, both left-handed hitters.

As a result, Chase Utley will play first base, a position he hasn't played since last season when he played eight games there.

Here is a Phillies lineup you probably won't see again this season.

SS Jimmy Rollins (.257, 9, 24)
RF Shane Victorino (.313, 3, 12)
1B Chase Utley (.297, 12, 41)
LF Pat Burrell (.262, 18, 50)
CF Aaron Rowand (.279, 8, 24)
3B David Bell (.259, 4, 25)
C Sal Fasano (.272, 4, 10)
2B Abraham Nunez (.173, 1, 3)
RHP Brett Myers (4-3, 3.86 ERA)

More after the game.

June 18: POSTGAME -- Phew!

That sound you heard coming from South Philly today was an entire baseball team exhaling. Not only did the Phillies snap a six-game losing streak with an 8-5 win over the Devil Rays, but Ryan Howard escaped a near-devastating injury.

Howard, trying to score in the seventh inning on David Dellucci's single, looked to be out by nearly 30 feet. But catcher Josh Paul bobbled a throw from right fielder Russell Branyan and stuck out his left leg, tripping Howard as he crossed the plate. Howard came down on his left wrist, wrenching it against the ground. It looked painful, but Howard stayed in the game and said afterward that his wrist is OK.

"It's just a little sore," he said. "But it should be fine.

Also, there was no retailiation against D-Rays shortstop Julio Lugo, who angered several Phillies on Saturday night when he tried to bunt for a hit with Tampa Bay leading by four runs in the eighth inning. Evidently, Ryan Madson thought it was more important to win the game than teach Lugo a lesson.

The way things have gone for the Phillies lately, it's hard to argue.

Talk to you tomorrow when the Yankees get to town.

June 18: IN-GAME -- Is Charlie safe?

A few minutes before today's game, Pat Gillick addressed reporters who were curious about Charlie Manuel's job security. It was a legitimate question, especially since the Phillies have lost six straight games, fallen two games below .500 and are four games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the loss column in the wild card race.

"No change," Gillick said about Manuel's status.

Then, he expounded ...

Asked if Manuel is doing a satisfactory job, Gillick said, "I think he is. He can't go out and play."

Your thoughts?

I'll have more after the game and in Monday's News Journal (www.delawareonline.com).

Happy Father's Day.

June 17: IN-GAME -- Mathieson's debut

For a pitcher who was supposed to have a major-league fastball and still-developing breaking pitches, Scott Mathieson acquitted himself well tonight. His breaking stuff was better than I expected, and considering he was making his major-league debut, he exhibited poise, walking only two batters (one intentionally) and none until the sixth inning when his pitch count approached 100.

His line: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1 balk, 92 pitches, 58 strikes

Considering how the Phillies' starters have pitched lately, Mathieson probably deserves another start.

What do you think?

June 17: PREGAME -- Sanches demoted

In order to make room on the roster for Scott Mathieson, who is making his major-league debut tonight, the Phillies optioned reliever Brian Sanches to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Sanches, who pitched a no-hitter for the Blue Rocks in 2000, has made a decent impression on the Phillies, even though he returns with a 5.87 ERA in 7.2 innings.

"I like him. He's gutty," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's improved. I saw him two years ago, and he's got more velocity on his fastball. His split's better. I put him in some tough situations and he responded good."

Also, Chase Utley is finally getting a rest today. Utley, stuck in a 5-for-43 slump, started all but one of the first 67 games, including 43 straight.

Here's the Phillies lineup for tonight, with their season stats:

SS Jimmy Rollins (.253, 9 HR, 24 RBI)
3B David Bell (.264, 4, 25)
RF Bobby Abreu (.288, 8, 48)
LF Pat Burrell (.263, 18, 50)
1B Ryan Howard (.292, 22, 55)
CF Aaron Rowand (.286, 8, 24)
2B Abraham Nunez (.164, 0, 1)
C Sal Fasano (.264, 3, 9)
RHP Scott Mathieson (MLB debut)

More later.

