Feb. 13 -- TALKING BASEBALL IN ROW 29

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, I had every intention of arriving here by 1 p.m. yesterday and having plenty of time to delight y'all with The Blog's traveler's guide to Clearwater. But two things conspired against that.

1. US Airways delayed my flight for three hours because of "mechanical problems" (not a phrase you want to hear a few moments before you board a plane).

2. Negotiations intensified between the Phillies and pitcher Kris Benson.

No thanks to US Airways, I finally made it here in time to write about the latter (and what it would mean for incumbent No. 5 starter Adam Eaton) for the 50-center. When my flight finally took off, I found myself sitting on the aisle in Row 29 next to Scott Mathieson, who had returned to Philly for an appointment with team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti. Mathieson, the hard-throwing right-hander, recently experienced some mild discomfort in his twice-surgically-repaired elbow. He said Ciccotti gave him a positive report, but he won't be cleared to throw until Monday when he sees Dr. Lewis Yocum.

I asked Mathieson if there was any connection between the Tommy John surgery that Dr. Yocum performed in September 2006 and the setback last August that resulted in another surgery to repair a nerve problem. Mathieson said he never got a straight answer on that, but he suspects the injuries were related. I also asked if he was gun shy about unleashing one of his high-90s fastballs after all the elbow problems he has had. "Not really," said Mathieson, who got married, honeymooned for 12 days in Hawaii and built a house in nearby New Port Richey, Fla., during the offseason. "To me, if you're not throwing at full strength, then why throw? Maybe I'm just dumb."

Spoken like a former hockey player.

Mathieson, 23, grew up playing hockey in the suburbs of Vancouver, and like most hockey players, he suffered his share of cuts and scrapes that were stitched or bandaged almost before he missed a shift. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he'd have made an excellent defenseman. But few defensemen can throw 98 mph heat, so Mathieson chose baseball. And, if he finally can put to rest his elbow issues, he can have a long and successful career.

Physicals today for Phillies pitchers and catchers. We'll bring you more during the day from the Carpenter Complex. Also, keep checking back for that traveler's guide to Clearwater. I have some hopefully helpful tips for you if you're planning to come here this spring.