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So, we've got a new feature on The Blog this season. Once a week, I'll sit down and tape a Phillies podcast with Camden Courier-Post beat writer Michael Radano and columnist Kevin Roberts. This morning, we talked about whether the Phillies' pitching will hold up throughout the season, gave our predictions for 2008 and more.Click here to listen: R09_0001.mp3 *(Update, 2:44 p.m.): Teams were just announced along the base-lines. Loudest cheer: Hard to say. Chris Coste got a big hand. So did Cole Hamels, whose first name was elongated by public-address announcer Dan Baker. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and of course, Jimmy Rollins got nice ovations. Loudest jeer: That's easy. The boobirds were out in force for Adam Eaton, who tipped his cap. At least Eaton has a sense of humor.Almost time to play ball.(Update, 4:52 p.m.): Sorry I've been away for a while. Transcribing some interviews from this morning. Anyway, as I'm sure you know Brett Myers was less than stellar. He allowed four runs (three earned), all in the fifth inning. The big blow came on Austin Kearns' two-out double, but Myers hurt himself by hitting Lastings Milledge to load the bases with one out and issuing a two-out walk to Nick Johnson. The Nats' rally was helped when Rollins booted a two-out grounder by Paul Lo Duca. In the sixth, Milledge bashed a two-run homer off reliever Ryan Madson, who doesn't fare well in opening days at Citizens Bank Park.Other than Utley's homer in the sixth, the Phillies offense never really got going against lefty Matt Chico. Perhaps they'll get to the Nats' bullpen.(Update, 5:13 p.m.): I don't want to say I told you so, but ... Rollins just belted a two-run, game-tying homer against Nats reliever Ray King. That came after Carlos Ruiz laced an RBI double off Joel Hanrahan, who issued a leadoff walk to Jayson Werth. 6-6, after seven innings.
Walked into the clubhouse a few hours ago and saw Brad Lidge, the closer who is opening the season on the disabled list after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Feb. 25. And although Lidge isn't eligible to be activated until Saturday, the Phillies flew him here from Clearwater to be part of the opening-day pomp."Nowhere else in the world I'd rather be," he said.Lidge is slated to fly back tonight. He will pitch in a minor-league exhibition game tomorrow, then in Class A Clearwater's season-opener Thursday. Barring any setbacks, he's scheduled to meet the Phillies in Cincinnati on Friday.More on Lidge in tomorrow's paper.*If you're wondering why Jayson Werth got the start over Geoff Jenkins, Charlie Manuel said he's playing the percentages. Werth batted .375 against left-handed pitchers last season, and the Nats are starting a lefty, Matt Chico, today. So, that's that.*Still misting. Tarp still on the field. Keep it here for updates.
Tarp is on the field. Light rain is falling. But the Phillies have a lineup.
SS Jimmy RollinsCF Shane Victorino2B Chase Utley1B Ryan HowardLF Pat Burrell3B Pedro FelizRF Jayson WerthC Carlos RuizRHP Brett MyersOh, and here are some 2008 predictions from News Journal staffers.
It's finally here, the day baseball fans have been waiting for since Jonathan Papelbon unleashed the final pitch of the World Series. And, for all you Phillies fans, since Shane Victorino grounded out on that cold October night in Denver to cap the Rockies' three-game sweep in the NLDS.
Baseball is back.
A bit of housekeeping before we head to the Bank:
-- Brett Myers will take the ball for the Phillies today, if the rain holds off long enough (doesn't Mother Nature know it's Opening Day?). Anyway, much has been made of Myers' maturity over the past two years. I don't see it. He's still a goofball. Yesterday, for example, Kyle Kendrick had just come out of the game in Allentown when Myers hollered for him to board the bus that was taking the Phillies' regulars home midway through the game. "C'mon, Kendrick. Wrestlemania is on tonight!" Myers got so loud that Kendrick barely could hear the questions from reporters. Kendrick shrugged, apologized and obeyed his teammate. As Charlie Manuel likes to say, that was "Myers being Myers."
Rather than calling Myers "mature," I say he's become the ultimate teammate in the past two seasons. Want him to be the closer? He'll be the closer. Want him to start? He'll start. "Whatever the team wants me to do, I'll do," he said over and over during spring training.
