July 31 -- BLACK & BLUE CREW

CHICAGO -- A few moments ago, I was walking through the winding hallway that connects the Phillies' clubhouse with the dugout at Wrigley when Jimmy Rollins stopped me.

"Grab a bat," he said. "We're looking for a No. 9 hitter."

He was only slightly kidding. I mean, I think he was kidding.

Earlier this afternoon, the Phillies placed Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn on the 15-day disabled list. The speedy outfielders were injured one inning apart Monday night. Victorino strained his right calf trying to beat out a double play grounder, while Bourn sprained his left ankle when he stumbled over the bullpen mound in pursuit of a foul ball. Victorino has a slight tear of a muscle in his calf, but the Phillies believe he'll be able to play in two weeks when he's eligible to come off the DL. Bourn make take a bit longer. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. described Bourn's sprain as "moderate to severe," although it's a low ankle sprain, which is better than a high ankle sprain.

Regardless, these are big blows to the Phillies' lineup, offensively and defensively. Huge, actually.

Light-hitting speedster Chris Roberson has been called up from triple-A Ottawa and is playing right field tonight. Greg Dobbs is batting leadoff (he's 0-for-1 with a walk in his career as a leadoff hitter). Jayson Werth (strained left wrist) will rejoin the team tomorrow. The full lineup: 3B Dobbs, 2B Tadahito Iguchi, SS Rollins, 1B Ryan Howard, CF Aaron Rowand, LF Pat Burrell, C Chris Coste (getting another start), RF Roberson, P Adam Eaton.

What do you think? Can the Phillies withstand this latest injury setback?

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Also, while the Braves were getting Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotel and the Mets were getting Luis Castillo, the Phillies beat the trade deadline by acquire Julio Mateo from the Mariners for double-A infielder Jesus Merchan.

Julio, who?

Julio Mateo, a right-handed reliever who turns 30 on Thursday. Mateo is 18-12 with a 3.68 ERA over parts of six seasons with Seattle. He was 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA this season when he got suspended for 10 games without pay in May after being arrested and charged with third-degree assault for allegedly beating, biting and choking his wife in a Manhattan hotel. He posted bond and was released. His next court date in Sept. 4 in New York.

Mateo will be assigned to double-A Reading because his legal problems prohibit him from entering Canada and going to triple-A Ottawa.

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It's one of the coolest things in sports. During the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley, a celebrity sings "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Tonight's featured guest, the guy who played Greg Brady from "The Brady Bunch."

Can anyone guess his name?

July 31 -- TICK, TICK, TICK

CHICAGO -- T-minus four hours until the trade deadline. Here's what's going on:

The Phillies have all hands on deck here in Chicago (GM Pat Gillick, assistant GMs Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, special assistant Charley Kerfled and major-league scout Gordon Lakey). Before last night's game, most of them had a cell phone pressed to their ear. After completing their deal for Kyle Lohse, the Phillies set their sights on trying to find a relief pitcher. That process is still ongoing.

If the Phillies make a deal today, it won't be a big one. And it's a 50-50 proposition that they'll even be able to make a deal. Octavio Dotel appears to be headed to Atlanta. Dan Wheeler already has been sent to Tampa Bay and Scott Linebrink to Milwaukee. The pool of available relievers may include Eric Gagne, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Damaso Marte, Salomon Torres, Al Reyes and Scott Proctor. I say "may" because I'm still not certain the Nationals will sell off Cordero and Rauch, the price for Gagne is high and the Pirates always seem to do a lot more talking than dealing. (Update, 12:34 p.m.: The Yankees have traded Proctor to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit).

That Anthony Reyes rumor, by the way, appears to be dead. The Cardinals, after sweeping the Brewers, think they're back on the fringes of the wild-card race and have stopped talking about moving Reyes. They even just traded for Red Sox reject reliever Joel Piniero.

As always, please keep checking back here. I'll update if and when the Phillies make a move. Meanwhile, please keep weighing in on the post below about the Kyle Lohse trade. My take: I like this deal. Matt Maloney has potential, but he isn't exactly Carlos Carrasco. And if Lohse helps the Phillies into the playoffs, Maloney will be a small sacrifice.

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Still trying to get over a Manic Monday here in Chicago. The Phillies traded for Lohse to help fortify their starting rotation, but that proved to be merely an appetizer. Led by Cole Hamels and homers by ex-White Sox Aaron Rowand and Tadahito Iguchi (big night for the South Side), they won for the ninth time in 10 games but lost two more players to injury. Shane Victorino strained his right calf and Michael Bourn sprained his left ankle.

"Uncle," closer Brett Myers said, referring to the string of injuries that has afflicted himself, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Francisco Rosario, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and now Victorino and Bourn.

We'll know more about the severity of Victorino's and Bourn's injuries today, but I'm betting both will miss some time. Victorino, in fact, sounded last night like a man destined for the disabled list. In case you're wondering, the Phillies' top minor-league outfielder is Chris Roberson, who isn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball for triple-A Ottawa.

Ordinarily, news that Madson's shoulder injury may not be as severe as the Phillies feared would top the daily notebook. Instead, it was trumped by Gillick's remarks about the Braves, which, generally speaking, went something like this: "Braves? We don't care about no stinkin' Braves." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that's the gist. Also, there's news that Utley already can almost make a fist with his broken right hand.

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Walked into a book store on Michigan Ave. that had a "Harry Is Back" sign on the door. I assume it was referring to this Harry, but I suppose it could've been this one, too.

July 30 -- LOHSE TO PHILS

CHICAGO -- No doubt you've already read about this on delawareonline.com, but the Phillies just acquired right-hander Kyle Lohse from the Reds for 23-year-old double-A lefty Matt Maloney. Not as impressive as the Braves closing in on a six-player deal for Mark Teixeira, but for a team that's desperate for pitching, it's something.

Lohse, 28, was 6-12 with a 4.58 ERA in 21 starts for the Reds, and he has allowed 182 base runners in 131-2/3 innings. Not sure yet when Lohse will pitch (he was scheduled to go tomorrow for the Reds) or which pitcher he'll replace, although J.D. Durbin is a pretty good bet.

I have to get started tapping away for the 50-cent edition, but here are a few words from the man who made the deal to satiate you for now:

"He's an experienced pitcher, and he adds to our inventory," GM Pat Gillick said. "He's been up and down. He's had some good outings. He's had some that aren't so good. Hopefully, he can give us 10 to 12 decent starts in the last 56 games."

Gillick said there "might be a possibility" of the Phillies adding a reliever before 4 p.m. tomorrow. There's also always a chance they could make a deal in August, after the non-waiver deadline. Let's not forget that they got Jamie Moyer and Jeff Conine last season after July 31.

A word about Maloney: He was 9-7 with a 3.94 ERA in 21 starts for Reading. The Phillies like him, but they don't love him. If Lohse helps them win a few extra games down the stretch, Maloney will be appropriate collateral damage.

Thoughts? Opinions? Let's hear from you.