June 16: PREGAME -- Wolf is back

Randy Wolf has rejoined the Phillies, and by the All-Star break, he may be pitching from the mound at Citizens Bank Park. After two rehab starts for high-A Clearwater, Wolf's next four starts will be at double-A Reading or triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He also isn't ready to give up on winning the NL East, even after the Phillies were swept by the Mets this week.

"When you get swept by a rival, especially New York, people usually say, 'It's over,'" Wolf said. "But I remember in 2001, we were something like 8 games up, and it wasn't done. We didn't win the division."

True enough.

Here's tonight's lineup, with season stats:

SS Jimmy Rollins (.254, 9 HR, 22 RBI)
2B Chase Utley (.299, 12, 40)
RF Bobby Abreu (.292, 8, 48)
LF Pat Burrell (.263, 18, 50)
1B Ryan Howard (.289, 22, 54)
CF Aaron Rowand (.287, 8, 24)
3B David Bell (.260, 4, 25)
C Chris Coste (0-for-12)
LHP Cole Hamels (1-1, 3.68 ERA)

The long and short of Rollins

The worst part of Tuesday's and Wednesday's games wasn't that the Phillies lost to the Mets; it was that Jimmy Rollins hit three home runs. Once again, he'll likely get it stuck in his head that he's another Miguel Tejada or A-Rod, then for the next three weeks hit .220 with a .240 on-base percentage chocked full of popups and medium fly balls.
I loved it when he was caught in that hitting streak at the end of last season, because it forced him to go to the plate with a purpose, a plan – to wait for a good pitch and line a base hit and keep the streak alive. Since it ended early this season, he has reverted back to swinging at the first pitch his bat can reach, whether he can do anything with said pitch or not. Pitchers know they can get him to swing at their pitch rather him waiting for his pitch, and they work him accordingly.
Memo to J-Ro, you're not Roberto Clemente; being Jimmy Rollins circa September 2005 works just fine.

Leftovers

So much happened in tonight's game that, invariably, some of it won't make your morning paper. Here, then, are some notes, quotes and observations that you won't be reading over breakfast.

***

By now, you're probably familiar with the feud between Mets closer Billy Wagner and Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell, who allegedly called Wagner "a rat" last season when they were teammates in Philadelphia.

Well, they faced each other in the ninth inning, and Burrell ripped a line drive down the third-base line that was snared by Mets third baseman David Wright with a sensational backhand.

Wagner's reaction?

"MVP. Gold Glove. Isn't that the chant they say at Shea every time he comes out on the field - MVP?" Wagner said. "That was a big play for us. I told him, we're even, but don't think you can't pick me up some more. That was big."

Truth is, Wright will be a star in the majors for years. I watched him play in the minors and saw him have games like this (go-ahead homer, game-saving play) on a routine basis.

***

The Phillies hit five home runs, including David Dellucci's pinch-hit, three-run shot in the eighth. That's a whopping 44.2 percent of their runs this season that have been scored via the homer, a staggeringly large number. It's gotten to the point where the Phillies rarely win when they don't go deep.

***

With the Phils trailing 9-7, Jimmy Rollins was thrown out trying to steal second in the eighth inning, ending a potential rally.

In case you're wondering, Rollins has a green light to steal whenever he sees fit. But, the Phillies have a "hold" sign that they can relay from the dugout if they don't want him to go. According to manager Charlie Manuel, that sign was given to third-base coach Bill Dancy, but Rollins didn't pick it up.

"We had trouble getting [Rollins'] attention," Manuel said. "I did not want him to run there. We gave the hold sign from the bench, but evidently, he didn't see it. We were trying to hold him there. I asked him about it after the game, and his answer to me was, 'We usually go there.'"

***

More from Wagner after his first appearance at Citizens Bank Park since leaving the Phillies in the off-season:

"I had a lot of adrenaline, but that was just the situation. You know you have to go in there and make pitches."

