Sept. 30 -- THE END IS NEAR

Before last night's game here in Florida, Marlins left-hander Scott Olsen said he saw champagne being delivered to the Phillies' clubhouse at Dolphin Stadium.

Those bottles may never be opened.

Last night's comeback victory by the Dodgers have severely diminished the Phillies' once-promising playoffs hopes. Now, their best chance to force a one-game playoff Monday at Citizens Bank Park is to win the last two games against the Marlins and hope the Dodgers and/or Padres lose their final two games.

Particularly disappointing to the Phillies is that, a week ago, they were leading the wild-card race. But a loss Monday night to Houston and two losses this week in Washington were crushing blows.

Some of the Phillies even seen resigned to the idea they won't be playing October baseball ... again. Chase Utley said yesterday that it was "surprising" the Phillies were even in position to contend for a playoff spot during the season's final week, considering how poorly they played during the first half.

More in tomorrow's News Journal, and keep back to this blog for further updates.

Sept. 28 -- BASEBALL CRAZY

I know the Eagles still rule the roost, but is our area becoming obsessed with baseball again? Check out this press release from the Phillies this morning, and you tell me.

Thursday, September 28, 2006
DIVISION SERIES SOLD OUT; TV RATINGS HIT 9.6
The limited number of tickets for National League Division Series games at Citizens Bank Park should the Phillies be involved, are sold out.
The tickets went on sale at 9 o’clock this morning online (phillies.com), by telephone (215-463-1000) and in-person (Citizens Bank Park ticket windows). All available tickets were sold in just under two hours.
TV Ratings
Last night’s game on Comcast SportsNet hit a 9.6, the highest rating for a Phillies game on cable according to team records that date back to 1996.
The rating represents about 280,000 households.

Sept. 25 -- USE YOUR IMAGINATION

OK, just for the sake of argument and debate (isn't that what blogs are really all about?), let's fast-forward one week. It's Monday, Oct. 2, and the Phillies are in the playoffs, getting ready for the NLDS after sewing up the wild card.

Who do you want to see on their postseason roster?

Here are the rules, as explained by Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr.:

* You can pick any combination of 25 players, keeping in mind the Phils likely will keep only 11 pitchers for the best-of-five series.

* To be eligible, a player must have been on the Phillies' 25-man roster or on the disabled list by Aug. 31 (Randall Simon is NOT eligible, Aaron Rowand is).

* A player who was in the Phillies' farm system on Aug. 31 may replace an injured player. But a pitcher has to replace a pitcher, and a position player must replace a position player.

Got it? OK, here's my projected postseason roster, with an explanation below.

PITCHERS (11)
Brett Myers, rh
Cole Hamels, lh
Jon Lieber, rh
Jamie Moyer, lh
Tom Gordon, rh
Geoff Geary, rh
Rick White, rh
Ryan Madson, rh
Randy Wolf, lh
Matt Smith, lh (replacing injured Arthur Rhodes)
Aaron Fultz, lh
In a best-of-five series, you only need four starters. Wolf would be used out of the bullpen, giving the Phils three lefty relievers. That said, they could exclude Fultz, ineffective the past two months, and go with Brian Sanches or Clay Condrey. In the end, though, I think they still trust Fultz more than either of those.

POSITION PLAYERS (14)
Ryan Howard, 1b
Chase Utley, 2b
Jimmy Rollins, ss
Abraham Nunez, 3b
Pat Burrell, lf
Shane Victorino, cf
Jeff Conine, rf
Chris Coste, c
David Dellucci, of
Jose Hernandez, if
Mike Lieberthal, c
Joe Thurston, if
Michael Bourn, of (replacing injured Aaron Rowand)
Carlos Ruiz, c
Why three catchers? It gives Charlie Manuel more flexibility to pinch-hit late in a game without fear of losing his backup catcher. I could've gone with Chris Roberson over Bourn, but it appears the Phillies have slightly more confidence in Bourn right now. Basically, neither would be used as anything but a pinch-runner or late-game defensive replacement for Burrell.

Let's hear from you. Who's on your playoff roster?

Sept. 24 -- MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Just in case the Phillies make the playoffs, here's their schedule for the best-of-five NL Division Series.