July 30 -- JIMMY IS ROLLIN'

CHICAGO -- Greetings from the Windy City, where my hotel is located next to the fourth-largest building in the country. We're also nearly across the street from this landmark, which somehow survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. OK, now that you're situated, let's get to work.

Jimmy Rollins, the stand-in for Chase Utley in the No. 3 hole, picked up three more hits yesterday against the Pirates to stretch his hitting streak to nine games, as you can read about within Kevin Tresolini's notebook. He's batting .381 with four triples, two homers and seven RBIs in that nine-game stretch, and since July 1, he's batting .333 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in 23 games. Rollins leads the NL in triples (14) and ranks first among all shortstops in homers (20), runs (90) and extra-base hits (58), second in RBI (64) and slugging percentage (.538), third in OPS (.877) and fourth in hits (124).

So, here's my question to you, loyal Phillies fans and readers of The Blog: If Utley and Ryan Howard weren't, well, Utley and Ryan Howard, would Rollins get more credit for being one of the best shortstops in the game? It seems to me, at least, that Rollins is rather underrated compared to Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Miguel Tejada, Michael Young and even Edgar Renteria and Hanley Ramirez.

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The Phillies went 5-1 on their just-completed homestand, but they also faced the Nationals and Pirates, last-place teams that any serious playoff contender is supposed to beat. This week will be considerably tougher. The Cubs were 22-31 and going nowhere when Lou Piniella threw a dirt-kicking tantrum June 2. Since then, they're 33-17 and have crept to within a half-game in the NL Central of the first-place Brewers, whom the Phillies will face over the weekend in Milwaukee.

Buckle up, it's going to be a BIG week.

Don't think these were in the paper today, so here they are, the pitching matchups for the Cubs series. You'll notice one name missing. Carlos Zambrano pitched yesterday, so the Phillies won't have to worry about beating the NL's first 14-game winner. Talk about your lucky breaks.

Tonight, 7:05: LHP Cole Hamels (11-5, 3.63) vs. LHP Ted Lilly (11-4, 3.46)
Tuesday, 8:05: RHP Adam Eaton (9-6, 5.83) vs. RHP Jason Marquis (7-6, 4.20)
Wednesday, 8:05: LHP Jamie Moyer (9-8, 4.75) vs. LHP Rich Hill (6-6, 3.59)
Thursday, 2:20: RHP J.D. Durbin (3-2, 6.30) vs. LHP Sean Marshall (5-4, 3.10)

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Don't forget: Trade deadline is 4 p.m. tomorrow. I'll keep my ear to the ground and The Blog ripe with the latest information on what the Phillies may or may not do. One interesting note: GM Pat Gillick and assistants Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle all made the trip to Chicago, which is unusual considering only one (or sometimes none) typically go on the road. Maybe something's brewing? Or, maybe they just like Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza.

July 29 -- MADSON HURT; SNELL ON THE BLOCK?

Ryan Madson and Brett Myers are close friends and co-conspirators of wacky clubhouse hijinks. So, there was some extra bounce in Madson's step (he actually danced a little jig) Friday when Myers rejoined the Phillies after being sidelined for nine weeks with a strained right shoulder.

Now, Madson will take Myers' place on the disabled list -- with the exact same injury.

Madson walked off the mound in the eighth inning today with a strained right shoulder and was placed on the DL (Geoff Geary has been recalled from triple-A to replace him). The initial indication is it's a Grade 2 strain, the same degree that kept Myers out for more than two months. If an MRI exam tomorrow in Philly confirms that diagnosis, well, don't expect to see Madson again this season. "If it's a Grade 2 or more," Madson told reporters, "I'll see you guys in spring training."

I'll have more on Madson tomorrow from Chicago, which happens to be my favorite city in the National League. Great food here ... and here ... and here. Breathtaking scenery and architecture. Classic ballpark. Chicago has it all.

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With the trade deadline now two days away, you're bound to hear some strange things. But the possibility of the Pirates dealing Ian Snell has to be among the strangest. I'm not saying the Pirates absolutely, positively will keep Snell. Teams that haven't had a winning season since 1992 tend to some some crazy things. But a month ago, we were talking about Snell as a potential All-Star. He can't be a free agent for at least three more seasons, and he's making only $490,000.

Why, again, would the Pirates trade him?

And people who say Snell was asking to be dealt last week when he questioned his teammates' desire to win obviously don't know Snell. He can be outspoken, not to mention emotional and even flaky. I don't think that was anything more than Snell being Snell.

But, hey, if the Pirates are willing to move him, there won't be any shortage of suitors lining up to take advantage of their stupidity.

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Another day, another big hit for Chris Clutch, er, Coste.

July 29 -- REYES OF HOPE?

Heard an interesting rumor last night after our final deadline for the 50-cent edition. The Phillies dispatched major-league scouting director Gordon Lakey to St. Louis to watch Anthony Reyes, the Cardinals' down-on-his-luck right-hander who was making his first start since returning from triple-A. Reyes gave up two runs on two hits and struck out four in six innings against the Brewers to earn his first win in his 13th start. It's possible the Cardinals could be interested in Michael Bourn.

MY TAKE: If I'm the Phillies, and I can get Reyes for Bourn straight-up (or in a package with a B-level prospect), I make the trade. Yes, Reyes is 1-10 with a 6.11 ERA this season. But he allowed four runs or less in his first seven starts, and the Cardinals scored a grand total of eight runs for him. He's also the same guy who beat the Detroit Tigers with eight stellar innings in Game 1 of the World Series last October. Reyes is only 25 years old, making a mere $392,000 this season and not eligible for free agency until at least 2013. And while it's true that some prospects never fulfill expectations (see Floyd, Gavin), some need only a fresh start to thrive. Reyes has the talent and potential to help the Phillies, both now and in the future.

Thoughts?

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As you might imagine, the game story in today's paper focuses on Chris Coste and his big 4-RBI night. Not sure how the Phillies would be able to justify sending Coste back to the minors and keeping Rod Barajas when Jayson Werth returns. In his six starts this month, Coste is batting 8-for-26 (.308) with one homer and five RBIs. Barajas is 3-for-15 (.200) with no RBIs in five starts in July.

The notebook opens with Brett Myers' successful return. Within The News Journal's Sunday baseball notes, you'll find my suggestion for the Phillies' lineup without Chase Utley. How would your lineup look?

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Jimmy Rollins was snubbed for the All-Star Game when the selections were announced July 1. That day, he homered against the Mets, starting a stretch in which he's batting .317 (33-for-104) with three triples, seven homers and 17 RBIs in 22 games.

Asked if he's playing with a chip on his shoulder because he didn't make the All-Star team, Rollins said, "Truthfully, I didn't even think about it. I didn't really expect to go to the All-Star Game, to be honest with you. It would've been nice, but that's just the way it is. If I get to do it next year, in New York, on that stage, that would be great. I'd love to go, but we have a lot of other things to do here besides play in All-Star games."