-- As of last night, Manuel hadn't decided if Geoff Jenkins or Jayson Werth would start in right field. My hunch: It'll be Werth against Nationals lefty Matt Chico, but we'll get you lineups as soon as they're posted.
-- Also within this notebook, there's news that the Phillies made no news yesterday before the 3 p.m. roster-setting deadline. Something to keep an eye on, though: Veteran reliever Mike Stanton was bought out by the Reds, and Steve Kline was designated for assignment by the Giants. You be the GM: Could either pitcher help the Phillies?
-- Whether he starts or not, Jenkins says this Opening Day will be special because it's his first with the Phillies. Judging my the e-mails I'm getting, I sense plenty of enthusiasm from fans, too, who have been waiting to see the Phillies begin their NL East title defense. How excited are you about this season-opener? More or less than in the past?
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A few leftovers from a Sunday in Lehigh Valley:
As I wrote yesterday, the ballpark is nice. If you have a chance during the season, try to get up there for a game. The IronPigs (that's the name of the new Class AAA team) is a little light on prospects. Just catcher Jason Jaramillo and pitchers J.A. Happ and Joe Bisenius. But, as with most Class AAA teams, there are plenty of guys with major-league experience -- Chris Snelling, Chris Woodward, J.D. Durbin, to name a few -- who may be in Philly at some point during the season.
The visiting locker room is a bit cramped, although there are ammenities, like two flat-screen TVs, that aren't common in minor-league clubhouses. Before the game, a clock fell off the wall and nearly hit Jimmy Rollins in the head. Phillies director of publicity John Brazer didn't miss a beat. "You almost got clocked," he cracked.
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We'll be posting throughout the day, so if you're stuck at work and can't get to a TV or radio (or even if you can), please keep checking back.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Happy Sunday, all.We're live blogging this morning from Coca Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' new Class AAA affiliate. Nice ballpark here in Allentown (can't get the Billy Joel song out of my head, though). Looks a little like the spring-training park in Clearwater, only the tiki bar is in right field and doesn't have the thatched roof like Frenchy's. There's a berm in left field, which is a nice touch. Looking forward to walking around a bit more to get a better lay of the land.Very tight quarters (and limited electrical outlets) in the auxiliary press area, so the blogging may be sparse today. But I'll pass along any last-minute roster news. The Phillies have to submit their roster by 3 p.m. I don't expect any alterations to the 25 players they have now.*So, if you've picked up your Sunday paper (and I know you have), you know it's packed with Phillies stuff, from player capsules, to a feature on ever-stylish reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins, to my breakdown of the NL East, to Kevin Noonan's forecast that the Phillies will repeat as NL East champs, to Martin Frank's coverage of yesterday's exhibition loss to the Blue Jays.But there's a question I want to ask of you, and it's a question we posed in our Phillies' cover story today. How long can the Phillies keep this ultra-talented nucleus (Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Pat Burrell, Brad Lidge, etc.) -- and their ever-growing salaries -- together? If the Phils don't win the World Series this year or next year, does their window of opportunity close?OK, discuss.And, if I don't talk to you, have a great Sunday.
In the spirit of the famous Roethlisberger sandwich in Pittsburgh, and to help kick off the season, The News Journal asked two local chefs, a sub shop owner, a baker and a sushi maker to dream up savory and sweet versions of a "J-Roll," a delicacy named after Jimmy Rollins. Needless to say, there were no shortage of ideas, and they all look delicious. Hopefully, Patricia Talorico got the chance to sample all of their concoctions while she was writing the story. I mean, any good reporter would absolutely insist on a taste-test!
Personally, I think the Timmy D's Deli J-Roll looks good. So does Eclipse Bistro's J-Roll. But I have a sweet tooth, so I'm sort of partial to The Hotel du Pont's J-Roll (above), which is described as "a vanilla-flavored roulade wrapped with raspberry preserves and a chocolate mousse bombe covered with white fondant. It's served with raspberry coulis, vanilla creme anglaise, fresh berries and a green icing 'grass.'"Mmmm.
