CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Good morning, all. Chilly here today. The scoreboard at Bright House Field reads 54 degrees, and it's supposed to get down to 37 tonight. Brrrr!In case you're wondering, Cole Hamels says he isn't ticked about not starting opening day. he doesn't mind pitching Game 2.
"I actually don't mind [Brett Myers] being first," Hamels said this morning. "I kind of like it. From the time I first got called up, I kind of used him to my advantage with him going out there in the first game and me going out there in the second game and knowing what to do more because I watched him. If he goes out there on opening day, it's no big deal to me. There's a lot of hype that goes in with opening day. For myself, it's not a real big deal. Being 24 years old, I have plenty of years to chase after Jamie Moyer. After about three, four starts, it doesn't matter anymore."
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A few more words on the surprise decision to make Myers the opening-day starter: Charlie Manuel offered a somewhat convoluted explanation about setting up the rotation to face the Mets at Shea Stadium on April 8-10, but as I wrote last night in the comments section of the last post, there were two major reasons for the choice.
a) It removed any doubt in everyone's mind, including Myers', that Myers will stay in the rotation even though new closer Brad Lidge just had knee surgery.
b) It rewards Myers for being a good soldier and moving back to the rotation this season, even though he loves being a closer.
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Imagine, for a moment, that you're Brad Harman or Jason Donald. You're a prospect in the Phillies' farm system, and you have been invited to your first major-league spring training, a clear indication that the organization likes you. Life is good, right?One problem: You play the same position as Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins.
That's a BIG problem.
Over the past few days, I talked to Harman and Donald about their lot in baseball. I also spoke with Phillies farm director Steve Noworyta and minor-league coordinator Bill Dancy. Everyone is in agreement that Harman and Donald are playing as much for the Phillies this spring as for 29 other teams, who may be interested in someday trading for them. But the Phillies also have talked about increasing Harman's and Donald's versatility by teaching them new positions. Harman already has started playing third base.
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Check out Jennifer Corbett's photo gallery from yesterday.
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(Update, 1:20 p.m.): We're underway here at Bright House Field. Jamie Moyer retired six of the seven batters he faced. Looks like he's done this before. ... Also, FYI, right-hander Carlos Carrasco (No. 54), second baseman Adrian Cardenas (No. 76) and lefty Joe Savery (No. 90) made Baseball America's top 100 prospects list. Carrasco will pitch later today.
(Update, 1:54 p.m.): Moyer is out of the game. His line: 3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts. He threw 31 pitches, 22 strikes (six first-pitch strikes to 10 batters). ... Phils lead 1-0. Ryan Howard doubled and scored on a Geoff Jenkins' double play in the second inning.
(Update, 2:33 p.m.): Phillies have blown the game open with a seven-run fifth inning to take an 8-0 lead. Greg Dobbs, last season's surprise with a .358 spring-training average, swatted a three-run homer off lefty Jon Coutlangus. Rule 5 pick Travis Blackley looked good, throwing three scoreless innings.
4 comments:
I'm glad that Myers is the opening day starter over Hamels. Cole is confident as all hell and by rights, deserves the title of opening day starter, but it also seems like he needs to be occasionally grounded just to make sure his head doesn't blast off into the stratosphere. I think this is a good way of not only setting up Moyer to be the #4 instead of #3, but also to remind Hamels that he's still young and can't afford to get too high on himself at this point in his career.
And for the best part, this sets up the first Hamels-Santana duel to take place at CBP on April 18th as long as Santana is named the Mets opening day starter.
Hey Saluber, what's the deal with women umps in the Grapefruit League?
Hey Scott,
I'd be interested in a follow-up with Donald and Harman. Donald particularly, because I think he's athletic enough to play third, which is a glaring hole in the Phillies minor-league system. It'd be pretty cool to chronicle the position switch, I think.
Listening to the game on the net I liked what Feliz did at the plate as well as Bruntlett at the plate and ending the game turning a tough double play. Living in Houston I got to see him play alot and the guy can play everywhere on the field well. I think he was an excellent "throw in" in the Lidge trade. All the pitchers seemed to do well also except for Condrey giving up a dinger to a minor leaguer.
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