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Stat of the day: Rollins has 57 extra-base hits this season. Alex Rodriguez has 60.

July 28 -- IGUCHI SPEAKS

Aaron Rowand warned me yesterday. Now that the Phillies have acquired Tadahito Iguchi, the pool of beat writers who cover the team daily at home and on the road (about six of us) is about to double.

Sure enough, Iguchi, his interpreter and at least a half-dozen reporters for Japanese media outlets showed up at Citizens Bank Park today. Iguchi, by the way, is in the lineup, wearing No. 12 and batting seventh, although Charlie Manuel likely will bump him up to second as soon as Rowand comes back from his shoulder injury. Rowand is sitting out again tonight, still a little sore after tearing some scar tissue while playing tag with his kids in the backyard.

Interesting guy, Iguchi, at least from what I can tell. He said he thought he may get traded, considering the White Sox are in sell-mode and they're trying to create more playing time for rookie second baseman Danny Richar. But he was still shocked to find out about the deal.

"We were very aware of the rumors," Iguchi said through interpreter David Yamamoto. "It became a daily routine to get autographs of guys we might miss. I thought there was a possibility I might get moved after Jermaine Dye. I actually got a bat from Dye yesterday."

Manuel met with Iguchi for a few minutes this afternoon but didn't break out his Japanese. As I wrote in today's paper, Manuel is fluent after playing for six seasons for the Yakult Swallows and Kinetsu Buffaloes. But he said he'll likely wait to lay his Japanese on Iguchi during the team's flight to Chicago tomorrow night.

Oh, the guy Iguchi is replacing? He's in the dugout in full uniform, one day after having surgery on his broken right hand. Iguchi called him "Mr. Chase Utley."

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Utley won't play again until at least Aug. 17, but it could be as late as Aug. 24. Let's take a look at the Phillies schedule between now and then:

Tonight-tomorrow: vs. Pirates
Monday-Thursday: at Cubs
Aug. 3-5: at Brewers
Aug. 7-9: vs. Marlins
Aug. 10-12: vs. Braves
Aug. 14-16: at Nationals
Aug. 17-19: at Pirates
Aug. 21-23: vs. Dodgers

Anyone want to venture a guess on the Phillies' record during that time?

July 27 -- LOTS OF NEWS

Hectic day here at the Bank -- and the game hasn't even started yet. Here's a rundown of what's going on:

1. Chase Utley had a surgical procedure that the Phillies believe will allow him to come back in 3-4 weeks. (Insert sigh of relief here. On second thought, with the Phillies' injury luck this season, keep holding your breath).

2. Reluctant to use Abraham Nunez as their everyday second baseman until then, the Phillies traded for Tadahito Iguchi from the White Sox. It cost them single-A right-hander Michael Dubee, who happens to be the son of pitching coach Rich Dubee. Iguchi, 32, is batting .251 with 17 doubles, four triples, six homers and 31 RBIs in 90 games for the White Sox.

3. Aaron Rowand isn't in the lineup tonight after injuring his left shoulder while playing tag with his children and their friends Thursday night. Seriously. Stop laughing. That isn't nice.

4. The Phillies activated Brett Myers from the disabled list. He's available to pitch tonight. To make room on the roster, they sent down not-quite-ready-for-primetime lefty Mike Zagurski.

There you go. Time for me to start hacking away at my keyboard for the 50-cent edition. Discuss. I'll jump in later.

July 27 -- UTLEY HAS SURGERY

As I suspected he might, Chase Utley underwent surgery this morning. Evidently, the procedure, which took only 20 minutes and was performed by hand specialist Dr. Randall Culp, is designed to set the bones and speed the healing process. The Phillies have set Utley's recovery time at "up to four weeks."

Also, the Phillies have purchased the contract of veteran minor-league infielder Joe Thurston from triple-A Ottawa. Thurston, 27, was batting a combined .278 with three home runs and 44 RBI in 105 games between double-A Reading and Ottawa.

What, only two comments on whether the Phillies can stay in the race without Utley? C'mon, people! I know there are more opinions than that.

July 27 -- CHASING WITHOUT CHASE

Painful loss for the Phillies yesterday, and I'm not talking about the game. It's never good to blow a three-run lead against the last-place Nationals. But it's much worse to lose your MVP -- and a prime candidate for the NL MVP -- to a broken hand.

Chase Utley will be sidelined for a while because of a fractured fourth metacarpal bone his right hand after being hit by a pitch from Nats rookie left-hander John Lannan. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said doctors have classified the fracture as "probably a 2 or 3 on a scale of 0 to 10, zero being the most mild." And, from everything he's heard, Utley said he thinks he could be back in less than a month.

Really, though, the Phillies won't have a timetable on Utley until at least later today after he sees hand specialist Randall Culp. Surgery remains an option, and from what I've been told, I wouldn't be surprised if Utley undergoes an operation to set the bone so that it heals as quickly as possible. Regardless, I don't expect the Phillies to have Utley for most of August, at the least. Some other players who've broken the same bone include Jeff Cirillo (out from June 24 through Sept. 2 in 2005), Lastings Milledge (missed the first six weeks of the 2004 season when he was a minor leaguer with the Mets) and Travis Hafner (injured last Sept. 1 and missed the rest of the season). But the degrees of their fractures, relative to Utley's, isn't known.

The Phillies have withstood short-term injuries to Ryan Madson and Ryan Howard and long-term injuries to starters Jon Lieber and Freddy Garcia and closers Tom Gordon and Brett Myers. But Martin Frank writes in today's 50-cent edition that they won't be able to overcome losing Utley.

What do you think? Do the Phillies still have a chance?

My take: For as much as Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Rowand, Shane Victorino and others do for the Phillies' offense, Utley is the anchor. He sort of reminds me of Don Mattingly in his prime years with the Yankees. Dave Winfield was the cleanup-hitting slugger (Howard). Rickey Henderson was the table-setting leadoff guy (Rollins). But Mattingly was the one you feared most. I feel that way about Utley. And the longer he's out, the harder it will be for the Phillies to keep pace with and eventually overtake the Mets and Braves.

Related question: With Utley out, how should Charlie Manuel structure the lineup?

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For now, Abraham Nunez will play second base. But the Phillies are looking into potential trade options. Too bad Ronnie Belliard re-signed with the Nationals on Monday. Kansas City's Mark Grudzielanek may be available. He's owed about $1.5 million for the rest of the season, but his contract also contains a $4 million option for 2008 that kicks in if he gets 500 plate appearances. He has 286.

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Neither Utley nor Manuel thought Lannan was intentionally throwing at Utley or Howard. For his part, Lannan said he tried to apologize to Utley on the field but couldn't get his attention.

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Many thanks to Harry Mayes and Jamie Yannacone (the 700 Level Sports Fanatics) at Sports Radio 950, who were kind enough to have me as a guest for the final hour of their live show last night at Tony Luke's. Listen to the two-part podcast here. They also treated me to a roast pork with sharp that has to be the best in Philly. Thanks again, guys.