So, what would you like on your J-Roll?
Many thanks to colleague Kevin Tresolini for pinch-hitting last night at the Bank while I was tap-tap-tapping away at stories for Sunday's big Phillies preview (more on that later). And after the flurry of transactions yesterday, Tres brings us this from GM Pat Gillick about whether there's more to come before the Phillies have to submit their roster by tomorrow's 3 p.m. deadline.
"If we make a move, it won't be anything earth-shaking," Gillick said. "It'll just be something that'll help us a little bit."
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After the Phillies acquired reliever Tim Lahey, I reached out to an old friend who covers the New Britain Rock Cats (team motto, circa 2002: "These 'Cats Rock"), the Twins' double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. His brief scouting report: "Big right-hander. Converted catcher who has a live arm and a world of potential but needs to learn more about the craft."
Lahey, 26, is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, and he played in college at Princeton, not your average baseball factory. He was picked in the Rule 5 draft by the Rays and traded to the Cubs, and he went 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA, seven strikeouts and eight walks in 11 spring-training innings. But two things stick out to me: a) He has made only two appearances beyond Class AA; b) As a Rule 5 draft pick, he must stay on the Phillies' 25-man roster all season or be offered back to his initial former team, Minnesota, for $25,000.
"You never know what's going to happen," Gillick said. "We've just got to keep taking chances to see if we can come up with something."
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In his final preseason tuneup, Cole Hamels pitched well last night. So, too, did Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, Clay Condrey and, at long last, J.D. Durbin.
This just in ...The Phillies claimed right-hander Tim Lahey off waivers from the Cubs. They also outrighted right-hander J.D. Durbin, infielder Ray Olmedo and outfielder Chris Snelling to Class AAA Lehigh Valley, and signed infielder Chris Woodward to a minor-league contract.Got all that?
About Lahey: He's a 26-year-old reliever, selected by the Rays in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins, then traded to the Cubs. As such, he'll have to stay on the Phillies' 25-man roster throughout the season or be offered back to his original team, the Twins, for $25,000. Last season, he went 8-4 with 14 saves and a 3.65 ERA in 52 games between Class AA New Britain and Class AAA Rochester.
About Woodward: He's a 31-year-old veteran of 607 major-league games with Toronto (1999-2004), the Mets (2005-06) and Atlanta (2007). He went to spring training with the Yankees but was cut Wednesday (ironically, after striking out against Drew Carpenter with the bases loaded in the ninth inning). But he played well in spring training, batting .393 (11-for-28) in 15 games. He's a .243 career hitter and has played every position except pitcher and catcher. Clearly, the Phillies are trying to add to their infield depth. Now, in case anything should happen to Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins or Ryan Howard, they have proven major leaguers like Eric Bruntlett and Woodward who can fill in.Barring any other moves, it would seem the Phillies' opening-day roster is set. There are 11 pitchers (Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Lahey), two catchers (Carlos Ruiz, Chris Coste), seven infielders (Howard, Utley, Rollins, Pedro Feliz, Greg Dobbs, Bruntlett, Wes Helms) and five outfielders (Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Geoff Jenkins, Jayson Werth, So Taguchi).
I'll try to get more for you on Lahey as the day goes on.
Mick Billmeyer has known Carlos Ruiz for years. And since they began working together in 2000, Billmeyer, the Phillies' catching instructor, has watched his pupil mature, physically and mentally, to the point where he wouldn't be surprised if Ruiz was catching for the National League in the All-Star Game this year.
Chris Coste agrees. Coste, the Phillies' backup catcher, is predicting a big year from Ruiz -- something like .295, 19 homers, 75 RBIs.
But, in talking with several people about Ruiz this week, the most impressive thing is how much his game-calling and communication with pitchers has improved since he first got to the majors in 2006. Just ask Jamie Moyer, the 45-year-old left-hander who has worked with his share of catchers during his 22-year major-league career.