Wednesday, Oct. 4 -- Game 1 at St. Louis, San Diego or LA
Thursday, Oct. 5 -- Game 2 on the road
Saturday, Oct. 7 -- Game 3 at home
Sunday, Oct. 8 -- Game 4 (if necessary) at home
Monday, Oct. 9 -- Game 5 (if necessary) on the road

The NLCS would begin Wednesday, Oct. 11 on the road. The World Series would start Saturday, Oct. 21, also on the road.

Sept. 23 -- IS RUIZ READY?

After not playing in eight days (since Sept. 13), rookie catcher Carlos Ruiz (left) is in the Phillies' lineup today. And, in his first two at-bats, he has a two-run single and an RBI double. Including those hits, Ruiz is 7-for-17 (.412) since his Aug. 31 recall from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Just a thought: Maybe, after batting .307 with 16 homers and 69 RBIs for S/WB, Ruiz is ready to be the Phillies' No. 1 catcher.

Other notes:

--Had an interesting conversation this morning with LHP Randy Wolf, who will start Monday night against the Astros. Wolf has been with the Phillies since 1999, and although he will be a free agent after the season and is no lock to be re-signed, he said he's not thinking of Monday night's start as his potential Citizens Bank Park swan song. "I prefer to think that I'll be pitching here in October," he said.

--I covered Marlins 1B Mike Jacobs in the minors with the Mets, and although he's been struggling this month, I still think he has one of the sweetest left-handed swings I've ever seen.

--After Phillies starter Jon Lieber hit Marlins slugger Miguel Cabrera with a pitch in the first inning, Marlins starter Brian Moehler countered by hitting Ryan Howard. Both dugouts were warned, and nothing has happened since.

--Pat Burrell continues to struggle -- and he continues to get booed. Burrell flied to center field in the first inning, lined to shortstop in the third and grounded to third in the fifth. Each time, he was booed by the crowd.

--The Phillies beat writers presented their annual end-of-season awards before the game today. The winners were Ryan Howard (Mike Schmidt MVP), Tom Gordon (Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher), Mike Lieberthal (Good Guy Award) and Chris Coste (Special Achievement Award). But the line of the day comes from Howard, who noted that the two previous winners of the Good Guy Award (Amaury Telemaco and Billy Wagner) weren't on the team the following year. "It should be called the Good Bye Award," Howard quipped.

More later.

Sept. 21 -- VIEW FROM THE TOP

So there I was last night, huddled around a friend's cellphone and "watching" Jeff Kent make the final out in the Dodgers-Pirates game. And, with that, it happened: the Phillies moved into a tie for the NL wild card.

Unbelievable, isn't it?

Two months ago, GM Pat Gillick was a trade-deadline seller, swinging deals with the Brewers for David Bell, the Yankees for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle, the Reds for Rheal Cormier. He was releasing Ryan Franklin and Sal Fasano. And he was declaring that, with a commitment to youth (especially young pitching), the Phillies may not contend for a playoff spot until 2008.

And now, at least until tonight when the Dodgers and Pirates play again, the Phils are tied for the wild-card berth.

As a sports writer, you're always looking to find a good story. Luckily for me, it doesn't get much better than this one. A team that counted itself out is contending for the playoffs, and the way things are going, just might make it.

Unbelievable, isn't it?

Rollins vs. Howard

Charlie Manuel made an interesting point Monday before the Phillies game when he was talking about the possibility of batting Jimmy Rollins 6th because of his home run power. For the record, Manuel said Rollins can be a 25-30 home run guy. He has 21 this season. Rollins won't bat sixth this year, obviously, because as Manuel said, Rollins is the Phillies' best leadoff hitter even if he does tend to swing for the fences.

This is also Manuel's concern if he were to move Rollins to a more power-producing spot in the lineup. "I wouldn’t want him to concentrate on hitting homers. I want him to get good fastballs to hit that he can drive through the ball. I wouldn’t want to emphasis him hitting more homers. I think he’s got 21, which means he can hit 25 or hit other spots in the lineup, like second, sixth or seventh. Depends on your team."