July 26 -- MAKING THEIR PITCH (AND GAME UPDATES)

So, amid all the talk of how difficult it will be for the Phillies to deal for pitching help before Tuesday's nonwaiver deadline, this thought occurred to me this morning during my 20-minute drive to the ballpark:

Adam Eaton and Jamie Moyer may be the most integral pieces to any Phillies playoff run.

Allow me to explain. We know the Phillies' offense is going to produce runs. Lots of runs. And, by now, we know Cole Hamels is going to provide quality start after quality start. Kyle Kendrick and J.D. Durbin? Well, being rookie pitchers, they'll exhibit a certain amount of inconsistency. Thus far, they've been good more often than bad. And with Brett Myers about to rejoin the bullpen (pushing Antonio Alfonseca back into a setup role), the late innings should be less stressful.

So, if the Phillies are unable to beef up their starting rotation (and, really, it's debatable how much getting someone like Kyle Lohse or Josh Towers would really improve matters), it seems to me that Eaton and Moyer, the only veterans left in the rotation, will need to be better than they have been. Eaton, who is going for his 10th win today, entered the game with a 5.84 ERA. Moyer, after starting the season with four wins and a 3.00 ERA in his first seven starts, has four wins and a 6.26 ERA in his last 13.

That's not good enough.

But if the Phillies get more quality starts from Eaton and Moyer, they should be in good shape. As we've said before, the Mets (losing 6-2 right now to the Pirates) and Braves aren't running away with anything.

Agree? Disagree?

Eaton had a rocky first inning today, allowing two runs on four hits, including RBI singles by Dmitri Young and Austin Kearns. But the Phillies just went ahead 3-2 on Ryan Howard's two-run homer (his 29th, one behind Prince Fielder for the NL lead) in the third.

(Update, 2:38 p.m.): Well, that was interesting. Young John Lannan, the rookie lefty making his major-league debut for the Nats today, was ejected in the fifth inning for hitting Chase Utley on the right knuckles and Howard on the shoulder. Home-plate ump Hunter Wendelstedt tossed him immediately. Lannan kind of shrugged as he walked off the mound toward the dugout. Personally, I can't believe a 22-year-old in his first career start would intentionally throw at Utley and Howard. Seems odd, right? We'll find out more after the game. Naturally, Utley and Howard scored on a two-run single by Pat Burrell. 5-2 Phillies, heading to the sixth.

(Update, 3:19 p.m.): Eaton's day is done. After that first inning, he cruised through the next five, retiring 13 straight batters and 14 of 16. Two on, one out in the seventh, and lefty J.C. Romero is in. Still 5-2 Phillies.

(Update, 3:26 p.m.): Romero gave up a two-out, two-run single to Felipe Lopez. 5-4, Phillies. Jose Mesa in for career appearance No. 1,000. Mesa's the 11th pitcher in history to reach 1,000 games. Kent Tekulve and Dan Plesac also reached their 1,000th game with the Phils.

(Update, 4 p.m.): The Phillies bullpen strikes again. Mesa, with assistance from an error by third baseman Wes Helms (not sure why he was still in the game), put two runners on base before Mike Zagurski served up a three-run homer to Jesus Flores. 7-5, Nats. Going to the 8th.

July 26 -- THE PRICE ISN'T RIGHT

Quick turnaround today, and while I'm usually a big fan of the mid-week day game, it's a little tough to drag yourself out of bed after the previous night's game ended at midnight. Alas, I'm awake and ready for some day baseball.

So much to say about last night's game, in which the Phillies were on the brink of victory, then on the precipice of defeat, before finally winning in the 14th inning on Ryan Howard's two-run homer. But before we get into any of that, there's this:

In case you didn't hear, the Padres and Brewers fired the first real salvo of the trading season yesterday. San Diego sent reliever Scott Linebrink to Milwaukee for three minor-league pitchers, including touted 20-year-old right-hander Will Inman. That doesn't bode well for the pitching-needy Phillies, and here's why: Linebrink, a setup man and a free agent after the season, has blown five saves and posted a 7.16 ERA since June 8. Yet he still cost the Brewers one pitching prospect (Inman) on the level of Phillies phenom Carlos Carrasco and another (single-A lefty Steve Garrison) who they think can pitch in the majors.

That's a steep price, don't you think?

With that out of the way, a few outtakes from last night:

* Howard's homer provided the winning margin, but the biggest play came five innings and nearly two hours earlier. With two outs in the ninth and the Phillies trailing 5-4, Jimmy Rollins drove an 0-2 pitch to left-center field. Ryan Church converged on the ball from left field, while Ryan Langerhans closed from center. As they came together, Langerhans stepped in front of Church. The ball glanced off Church's glove and rolled to the wall. Rollins sprinted to third base, stopped and scooted home when cut-off man Felipe Lopez fumbled the relay throw.

* Tom Gordon warmed up in the ninth but wasn't brought into the game, even after Antonio Alfonseca struggled. Gordon said he felt strong in the 11th inning when he needed only eight pitches to retire Tony Batista, pitcher Jon Rauch and Lopez. But Manuel continues to ease Gordon back into the bullpen mix, something the skipper said he won't be as concerned about when Brett Myers returns. Speaking of which, a decision could be made today about when Myers will be activated. My guess: Before Friday night's game. As soon as I know, you'll know.

* One night after hitting a game-winning homer in the eighth inning, Aaron Rowand stepped to the plate with the winning run in scoring position in the 10th inning. And he popped up a bunt. A bunt! Charlie Manuel said he noticed Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was playing deep, so he flashed the bunt sign on the first pitch. When he tried to take the sign off before the next pitch, he said couldn't catch the attention of Rowand or third-base coach Steve Smith.

* As if giving up the game-winning homer wasn't enough to put former Phils reliever Chris Booker in a sour mood, he was sent to the minors after the game to make room for John Lannan, the prospect who will make his major-league debut today.

If you're not lucky enough to play hooky from work today and come over to the Bank, we've got you covered. I'll try to post a few in-game updates, so check back throughout the day. And let's keep the discussion going from the previous post about the arguments for and against signing Rowand.

Blue Rocks: On The Road (Final)

We're back. After the Blue Rocks rallied for an 8-4 win in 10 innings Wednesday night, the bus didn't pull out of Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium until 11:30 p.m. We just pulled into Frawley about 15 minutes ago, or shortly after 5:15 a.m.

Some players went right to sleep, while others made phone calls or played cards, even as far north as Baltimore, until just about everyone caught ZZZs the rest of the way.

When manager John Mizerock told the players they didn't have to report to Frawley until 5:30 p.m. again tonight, pitcher Yovany D'Amico, my seatmate for the trip home, quietly said "thank you."

The bus has pulled away now, ready to take its rest before the team needs it again for a road trip in the near future. But the Blue Rocks are back home... and they're playing their best ball of the season.

July 25 -- MYERS UPDATE

This just in: Brett Myers allowed one hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning for single-A Clearwater at Tampa. There's a good chance he will rejoin the Phillies and be activated Friday night.