"We talk more about selection, location," Moyer said. "It's far easier to sit on the side and critique things. You can learn from it, too. In '06, when he came up here, he didn't really play much, but we'd sit and talk a lot and I'd have him watch the opposing catchers. He'd watch them give a sign and see how they moved, how they didn't move. If they moved up, usually it was going to be a breaking ball. If they moved back, it might be a fastball. Sometimes, the way they moved was a deke. As a catcher, there's a lot of things you can do, verbally and nonverbally, that can have an effect on the game.
"He's come a long way. He's gained a lot of confidence in himself and his ability. He's not afraid to talk. He's not afraid to ask questions. He wants to learn. He likes the game. It's a difficult positition, especially if you're an everyday catcher. You're catching 120 games a year. It's a grind. Last year, we had, what, 28 pitchers walk through the door? Now, all of a sudden, you've got another guy coming in. You're trying to win, and you're trying to do your job. There's a lot of things going on during the course of a day. He wants to get his hits and help the club offensively, too. But he handled last year very well. He took it in stride."
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Adam Eaton's last spring-training start didn't go so well. But, believe it or not, the spring could've been worse for the Eaton and the Phillies. Also, within this notebook, there's more on the immediate futures of Kris Benson and Travis Blackley.
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Got in late last night, and I must say, it's nice to be home. Not too cold either. These 60-degree temps make me feel like I'm in Florida. Working on some Phillies season-preview stories today, so Kevin Tresolini will be at the Bank for tonight's exhibition game against the Jays. I'll let you know if there are any news updates from there.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Sitting in Tampa International, waiting for my Southwest flight to board. The Phillies, meanwhile, are nearly home. Less than a half-hour after today's 14-5 loss to the Tigers, they boarded two buses from Joker Marchant Stadium (best name for a spring-training ballpark) to nearby Lakeland Regional Airport. A few brief notes:* Brett Myers showed up with a Mohawk haircut. Nothing like starting the season in style, I suppose.* Adam Eaton's line today -- 4.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. That's your No. 5 starter, ladies and gents.* Charlie Manuel made an interesting comment after the game. "We kept having to bounce back last year, and it looks like we're going to have to do that again," he said. I interpreted him to mean that the Phillies rebounded from a lot of lopsided losses last season. There were times when their motto may as well have been "kill or be killed." And with the pitching still suspect and the offense still mighty, there may be some more lopsided games in their future.OK, signing off for now. Talk to you from home.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Quick pregame note ...
Travis Blackley, the lefty acquired in the Rule 5 draft, has cleared waivers and wasn't accepted back by the Giants. So, he has been outrighted (off the 40-man roster) to Class AAA Lehigh Valley, and he accepted the assignment. The Phillies will want him to hone his control down there. He walked eight batters in 9-2/3 innings this spring, and if anyone didn't think he was wild, ask Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson, who broke a bone in his right hand last Saturday after being hit by a Blackley pitch.
Meanwhile, the Phillies are down to 37 players on their 40-man roster, leaving plenty of room to sign a pitcher off waivers or make a deal to add a pitcher.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Good morning, all.So, we're here at Joker Marchant Stadium, spring-training home of the Tigers, on the ultimate get-away day. When today's game ends, the Phillies will board a charter a Lakeland Regional Airport (they have a 5:30 p.m. flight, I think). Me? I'll hit the road and drive 50 minutes west to Tampa International for my commerical flight on Southwest. Adam Eaton starts the Grapefruit League finale. We'll get you lineups when they're posted.*How many home runs will Ryan Howard hit this season? Judging from how he has swung the bat in spring training, he may be primed for a big year. Bigger, in fact, than his 47-homer, 136-RBI 2007 which most folks, including me, thought was a down year after his 58-homer, 149-RBI MVP season in 2006. The best sign, so far, is that Howard is hitting opposite-field home runs again. Talked to hitting coach Milt Thompson yesterday, and he explained why he believes Howard didn't go the other way more often last season. His strained left quad had a lot to do with it, Thompson said.For now, I'll conservatively put Howard's home-run total at 50. What's your guess?