So, there was no adrenaline because of pitching in Philly?

"I've got 10 years in. I'm more concerned in trying to win a championship than going out there than impress the Philadelphia fans or Philadelphia. I'm trying to win for the Mets. That was my only concern. I wanted to me the best of the opportunity [Mets manager] Willie [Randolph] has given me.

Did he get any grief from fans while warming up in the bullpen?

"No. I didn't have time to. I think I threw about 12 pitches and they said you're in the game."

Back from DC ... bring on the Mets

So, the Phillies finally get a day off today (their first since May 22), and they better enjoy it. With the red-hot Mets coming to town, there's little rest for the weary.

If there's such a thing as a big series in June, this is it. Consider the possible ramifications:

The Mets come in with a 6.5-game lead over the Phils. A Mets sweep would push that to 9.5, and the Phils could pretty much start thinking about the wild card. But a Phils sweep would slash the margin to 3.5 games, and the teams still play each other 10 more times.

Probably the biggest reasons for the Mets' success are their 17 one-run wins. The Phils have only eight, along with 12 one-run losses. That's going to have to change if they hope to catch New York.

A few other observations from a weekend in DC:

* Cole Hamels has boatloads of self-confidence. Not only did he seem upset that he was on a fixed pitch count Sunday, but he shrugged off Charlie Manuel's suggestion that he should've thrown a fastball rather than his changeup in a two-out, full-count situation to Royce Clayton. Hamels may be 22, but he has the audacity of a seasoned pro. Now, he just needs to back it up, and that's the hard part.

* RFK Stadium couldn't be more antiquated. That said, DC is one of the best NL cities, and it's going to get better once the new stadium opens in 2008.

* Strangest DC sight: Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 (and one of the most interesting historical sights in a city full of them), is next to a Hard Rock Cafe. Talk about unlikely neighbors.

College pitchers pay off

Whenever I hear about pitching prospect in high school having "a great breaking ball," I always think of the brother of Jerry Martin. You remember Jerry Martin ... the defensive replacement Danny Ozark DIDN'T put in for Greg Luzinski in the ninth inning, likely costing the Phillies the 1977 NLCS against the Dodgers. Well, his brother Mike was a first-round pick by the Phillies, supposedly having the best curveball anyone had ever seen by a high school pitcher. Remember what he did with the big club? No? That's because he blew out his arm well before he got there.

Which brings me to Kyle Drabek, the Phillies' top pick last week out of The Woodlands H.S. in Texas. He's 5-11, has a blazing fastball, and a terrific breaking ball (I've heard slider by some, curve by others). But every time a team uses a No. 1 on a high school pitcher, I cringe. It's going to be a minimum of four years until he reaches the bigs and so many things can go wrong, especially since you've only had a limited number of innings in high school or summer league ball to evaluate him. How will he develop physically and emotionally? Or, worse, what if he's already through developing? Can his arm stand the strain of minor league ball, more innings against pro hitters? What has that great breaking ball done to his pitching arm during his formative years?

My preference is always to take a college pitcher. You get a better read on his maturing body, his arm's durability, and his actual talent. Plus, if he's first-round material, he's much closer to being major league-ready. I know Brett Myers appears close to being an All-Star, but Cole Hamels has already had injury issues and Gavin Floyd seems to be suffering from a serious confidence problem.

I don't mind high school pitchers being drafted in later rounds, but I don't like to risk a first-round pick on one. Now that the deal is done, I can only hope Drabek will be almost as good as his dad was.

UPDATE No. 2: Lieberthal to the DL

Here's a preview of the Phillies notebook that will appear in Saturday's paper.

What I'd like to know is this: Do you think the Phillies should call up Carlos Ruiz to replace Lieberthal or stick with Chris Coste as a seldom-used backup to Sal Fasano?