Before tonight's game, Charlie Manuel said he's likely to use Myers more frequently than he has used Tom Gordon since Gordon returned last week from a shoulder injury. "Flash is the one I want to be more patient with," Manuel said of Gordon, who is pitching with a partial tear in his labrum. "Brett would be the one I can turn loose quicker."

More in tomorrow's 50-cent edition.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 8

The final game of the road trip starts in about an hour, and it's everyone's hope that the rain is done for the day, since the later the game ends, the later the ride home can begin.

The forecast shows about a 50 percent chance of additional showers sometime tonight.

"Hopefully, we don't have any delays," said right fielder Brian McFall, who's 9-for-18 on this road trip with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs. "Hopefully," McFall said, "we get it in pretty quick, so we can get on the bus, go home, get a nice little win and keep climbing in the standings."

The Blue Rocks lead the Northern Division's second half standings at 20-11, with second-place Potomac three games back. A win tonight would make the Rocks 5-1 on this road trip, which would be the most wins for any road trip this season.

So far, the longest game on this trip has lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes, and the opener in Lynchburg last Friday finished up in a scant 2:01. Here's hoping the trend continues.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 7

Getaway Day is here, meaning the Rocks are following the same routine as they did Sunday: check out of the the hotel and get all of their personal belongings on the bus by noon, and then head over to the stadium a little later.

Tonight's starting pitcher is 25-year-old Michael Penn, one of a few players on the team who is married. This is Penn's third pro season, getting engaged to his wife, Erin, three days after he was drafted. They married in December 2005.

"When we were dating, we knew this was a possibility," Penn said. "She knew coming into this, that it’s a different lifestyle."

Penn's wife usually joins him on most road trips, but is currently helping coach a volleyball camp in, of all places, Alaska. When his wife can't make the trip, Penn said he's sure to keep in touch via his cell.

"Definitely after the game, right before I go to bed, we talk for at least a little bit," Penn said, "and probably at least once in the morning. So, at least twice a day if not three times a day [we talk on the phone] for about a half-hour. It’s a testament to her. She does a great job and she supports me in everything I've done so far. I think it takes a special woman to be able to do this, to be able to travel around . . . She's done a tremendous job."

July 25 -- ROWAND REDUX?

We had earlier-than-usual deadlines at The News Journal last night, so many thanks to Aaron Rowand for ending the game in timely, not to mention dramatic, fashion. And with all that's swirling around Rowand right now, from the remote (extremely remote) possibility he could be traded before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline to the issue of whether the Phillies will (or should) re-sign him this winter, the game story sort of wrote itself.

Regarding the latter topic: A few weeks ago, Rowand's agent, Craig Landis, told me the Phillies haven't initiated discussions about a contract extension, leaving him to guess they'd like less-expensive Michael Bourn to take over in center field next year. But even if they had opened negotiations, Rowand made it clear last night that he isn't interested in talking business until after the season ends. "All the stuff that's going to go on is going to go on in the offseason, I'll tell you that right now," he said. "I couldn't care less about it right now. All those things will take care of themselves."

And, really, can you blame him? He's having a career season (.330, 31 doubles, 14 homers, 55 RBIs, .930 OPS), and he stands to get lucrative offers this winter from any teams that miss out on signing higher-profile free-agent center fielders Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones. With Ichiro Suzuki off the market, Rowand is next in line behind Hunter and Jones, probably in the same class with Eric Byrnes and Mike Cameron. He's making $4.35 million this season, and as a free agent, it's not outlandish to think he could fetch $8 million or so per year for four years.

I've been rather surprised by some of your comments to previous posts about how the Phillies shouldn't bother re-signing Rowand. After he broke his face on the center-field fence last season, I guess I thought he had developed a greater allegiance among the Phillies faithful. Was I wrong?

OK, let's put it to a simple vote: Assuming Rowand will cost the Phillies $32-36 million over the next four seasons, should they re-sign him over the winter (and probably trade Bourn for a pitcher)? Or should they let him go and commit to thus-far-unproven Bourn?

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Base coaches Davey Lopes and Steve Smith talked about the shocking death of Tulsa first-base coach Mike Coolbaugh. Also within the notebook are injury updates on Brett Myers, Jayson Werth, Freddy Garcia, Francisco Rosario and Scott Mathieson, as well as this factoid: J.D. Durbin became the 24th pitcher this season to throw a shutout. The others: Kelvim Escobar, Johan Santana, Jarrod Washburn, C.C. Sabathia, Dustin McGowan, Tom Glavine, Curt Schilling, Jon Lieber, Roy Halladay, Jeff Weaver, Jason Marquis, Mark Buehrle, Kyle Lohse, Carlos Silva, Erik Bedard, Jose Contreras, Joe Blanton, Felix Hernandez, Wandy Rodriguez, Justin Verlander, Fausto Carmona, Paul Maholm and Kason Gabbard. Buehrle and Verlander, of course, threw no-hitters. On the flip side, Weaver's ERA is 6.19.

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Real estate in the 50-cent edition was even more precious than usual, so I wasn't able to get into this. But Nats third-base coach Tim Tolman made what can only be described as a boneheaded decision in the third inning last night. With Ryan Zimmerman on deck and two outs, Tolman waived pitcher Jason Bergmann to the plate on Ronnie Belliard's single to center. Rowand fielded the ball on two hops and made a strong throw that easily got Bergmann, who had to leave the game in the next half inning because of left hamstring tightness. After the game, Bergmann, who graduated from the same high school as yours truly, said he was injured trying to score.

Yikes. And you thought Smith was a bad third-base coach?

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Kyle Kendrick didn't have his best stuff last night, and he admitted that his command was off. Kendrick walked three and hit a batter. Brian Schneider's three run double in the fourth was the most damaging blow, but Kendrick was more upset that he hit Austin Kearns one batter earlier. Rather than conceding one run, he put himself in position to allow three. Just a reminder that Kendrick is a rookie.

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Before the Phillies notched only their second one-run win since June 3, Charlie Manuel's math told him they need to win 90 games to make the playoffs. That means they'll have to go 39-24 (.619) to get there. For the season, no team in baseball is playing above .608. Think they can do it?

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The Orioles staged a grand send-off to Cal Ripken Jr. last night at Camden Yards, and Martin Frank was there. If you haven't already, check it out. It's a good read.

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For those who insisted the Phillies shortchanged Ryan Howard by giving him a $900,000 contract for 2007, check out what Mr. MVP is driving these days. Kind of puts my Saturn ION to shame.

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I would only buy Playboy for the articles, of course, and it looks like this month's will feature an interesting one.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 6

The bus ride back to the hotel was quiet last night, as it came after the Rocks' first loss of the road trip. It's possible the players were trying to get started on as much as rest they could, since the bus leaves this morning at 10:15 for today's noon start.

The Rocks plan to "show and go" today, meaning they aren't planning to take BP or infield before today's game, but just "show up" and "go."