*More on Drew Carpenter's big day here in this notebook. Also, Brett Myers thinks the Phillies have the best starting rotation in the National League. At least somebody does.*One bit of news to pass along: Kris Benson has been re-assigned to minor-league camp. That means his contract has been reconfigured. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has been tight-lipped about Benson's contract status, but it's a solid bet that Benson's base salary in the minors has been raised and the deadline for him to opt-out of his contract if he isn't added to the 40-man roster has been pushed back into May. We'll try to flush this out and get you more info.(Lineup update, 10:51 a.m.): Here's your lineup against Tigers LHP Kenny Rogers: DH Jayson Werth, CF Shane Victorino, 3B Pedro Feliz, 2B Chase Utley, LF Pat Burrell, 1B Wes Helms, RF So Taguchi, C Chris Coste, SS Eric Bruntlett. Tigers are starting pretty much their regular lineup, which should provide a good test for Eaton. SS Edgar Renteria, 2B Placido Polanco, DH Gary Sheffield, RF Magglio Ordonez, 3B Miguel Cabrera, 1B Carlos Guillen, C Ivan Rodriguez, LF Jacque Jones, CF Brandon Inge.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, a few weeks ago, we told you about Drew Carpenter, the 19-game winner last season at Class A Clearwater who wasn't invited to major-league spring training by the Phillies. After I talked to farm director Steve Noworyta and others, it became clear that if there's an overlooked pitcher in camp who has the potential to be the next Kyle Kendrick, it's probably Carpenter, a second-round pick in 2006 from Long Beach (Calif.) State.Anyway, Carpenter just had a pretty big day.In their final Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field, the Phillies brought Carpenter over from the minor-league complex to relieve Brett Myers. He tossed four scoreless innings against the Yankees in an outing that featured several highlights. Take your pick:- Sixth inning: He walked Bobby Abreu with one out, then got Alex Rodriguez to ground into a double play.- Seventh inning: He struck out the side, including Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada.- Ninth inning: After loading the bases with no outs, he struck out Nick Green, got Jose Molina to foul out to the catcher and caught Chris Woodward looking at strike three.The last time a young Phillies pitcher looked so good against the Yankees in spring training, Cole Hamels was striking out Tony Clark, Derek Jeter and A-Rod in 2004. That wasn't enough to get Hamels, then a Class A pitcher, a spot on the roster, and Carpenter's performance today won't win him a job, either. But Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee were effusive in their postgame praise of Carpenter, and if he gets off to a good start at Class AA Reading, it wouldn't be surprising to see him get called up to Philly.Then, he really would be the next Kendrick.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The travel plans have been posted on the bulletin board in the clubhouse. After tomorrow's road game against the Tigers (hopefully, hitters will be first-pitch swinging), the Phillies will board a 5:30 p.m. charter at Lakeland Regional Airport and fly to Philadelphia.Meanwhile, GM Pat Gillick and his inner circle will continue to explore options to acquire a reliever. As we discussed yesterday, there are only 11 healthy pitchers in camp, and No. 11 is J.D. Durbin, who has a 12.33 ERA and has allowed eight homers in 15-1/3 innings this spring. Talked to Gillick for a while after yesterday's game, and he remains hopeful that the Phillies will be able to acquire a reliever. Obviously, he didn't name names, but veteran lefties Steve Kline (Giants) and Mike Stanton (Reds) may be available, either via a trade or a waiver claim. Gillick also said the Phillies most likely will keep only 11 pitchers and add Brad Lidge when he's eligible to be activated from the disabled list April 5. So, in an ideal world, the Phils will peddle Wes Helms for a reliever, dump Durbin (J.D., not Chad) and keep Chris Snelling, at least for a week.*Kris Benson hasn't been added to the Phillies' 40-man roster, but he isn't opting out of his contract either. Tight-lipped assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and Benson's agent, Gregg Clifton, were working out the details yesterday. But from talking to Benson, it sounded like the deadline to put him on the roster would be extended. We'll follow up later today.