WASHINGTON – It appears Mike Lieberthal is headed back to the disabled list.
Lieberthal, the Phillies’ starting catcher, was unable to run without feeling pain in his strained left hip before Friday night’s game here and said he “more than likely” would require another stint on the 15-day DL.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Friday that a decision hadn’t been reached, but with reliever Brian Sanches en route here from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, indications were that Lieberthal will be deactivated today.
“I was at 40 percent, and as soon as I tried to run a little harder, I couldn’t run,” Lieberthal said. “It’s an odd injury. It’s one thing to get hit in the knee. Injuries like that, you don’t like it to happen, but you know how much time it will take to heal.”

UPDATE: Pitching situation

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel just said the Phillies will send LHP Eude Brito back to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They'll skip a starter thanks to Monday's off-day. The next time they'll need a fifth starter is June 17 vs. Tampa Bay, and by then, there's a chance RHP Jon Lieber (groin) could be ready.

Stay tuned ...

More in Saturday's News Journal.

Better blog now

The wireless Internet connection in the press box here at RFK Stadium is spotty, at best, so while I'm still online, I wanted to provide a short update.

Wondering who's going to take Jon Lieber's turn during the next trip through the starting rotation? So are the Phillies.

Here are some options:

a) Eude Brito: He admits he hasn't pitched well in two starts since coming up from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and the numbers (10 runs, 14 hits, 10.38 ERA in 8-2/3 innings) support that claim. But he was having success in the minors, and he did well for the Phillies in limited duty last year.

b) Gavin Floyd: His first outing back in Class AAA was a complete-game victory in which he allowed one run and struck out nine. But it's doubtful the Phillies would call him back so soon. Not after he left with a National League-worst 7.29 ERA in 11 starts.

c) Adam Bernero: The Phillies signed him earlier this week, and in his first start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight in eight innings. He's a major-league veteran, having pitched for Detroit, Colorado and Atlanta since 2000, and may be a viable option. More on Bernero in Saturday's paper.

d) Nobody: With an off-day Monday, the Phillies could skip one starter in their next trip through the rotation. Manager Charlie Manuel is thinking of doing just that.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

***

Hang 10 on Chase

One look at Chase Utley without bat or hat suggests Surf City. He is the picture of California cool, in facial expresssion and in demeanor, a cross between James Dean and Luke Perry of that Beverly Hills zip code show. Swinging a bat or charging down the third base line with a catcher blocking his path, it becomes a little more like Muscle Beach. It's only fitting that the star second baseman came to the Phillies by way of UCLA.

I bring these items up only because I have this great fear that when he becomes eligible, Utley will bolt right back to the West Coast and don a Dodgers (or Padres or Angels) uniform.

Even before the start of the season, I had been on my soapbox saying the Phillies had better not drag their feet in locking this guy up with a long-term contract, don't wait until free agency is upon him. They need to wow him now with a show of love and real commitment. Ask any fan who the face of the Phillies is, and the third-year player already would be the overwhelming favorite. That's not to take anything away from Ryan Howard or Brett Myers. But Utley's top-gear hustle and blossoming talent have endeared him to the hard-to-please, would-rather-whine Philadelphia sports fan -- and he didn't have to smash his nose into the center field fence earn that standing. Running out a routine grounder for a base hit, burying a catcher on a play at the plate, hitting a home run or lining a single in a tie ballgame, making a diving stop in the field ... Hey, he's the one Phillie who actually likes to steal a base when it matters. He's what you'd call Larry Brown's kind of ballplayer, a guy who "plays the right way."

This past week, I was interesting to hear Comcast analyst John Marzano echo my sentiments that the Phillies should sign him a 10-year contract -- right now. Let's hope there's a same-thinking person in the Phillies front office.

"Now batting third for the Dodgers, Chase ..."

I get ill just thinking about it.

Random thoughts ...

... while watching the Phillies play in Arizona.