Teams usually "show and go" for day games that are the last one of a road series. On the bus last night, the Rocks' coaches briefly discussed why Salem didn't just schedule a night game for tonight and then a day game for Wednesday's getaway day. But hey, that's the way it goes. It would have been nice to play Wednesday afternoon and then get back to Wilmington at a decent hour Wednesday night. But with Wednesday night's game not starting until 7 p.m., the bus will likely pull up to Frawley Stadium between 3:30 or 4 a.m. Thursday morning.

And yes, that Thursday night, the Rocks have to play at 7:05 against Kinston, but at least it's at home.

UPDATE (12:25 PM): It's been raining on and off here for about two hours. The tarp is still on the field, the rain is down to a drizzle, and they've announced a start time of 1:07, but that's optimistic. Relief pitcher Yovany D'Amico and third baseman Mario Lisson are next to their lockers playing PSP games. Infielder Josh Johnson has his headphones on while playing solitaire, while another group has taken up a game of Pluck. A few more players are watching E! News and commenting on Lindsay Lohan's latest arrest, and a couple players are doing their stretches in the the hallway. The comment from manager John Mizerock? "Another fun day."

July 24 -- GILLICK DOESN'T WANT TO STAND PAT

Phillies didn't play yesterday, but Pat Gillick worked anyway. The GM spent the day in Clearwater, Fla., watching Brett Myers' latest rehab appearance (more on that below). With only a week left before the non-waiver trade deadline, he also worked the phones in his seemingly never-ending search for pitching.

And, in between, he found some time to talk to me.

You can read most of this in the 50-cent edition or by clicking here, but here are some highlights:

* After watching the Phillies go 4-3 in LA and San Diego last week, Gillick sounded more certain than ever that he'll be a trade-deadline buyer. "You monitor the thing as you go, but right now, we're in it," Gillick said. "Along the way, you never know who's going to jump up and bite you. Cincinnati went to Atlanta [last week] and swept the Braves. But we had a good [West Coast] trip, and we've got Washington and Pittsburgh coming in this week. We anticipate we'll do well."

* Gillick is pleasantly surprised the Phillies have been able to withstand losing relievers Tom Gordon and Brett Myers and starters Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber to long-term injuries and offered praise for lame-duck manager Charlie Manuel. "It's really a tribute to Charlie and the coaching staff and the players," Gillick said. "We've been operating with four guys short in the pitching area, and we've held in there. Now, hopefully, we can do something to tweak it a little bit and improve the team as much as possible."

* To accomplish that, Gillick is looking for pitching -- a starter or reliever. He's targeting pitchers who are under contract for another year or two. Guys like Toronto right-hander Josh Towers (whom the Phillies scouted last week), Texas setup men Akinori Otsuka and Joaquin Benoit, Pittsburgh reliever Damaso Marte and Washington relievers Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero fall into that category. (Colorado's Brian Fuentes does too, but I don't think the Phillies and Rockies are a match. Houston's Brad Lidge reportedly is unavailable). For a pitcher the Phils can control beyond this season, Gillick is willing to trade a more valuable commodity (someone like Michael Bourn). But, for a pitcher who wouldn't be more than a two-month rental (Kyle Lohse, Steve Trachsel or Joe Kennedy), Gillick isn't willing to give up much at all. "There's some interest in some of our players that we think very highly of," Gillick said. "There's actually a lot of interest. It all depends. I don't expect to give up too much on a rental. On the other hand, if you get somebody back that you have under control through '09, that's a different story."

* While Gillick is pleased with the performances of upstart rookie right-handers Kyle Kendrick and J.D. Durbin, he isn't content with the back of the rotation. "Kyle's kept us in six, seven games, and the wins we had on the road [last week], to say Durbin would have two of the four wins, people would've said you're crazy," Gillick said. "But at the same time, we're still trying to improve the team, and one of the areas we're still looking at is the pitching area."

* Regardless of what happens, Gillick doesn't expect much movement on the trade front until at least the weekend. "Common sense says teams are going to try to get the best deal they possibly can," Gillick said. "Right now, some of the pitching that is available probably isn't an improvement over what we have, and the asking price is off the wall. It's outrageous. As you get closer to the deadline, the demands could fall backward. Or, if a couple guys drop off the market, the demands could go up. It's a back-and-forth. If you want to hold and hold and hope you get what you want, you might be stuck with what you have."

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MYERS UPDATE: Myers allowed one hit, struck out three and threw 25 pitches in 1-1/3 innings tonight for single-A Clearwater. Gillick said Myers will pitch one inning Wednesday night for Clearwater. If that goes well, he may be activated Friday.

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Spent my night off at the movies, where I bumped into Aaron Rowand and his wife Marianne. I recommend "Ocean's Thirteen," by the way, although Marianne and I agreed it wasn't as good as the original. Aaron said he prefers "Ocean's Twelve."

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 5

The Blue Rocks are taking BP right now, where the outfield backdrop offers another majestic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Salem's stadium has a professional look and feel, seating 6,300 but certainly looking like it seats more, since the upper level is so high (17 rows) and the press box height is similar to those at pro parks.

As for the hot dogs here, well... they get a D. It looked tasty but was served a bit cold, never good for a "hot" dog. After the first bite, my reaction was to grade the dog with a low C, since the bun was not that fresh either. But once I finished my fries (grade: B) before I finished the hot dog, and ultimately didn't even finish eating the hot dog, the dog's D status was sealed. I'd only give an F to a hot dog that I threw away after the first bite (which I've done).

Anyway, the buses are able to pull in underneath the stadium, dropping off the players just a few feet from the clubhouse door. The clubhouse has an enclosed connection to the dugout, an unusual feature for minor league stadiums, especially at this level so if you didn't know any different, the Royals and Astros could be taking the field tonight.

Blue Rocks manager John Mizerock has been a player and manager at the big league level, but he had his days in the minors, too.

"It's no fun riding the bus," Mizerock said today. "But you know you have to be on it, so you make the most of it."

Mizerock said that the bus rides, early in the season, are good for the players to form friendships, saying that you eventually talk to the person sitting next to you, and that you learn about their story and background.

As for his own earlier days riding the bus, Mizerock, 46, said his buses didn't have TVs hanging from the ceiling.

"I'm not coming from the dinosaur age," he said, "but all of this stuff is fairly new. Computers. Laptops. Those games, I don't even know what it is they play. But everybody has something to do back there, and it's a relative short amount of time. The normal trip is five or six hours. That's not that bad. When you get into the nine and 10 hours, that's a different story. But it's not bad, and these guys find ways to occupy their time. More often than not it's not a whole lot of talking. They have their earphones on. But that's OK."

On the bus ride from the hotel to the park today, the coaches were talking briefly about Mike Coolbaugh, the 35-year-old minor league first base coach who died Sunday after a line drive struck him in the head. Coolbaugh only joined the team, the Tulsa Drillers, an affiliate of Colorado, on July 3. Last year, Coolbaugh was a third baseman with the Royals' AAA team, the Omaha Royals, with Mizerock a roving instructor for Kansas City in 2006.