Contrast that with what Manuel said about Ryan Howard, who by the way has 57 home runs: "He’ll fall into a place where you start trying to hit them, that’s when you swing at bad balls. But he’s done a good job avoiding that. He comes to the ballpark every day and he practices the same way, has the same routine. When he won the HR derby, he stayed in the middle of what he did. He doesn’t try to hook balls or overswing. He’s a technique hitter for a big man."

Basically, the Phillies have a guy who is a decent power hitter in Rollins but tends to overswing trying to hit them, and a guy who's a tremendous home run hitter in Howard who doesn't overswing and hits them anyway.

Could be a lesson there.

Sept. 13 -- SURGERY FOR MATHIESON

Still raining at Turner Field, but it's supposed to clear in time for today's doubleheader. We'll see.

Meantime, here's some bad news on Scott Mathieson. I just filed this update on www.delawareonline.com, and you can read a more complete report in tomorrow's News Journal.

***

Phillies rookie right-hander Scott Mathieson will undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (a.k.a, Tommy John elbow surgery) Sept. 29 in Los Angeles. Noted surgeon Lewis Yocum will perform the procedure.

Mathieson, 22, removed himself from a Sept. 2 start after only six pitches, complaining of a "burning" sensation in his right elbow. He was diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), and after seeing Yocum on Monday, he decided on having the surgery.

Average recovery time is 10 to 12 months. The surgery, in which the UCL is replaced by a tendon from elsewhere in the body, was pioneered in 1974 when Dr. Frank Jobe saved pitcher Tommy John's career.

Jobe estimates that 92 percent of Tommy John surgery patients return to pitching. This season, Phillies left-hander Randy Wolf made a full recovery. Other current or former Phillies pitchers to have the procedure are closer Tom Gordon, reliever Rheal Cormier and starters Jon Lieber and Cory Lidle.

Mathieson was 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA in nine games (eight starts) for the Phillies. He began the season at Class AA Reading and also pitched for Class AAA Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, going 10-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 19 starts between the two levels.

Overall, Mathieson pitched 164-1/3 innings this season. His previous career-high was 131-1/3 innings in 2004 for Class A Lakewood. He also pitched for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and last year in the Arizona Fall League.

Sept. 11 -- STORM BREWING

Greetings from Miami, where the Phillies have split four games with the Marlins. Impossible not to regard this weekend as a disappointment for the Phils, especially since they won the first two games of the series and had put some distance between themselves and the upstart Marlins. Now, they're right back where they started.

But, for a day, I'd like to take a break from the NL wild-card (mild-card?) race to discuss what's going to be a HUGE issue for the Phillies this off-season.

Pat Burrell.

In the city where Burrell's greatest triumphs took place (he was once a star at the University of Miami), he appears to have hit rock bottom. Burrell went 1-for-12 vs. the Marlins and left 13 runners on base in four games. On Saturday night, he left nine -- nine! -- men on base. Charlie Manuel dropped him to sixth in the lineup and moved Jeff Conine up to fifth to give Ryan Howard better protection. And, still, Burrell killed the Phillies.

This has been chronicled in The News Journal and elsewhere recently, but it's worth repeating: GM Pat Gillick would LOVE to trade Burrell. Problem is, he's making $27 million over the next two seasons, and he has a no-trade clause that he's unwilling to waive for most teams. So, unless they're willing pay his entire salary and cut him, the Phillies appear to be stuck with Burrell.

Or, maybe not.

I've gotten the sense that Burrell isn't going to play much against right-handed pitchers for the rest of the season. So, "Pat The Bat," once considered the future of the franchise, will become "Part-Time Pat," and maybe he'll become so unhappy with his situation that he's willing to waive the no-trade.

The Phillies can hope, right?

Sept. 4 -- IN-GAME: WHAT'S UP CHUCK?

OK, all you Charlie Manuel bashers, here's your chance to vent:

Leading 6-3 in the ninth, Ryan Madson gives up three straight singles to load the bases. Charlie brings in lefty Fabio Castro, who has pitched only in blowouts and would be in the minors if the Phils didn't have to stash him on their major-league roster to avoid having him be returned to the Chicago White Sox because of rules governing the Rule 5 draft. But that's OK, because Castro is facing lefty-hitting Adam LaRoche, and he hasn't allowed a hit to a lefty all season.