* Eude Brito continues to be listed in the Phils' game notes as the starter Thursday in Washington. But I can't help thinking that Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee are mulling using Ryan Franklin instead. Consider this: Franklin, supposedly the seventh-inning reliever, wasn't used tonight in a 3-3 tie. Aaron Fultz pitched the seventh, and Rheal Cormier was warming in case Fultz faltered.

* One of these days, Arthur Rhodes will have a clean inning. Until then, he's going to give Manuel and Dubee heart attacks.

* I usually defend Bobby Abreu, but the Phillies are lucky it was Chase Utley, not Abreu, running (sprinting?) down the first-base line in the seventh inning tonight. Utley runs out every grounder, no matter how futile. And his hustle down the line allowed him to beat a throw from D-Backs 2B Orlando Hudson, which, in turn, allowed Jimmy Rollins to score the tying run. Utley once told me, "There's a 95 percent chance you'll be out, but you have to run hard for that 5 percent." That's just not in Abreu's nature.

* Speaking of Utley, he took over the lead in all-star balloting among NL second basemen. Why wasn't he in the lead to begin with? He's the best second baseman in the NL, if not the majors.

* It's not hyperbole when C Sal Fasano says he has never seen a player with more opposite-field power than Ryan Howard. I dare anyone to find a player who takes the ball the other way as often, or as effectively, as Howard.

* Cory Lidle's line -- 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K -- was perfectly predictable. That's just about what Lidle does every time he takes the ball.

Paging Ryan Franklin ...

So, Brett Myers starts today in LA, which means the Phillies actually have a chance to win. Myers is about the only sure-thing they have in their rotation right now.

Well, that's not entirely true. Cory Lidle is a safe bet to allow 3-5 runs over six innings, and if the Phillies score some runs for him, they'll likely win. If they don't, like last Wednesday vs. Washington, well, let's just say Lidle probably won't pitch many 1-0 shutouts.

Gavin Floyd certainly didn't. The Phillies were patient with Floyd, giving him 11 starts to prove he can pitch in the majors. Clearly, he had to go. You can't keep handing the ball to a guy with a 7.29 ERA, highest in the NL. Not unless you're the Marlins and have no prayer of making the playoffs. It became evident, over his last four starts, that Floyd lacked the self-confidence to retire major-league batters. Maybe he'll find it in Scranton. Maybe he won't. But he couldn't stay here.

Ryan Madson has struggled as a starter, running out of gas in the third inning on Friday night. And Eude Brito didn't give the Phillies much of a chance Saturday. Rather, he gave up four runs in the first inning, too steep of a deficit to overcome against Dodgers starter Brad Penny.

That brings us to Ryan Franklin.

Franklin, who signed a one-year contract for $2.6 million in the off-season, is the Phillies' best in-house option (until Randy Wolf returns with his rebuilt elbow, likely in July) to bolster the starting rotation. And since Franklin seemingly has lost his grip on the seventh-inning relief role, it probably behooves the Phillies to give him a chance.

Yes, Franklin lost 16 games in 2004 and 15 last year. Yes, he's given up 95 homers over the past three seasons for Seattle. Yes, his career ERA as a starter is 4.45. But he also won 11 games for the Mariners in 2003 before getting the worst run support in the majors in 2004 (3.14 runs/game) and the second-worst in the AL last season (3.4 runs/game).

And, could he really be worse than Floyd or Brito or Madson?

***

If you haven't yet, please check out Sunday's News Journal or www.delawareonline.com. Phillies GM Pat Gillick had some pretty candid things to say about how the team has performed thus far.

Here's a taste: "We haven't pitched very well. We haven't really hit with runners in scoring position. And our defense hasn't been particularly good."

But what alarmed me during my interview with Gillick was his insistence that Wolf, coming back from Tommy John surgery, will make a big impact this year. My experience with Tommy John survivors is that, while they're often back pitching 12 months after their surgery, they don't pitch like their pre-surgery selves until the 20-24-month mark. I just think it's dangerous to rely too much on Wolf this season.

What does everyone else think?