Mizerock also coaches third base for the Blue Rocks.

"That's spooky," Mizerock said about how Coolbaugh died. "I've never heard of anything like that. You hear about guys, from back in the old days, a couple guys got killed with pitches. Guys [today] still get hit in the head, but you get a little woozy or whatever. You see some freak injuries, but nothing like that. . . . Everybody gets hit. But I've never heard of anything like that."

A moment of silence for Coolbaugh is scheduled to take place before tonight's game. Salem was a Colorado affiliate before switching its affiliation to Houston in 2003, and Coolbaugh also once played in the Houston minor league system.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 4

The Roanoke Valley... said to be within a day's drive for half the U.S. population. I'm guessing we won't see 300 million fans over the course of three games this weekend, but it's interesting that someone in the Virginia tourist office figured that out.

For the remainder of the road trip, the team is actually staying in Roanoke, Va., with Salem (and Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium) about a 15-to-20 minute drive away. The regional airport between the two is in Roanoke, as Roanoke's population is about 95,000, compared to Salem's approximate 25,000. It is believed that the Salem Flying Artillery fired the Confederacy's "last shot" shortly before the surrender of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.

Last night's bus ride brought a welcome pit stop at a gas station, where about two-thirds of the players stormed the aisles in the small convenience store. Several opted for ice cream as their late night snack, prompting a brief discussion over choosing between a Klondike Bar or a Snickers ice cream cone.

During the ride, some players spent a lot of time on their phones while others just enjoyed their ice cream or read a magazine they just bought. One foursome played a card game called Pluck, introduced to them by pitching coach Steve Luebber. The game is best described as being similar to Spades, but with several variants. One allows you to, at a certain time, "pluck" away the best cards of an opponent, only to return your worst cards.

After tonight's game, the Blue Rocks have a quick turnaround for Tuesday, when the game starts at noon. ... More later from the ballpark ...

July 23 -- CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

We interrupt Buddy Hurlock's Blue Rocks travel diary to bring you this bulletin: For one day, at least, J.D. Durbin was "The Real Deal."

Durbin, last seen leaping off the mound at Petco Park like he just won Game 7 of the World Series, twirled a complete-game shutout yesterday and the Phillies closed a challenging seven-game road trip with a winning record (4-3). Two of those victories belong to Durbin, whose winding journey through waivers in March and April would've dizzied even Odysseus.

By now, you've probably heard the tale. Once a top prospect in the Twins organization, Durbin strutted around touting himself as "The Real Deal." But he never stuck in Minnesota and was designated for assignment at the end of spring training. The Diamondbacks claimed him but promptly sent him to the minors after he'd allowed seven runs in two-thirds of an inning April 4. The Red Sox claimed him April 9, then waived him the next day. And after the Phillies scooped him up, they waived him and resigned him after he'd gone unclaimed, allowing them to send him to triple-A.

Follow all that?

Anyway, Durbin admits his bravado often got in the way of his pitching. He said several Twins veterans told him to tone down his cockiness, but when he lost his "Real Deal" swagger, Durbin's performance suffered. With the Phillies, pitching coach Rich Dubee has told Durbin to relax, and against the Dodgers and Padres last week, you could see him attempt to calm himself by taking deep, exaggerated breaths on the mound.

In his last two starts, Durbin has allowed one run on 11 hits in 15 innings. Most impressive, though, he's walked only five batters. Can he keep it up? Who knows? But Durbin's success has to make the Phillies feel a lot better about the back of their rotation.

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Good pitching almost always beats good hitting, so I didn't give the Phillies' mighty offense much chance last week against the pitching-rich Dodgers and Padres. I was wrong. Very wrong.

Check out these numbers from the road trip:

Ryan Howard batted .500 (11-for-22) with five homers and 13 RBIs.
Chase Utley batted .379 (11-for-29) with nine runs and seven RBIs.
Shane Victorino batted .343 (12-for-35) with seven runs and five RBIs.
Aaron Rowand batted .355 (11-for-31) with five runs and eight RBIs.

The Phillies pounded 26 hits and scored 15 runs last Tuesday night in LA. They scored seven runs last Friday night in San Diego, exorcising the ghost of Justin Germano, then followed with 12 runs Saturday night and nine on Sunday. In all, they scored a whopping 50 runs in seven games. They also committed only two errors. And the trip could've been even better. Two of the losses came by one run (5-4 in the finale at LA and 1-0 in the opener at San Diego in a beautifully pitched game by Chris Young and Cole Hamels).

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Brett Myers will make his second rehab appearance tonight for single-A Clearwater. Charlie Manuel said Myers may be activated as soon as Thursday.

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At 6:05 p.m., I'll be a guest on The Mike Gill Show on 1450 AM. Tune in and check it out.

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We've got a great debate going on within one of the previous posts. Matt In Philadelphia doesn't believe the pitching-strapped Phillies can realistically compete for a playoff spot, and since the market for pitchers is nearly bare, he doesn't favor trading someone like Michael Bourn. Given how flawed the rest of the National League is, I'm not sure I agree with that.

Care to weigh in?

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 3

Rick Thompson, 41, from Frederica, has only been the Blue Rocks' bus driver this season (with Delaware Express). But he's driven a bus for four years and, before that, drove a tractor trailer for 10 years, so Thompson is familiar with life on the road.

While tonight's trip from Lynchburg to Salem will be short one, Thompson will also be at the wheel Wednesday night when, after a 7 p.m. game that night, the trip home will be about 350 miles.

"I'm pretty used to it," Thompson said about long, overnight trips. "I like to travel. That's what I've done all my life, is travel. I like interacting with the fellas. They're a good bunch of young men and I interact well with the coaching staff, and they seem to like me, so I enjoy it. I get paid to do something that I like to do."

Regarding the concessions here, prices are pretty good. A hot dog, order of french fries and soda, in a medium-sized souvenir cup, only costs $4.25. However, the hot dog only gets a C, as it merely satisfied my appetite and nothing more.

For comparison, I rate the hot dogs at Frawley Stadium (the two-dollar "regular ones") an A, and the dogs at Citizens Bank Park check in with a D, as Hatfield-brand hot dogs are too salty for my tastes.

Anyway, the Lynchburg fries do get a B-plus, served at a perfect temperature and already sprinkled with the right amount of salt and even a little pepper, which I enjoy once in a while on fries. As for the game, the Blue Rocks have taken a 6-1 lead in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by right fielder Brian McFall. McFall has homered for the second straight night and his seven dingers lead the Rocks.

Lastly, Caesar Rodney High graduate Ian Snell is among a few former Lynchburg players who has his picture hanging on the press box wall. Snell is 7-7 for the Pirates this season with a 3.31 ERA (10th in the NL) and 103 strikeouts (11th) in 127.2 innings.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 2

First pitch is more than three hours away, but the Blue Rocks, and myself, have arrived at City Stadium. As the Rocks warm up in left field, their gray tops remind me that I'll see the Rocks bat first tonight after going to who-knows how many games with the Rocks as the home team.