Anyway, Fabio gets LaRoche to ground to first base, knocking in one run, and then, inexplicably, Manuel sticks with him to face righty Matt Diaz.

Long story short, Diaz hits a three-run homer to put the Braves ahead 7-6.

Go ahead, vent away ...

Sept. 4 -- IN-GAME: HOWARD HITS 50 ... AND 51 ... AND 52

Three at-bats, three home runs for Ryan Howard in Game 1 of today's doubleheader. All of the homers have come against Braves starter Tim Hudson. Amazingly, Howard has only seen nine pitches. More amazingly, Howard was just 2-for-11 against Hudson coming into the game.

It's the 19th time a Phillie has hit three homers in a game. The last time? Mike Lieberthal on Aug. 10, 2002. Howard has also set a record for the most homers by a player in his second major-league season. Ralph Kiner hit 51 in 1947.

Howard is also the 23rd player in major-league history to reach 50 homers in a season.

See how many you can guess ... I'll post the full list later today.

Sept. 4 -- GORDON IN, MATHIESON OUT

A few notes before the first game of today's doubleheader:

The Phillies activated closer Tom Gordon from the 15-day disabled list and placed rookie right-hander Scott Mathieson on the 15-day DL. No word yet on Mathieson's MRI exam. But there are whispers that, because of his excessive workload this season (164.1 innings, not including the World Baseball Classic), the Phillies may shut him down regardless of the MRI results.

Also, the Phillies have recalled relievers Clay Condrey and Brian Sanches from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to help with the doubleheader.

More later.

Sept. 3 -- POSTGAME: MATHIESON UPDATE

Talked to Scott Mathieson after the game. He said he felt a "burning" sensation on his third and fourth pitches. On his fifth pitch, a changeup that struck out Pete Orr, the burning intensified. After his sixth pitch, he decided to tell pitching coach Rich Dubee and trainer Jeff Cooper.

Mathieson will undergo an MRI exam today at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. After that, the Phillies will have a better idea of how severe the injury is. For now, they're calling it a sprain.

"Hopefully it's nothing," Mathieson said. "Hopefully it's just inflammation."

We don't want to speculate until after the MRI, but bear this in mind about Mathieson, who is one of the Phillies' top pitching prospects: Between the minors and majors, he has pitched 164.1 innings this season. That's not including the innings he pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. As a pro, his previous career-high was 131.1 innings in 2004.

"The last month or so, I've had soreness," Mathieson said, "but it's just an end-of-the season-type thing. This all kind of came on today."

Stay tuned for updates on the results of Mathieson's MRI as they become available.

Sept. 3 -- IN-GAME: MATHIESON INJURED

Rookie right-hander Scott Mathieson left the second game of tonight's doubleheader after only six pitches. The Phillies have announced that Mathieson has a sprained right elbow. He'll undergo an MRI exam tomorrow and be re-evaluated at that time.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are on their way to a win in the nightcap because of their bats. They have 12 runs and 16 hits ... and it's only the fifth inning.

Check Sunday's News Journal for complete coverage.

Sept. 3 -- ANALYSIS: BAD AS IT GETS

Two days ago, after the Phillies blew two leads in a 10-inning defeat in DC, I wrote on this blog that it's hard to imagine a more excruciating loss.

Well, here you go.

Leading 3-2 in the ninth inning today, Arthur Rhodes' second pitch was tagged for a two-run homer by Phillies-killer Adam LaRoche. The Braves won the first game of a day-night doubleheader, 4-3, preventing the Phils from moving into a tie with the Padres for the wild-card lead.

"I should've went out there and did my job," Rhodes said a few minutes ago. "It was all my fault."

If only it were that simple.

The Phils stranded eight baserunners in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh and eighth, they left the bases loaded. They had chances to blow open the game against a shaky Braves bullpen, and didn't do it.

And, while Rhodes described himself as "not a true closer," the Phils' actual closer, Tom Gordon, is still in Clearwater, Fla., getting ready to test his mending shoulder by pitching one inning in a Class A game tonight.

Think the Phils could've used him at Citizens Bank Park today?