Josh Johnson, a 21-year old infielder, says that riding the bus from town to town is something you just have to get used to as a minor leaguer.

"How do you get used to it? You just do," Johnson said. "There's no way of getting around it. There's no way avoiding it. You just have to go through it."

Even though Wilmington is the northern-most team in the Carolina League, Johnson said the travel in the league is not that bad compared to some others.

"When I was in the Pioneer League," Johnson said, we had longer bus trips, so [this] is not as bad. It was an older bus and it didn't have as many features as the newer ones do. You just adapt to it."

The Rocks' bus has several TVs from front to back and the seats, while narrow, are more comfortable then those in coach class on a plane. Johnson said some players pass the time on bus rides by reading books, or playing games -- the Sony PSP is easily the Rocks' system of choice. A few players even squeezed in a quick game during today's short ride from the motel to the stadium, which is in a rural area, so instead of a city skyline beyond the outfield (like at Frawley) it's the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Johnson, however, said "I'm more of a sleep guy," when it comes to the long trips. "I'll sleep or I'll listen to my music. You try to keep yourself busy to pass the time, do a couple crossword puzzles or something like that. Sudoku is a big help, too. The worst trip is probably to Myrtle Beach, just because it's so long. But it's fun down there, so it's all worth it. Adapting to the rides isn't hard."

Anyway, more notes about Lynchburg: It's a bit smaller than Wilmington, with about 70,000 people... Lynchburg was a supply base for the Confederacy during the Civil War, but the Union was afraid to attack, as the base was made to look more fortified than it actually was, including citizens who rallied around empty trains... The field itself at 4,000-seat City Stadium is named after Calvin Falwell, an older cousin of the recently deceased Jerry Falwell, who founded nearby Liberty University (as Lynchburg Baptist College)... The current song warbling through the stadium speakers is Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." I know we're just in Virginia, but the song seems even nicer now that I'm on the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Later tonight, I'll post snippets from my interview with the team bus driver and then, of course, a review of the Hillcats' hot dogs.

July 22 -- TRADE WINDS

Michael Bourn has been with the Phillies all season, but, really, how much do the Phillies know about him?

1. He's fast. Very fast.
2. He's a good defensive outfielder.

That's about it, folks. Bourn has appeared in 83 of the Phillies' 97 games, yet he's gotten only 91 at-bats. He's been used primarily as a pinch-runner and late-game defensive replacement, usually in left field for Pat Burrell. With Aaron Rowand bracing for free agency after the season, the Phils aren't much closer to knowing if Bourn can be the everyday answer in center field in 2008.

And so, in The News Journal's Sunday baseball notes, I suggested the Phillies trade Bourn, but ONLY if they can get a reliable pitcher in return. There aren't many of those, particularly starters, on a trade market that's nearly barren. But if the Phillies can lure a solid back-of-the-bullpen reliever, like Colorado's Brian Fuentes, Texas' Akinori Otsuka (even though he's hurt), Kansas City's Octavio Dotel or even Texas' Joaquin Benoit, they should seriously consider it. The NL East is there for the taking.

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Also in the Sunday notes, there's an item about hot-tempered Marlins lefty Scott Olsen. Looks like I jumped the gun (no pun intended) on Olsen, though. He's in trouble with the police, which is much worse than being in trouble with the Phillies or even his own teammates.

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Three hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs last night for Ryan Howard. Both homers came against Padres lefty David Wells. In fact, Howard has four homers on this road trip, all against lefties. He's batting only .231 against lefties, but 12 of his 27 homers have come against southpaws.

With last night's 12-4 win, the Phillies picked up a game on the division-leading Mets and guaranteed themselves no worse than a 3-4 road trip. That's important since today's pitching matchup -- J.D. Durbin vs. Jake Peavy -- is tilted in the Padres' favor. Also, more on Kyle Drabek's impending Tommy John surgery.

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A Phillies institution was demolished yesterday. Jack Russell Stadium, the Phillies' old home in Clearwater, is no more. Moment of silence, please.

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Looks like we'll be sharing The Blog over the next few days with intrepid colleague Buddy Hurlock, who is on the road (and on the bus) with the Blue Rocks. Be nice to Buddy. Riding buses in the minors isn't easy.

Blue Rocks: On The Road No. 1

The Blue Rocks don't play until 6 tonight. But they still had an early wake up call since they had to check out of their rooms and have the bus loaded with their personal gear, since after tonight's game in Lynchburg, Va., we're off to Salem, about an hours' drive west, for a three-game series that starts Monday.

I say "we," because I've joined the Blue Rocks on their current road trip, getting into Lynchburg last night, and I'll be with the team the rest of the trip. I was not at Saturday night's game, as the Rocks have opened the Lynchburg series with back-to-back 3-2 wins.

I'll keep it short for now, since I hear the bus driver runs a tight ship, and I have to get myself checked out as well . . .

July 22 -- THOU SHALT NOT STEAL

Happy Sunday, all.

So, remember how I said I'd be working on some "enterprise features" last week while the Phillies were in California? Well, one of those articles, on the lost art of stealing bases, is in today's $1.50 edition.

Contrary to popular belief, stealing is about much more than being able to run fast. Davey Lopes happens to be one of the best base thieves in baseball history, and he's been imparting his wisdom this season to Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, Jimmy Rollins and any other Phillies who'll listen. I found it fascinating to listen to Lopes talk about reading a pitcher and deciphering the clues in his delivery that let a runner know when he should go.

As I was reporting and writing this story, I couldn't help thinking of this Gatorade commerical with Derek Jeter, John Lackey and Harvey Keitel. After talking to Victorino and Bourn, I kind of imagine Lopes sounding a little like Keitel in the first-base coach's box.

July 21 -- SURGERY FOR DRABEK

Doug Drabek was an 11th-round pick with an old-school mentality. Got an injury? Rub some dirt on it. That's how Drabek always thought. But dirt won't fix his son's elbow problem.

A few days ago, when Mike Arbuckle told me Kyle Drabek, the Phillies' first-round pick in 2006, was going to have his elbow examined more closely, it didn't sound promising. Within the past few days, Arbuckle, scouting director Marti Wolever and Texas-based Phillies scout Steve Cohen all told me the same thing: Drabek has never had an arm problem, so they were hoping the 19-year-old right-hander was overly concerned about whatever tenderness he'd been feeling in his elbow. The Phillies ordered a second MRI exam to be sure, and that test revealed damage to an elbow ligament. Drabek will undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday in New York.

He'll be sidelined for at least a year. That's the bad news. The good news: Drabek is only 19, and the success and recovery rate from Tommy John surgery is over 90 percent.

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This year's first-round pick, Joe Savery, dropped by the Bank yesterday and said seeing the South Philly bandbox makes him want to be a hitter again. Don't worry, though. Savery is fully committed to pitching.