Sept. 2 -- PLAY BALL

It's still raining (OK, drizzling lightly) here at Citizens Bank Park, but the Phils and Braves are about to start Game 1 of their day-night doubleheader. Ordinarily, I don't think the teams would play on a day like today, but, with time running short in the season and the Phillies vying for the NL wild card, they have to get these games in some time.

News from the Phils clubhouse:

* Randall Simon has arrived. Talked to him about his strange 2006 odyssey that began in Mexico. Also about the infamous sausage incident in Milwaukee. Say this for Simon, he's a good sport about it.

* Aaron Rowand stopped by today. His left foot is in a cast, but he's still hoping to be available to play if the Phillies reach the postseason.

All of that will be in Sunday's News Journal. Also, check back for more news as the day goes on.

Sept. 1 -- SIMON & GORDON

Word from the Bank is that Tom Gordon will make a second rehab start Saturday for Class A Clearwater. After that, he'll be evaluated again.

Also, the Phils have traded for first baseman Randall Simon, who infamously clubbed the bratwurst on the head with a bat during the Sausage Race in Milwaukee a few years ago.

Here's the official press release from the Phillies. My colleague, Kevin Tresolini, will have complete coverage in tomorrow's News Journal and at www.delawareonline.com.

Friday, September 1, 2006

PHILLIES ACQUIRE SIMON; GORDON TO MAKE ANOTHER REHAB START

First baseman Randall Simon was acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations, Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today. Simon was playing for Oklahoma, the Rangers’ triple-A affiliate.

Simon, 31, began the season with Potros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He batted .348 with 18 home runs and 69 RBI in just 63 games before being acquired by Texas in early August. Simon hit .308 with one home run and 10 RBI in a combined 24 games between Oklahoma and the rookie-level Arizona League Rangers.

A native of Willemstad, Curacao, Simon is a career .283 hitter with 49 home runs and 235 RBI in 514 games. He previously played in the major leagues with the Braves (1997-99), Tigers (2001-02), Pirates (2003-04), Cubs (2003) and Devil Rays (2004). His last appearance in the major leagues was September 7, 2004 with Tampa Bay.

Simon will report to the Phillies tomorrow and will wear #12.

In other Phillies news, righthander Tom Gordon will make another rehabilitation start for single-A Clearwater tomorrow at Bright House Networks Field against Dunedin. Gordon made a rehab start last night for Clearwater and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 21 (retroactive to August 13) with a strained right shoulder.

Sept. 1 -- LEFTOVERS

Hard to imagine a worse way to lose than last night in DC for the Phillies.

To recap: Down to their last strike, the Nats got a two-run, game-tying single by Felipe Lopez in the ninth against Arthur Rhodes. Then, after the Phillies went ahead 5-4 in the 10th on a passed ball, Aaron Fultz allowed an RBI single by Brian Schneider and threw a wild pitch that allowed Marlon Anderson to score from third.

Had they won, the Phils would've tied the Padres for the NL wild-card lead. Instead, they're one game behind going into a series against the Braves at the Bank.

Leave it to Rhodes to put the loss in perspective: "I know this one game seems like a lot to us. It's a game we should've won, and it might hurt us in the long run. But we've got to put it behind us. We've got no choice."

He's right. The Phillies do have to rebound, and it might haunt them in October.

A few other notes:

* Ryan Howard's 49th homer was a titantic shot into the upper deck of RFK Stadium. For anyone who says Howard's piling up homers because he plays in homer-happy Citizens Bank Park, I'll remind you of what he did on the road trip. Three homers in three games at Shea Stadium and two more at RFK. Neither are a hitter's paradise.

* It's Sept. 1, which means 25-man rosters may expand. The Phils began the process by calling up RHP Scott Mathieson and LHP Eude Brito. Mathieson will start one half of Saturday's doubleheader. Brito recently was moved to the bullpen at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In the coming days, look for IF Danny Sandoval and LHP Matt Smith to return, too. And after SWB's playoff run is over, RHP Brian Sanches and OF Michael Bourn could be here as well.

* It seems Mike Lieberthal's back injury, which he describes as "spasms," is rather troublesome, after all. He slept on the floor in his hotel room Wednesday night and stood in the dugout for most of the past two games vs. the Nats. Still, he managed to start both games and play all 19 innings, so how bad can it be?