*Chase Utley has rejoined the team after missing two days for personal reasons, and he's in the lineup against Yankees' opening-day starter Chien-Ming Wang. Here's your full lineup: SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Greg Dobbs, Utley, 1B Ryan Howard, LF Pat Burrell, RF Geoff Jenkins, CF Jayson Werth, C Chris Coste, RHP Brett Myers. This will be Myers' last start before Monday's opener. The Yankees' traveling party includes Wang, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and old friend Bobby Abreu. No Derek Jeter.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A few quick pre-game notes ...* Brad Lidge struck out four and didn't allow a hit in 1-2/3 scoreless innings in a minor-league game on the back fields at the Complex. That has to make the Phillies feel good.* LHP Vic Darensbourg and RHP Gary Knotts have been re-assigned to minor-league camp. Also, Rule 5 LHP Travis Blackley's locker was cleared out. It seems the Phillies are waiting to see if the Giants will take him back.... and some quick pre-game math ...The Phillies have only 11 healthy pitchers left in camp (starters Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton; relievers Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey and J.D. Durbin). So, for now, J.D. Durbin appears to have a spot on the team, even though he has allowed eight homers in 15-1/3 innings and has a 12.33 ERA this spring. And unless the Phillies acquire a pitcher via trade or through waivers, something GM Pat Gillick has said is a possibility, it appears they will carry only 11 pitchers until Lidge is activated, probably April 5.That would mean they'll keep 14 position players. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, Eric Bruntlett, Greg Dobbs, Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Geoff Jenkins, Jayson Werth, So Taguchi, Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste seem to have jobs locked up. So, the final spot would go to either Chris Snelling or Wes Helms. Snelling is out of minor-league options and would have to clear waivers to go to triple-A. If the Phillies can't trade Helms, and it's looking unlikely, he either has to stay on the roster or be released. The only other position player in camp is INF Ray Olmedo, and I'm betting he'll wind up at triple-A Lehigh Valley.OK, there's the latest on the roster. Like this team? Fire away.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, who is the funniest Phillies player?My vote: Clay Condrey.Talk to Condrey for any amount of time, and you're bound to come away with a few great one-liners. Last season, he joked that he had racked up enough frequent-flier miles between Philly and triple-A Ottawa that he could "fly to the moon." Last week, I asked about his close friend Chris Coste's book, and he joked about being Coste's security guard during book signings at Barnes & Noble. So, when it was pointed out that Condrey is among the Grapefruit League leaders in relief appearances, he had a great answer at the ready."That's not a good list to be on," Condrey said. "It's like you're saying, 'Can I have one more chance? Just one more chance?'"But I can't see a way that Condrey doesn't make the Phillies' opening-day roster, especially with Brad Lidge starting the season on the disabled list. Sure, Condrey had a 5.04 ERA last season, but if you take out his five worst appearances, all in blowout games, his ERA was 1.01. That's pretty darned good.*More on Lidge's situation here. And within the notebook, there's news of Tom Gordon regaining his closer job for at least a week and D-Day on Kris Benson.*Just talked to lefty Mike Zagurski, and he has been told he likely will need Tommy John surgery. Bad break for Zagurski, who was nearly recovered from surgery on his right hamstring last year. We'll have more on him in tomorrow's paper.*Chilly here this morning. When I got to the press box about 90 minutes ago, it was 46 degrees. With only three more days until camp breaks, I guess it's best to prepare for the weather back home. Reds are headed to Bright House today. Kyle Kendrick starts for the Phillies. We'll be back with lineups when they're posted.(Update, 10:51 a.m.): Your lineup against Reds starter Edinson Volquez: SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, LF Pat Burrell, 1B Ryan Howard, RF Geoff Jenkins, 3B Pedro Feliz, 2B Eric Bruntlett, C Carlos Ruiz, Kendrick. Adam Dunn and Brandon Phillips made the trip for the Reds. Ken Griffey Jr. did not.
TAMPA, Fla. -- So, in the time it took for me to talk to Brad Lidge at Bright House, drive over the Courtney Campbell Causeway to Legends Field and meet with Charlie Manuel, you no doubt heard the news. Of course you did. You read delawareonline.com.Lidge will open the season on the disabled list."It's not what I wanted," he said about an hour ago. "I was trying to get ready as fast as possible. Unfortunately, I think, in the end, my arm strength is behind. I was trying to cram four weeks of spring training into a little over a week. It makes more sense to make sure I'm 100 percent ready when I start, instead of being 90 percent. It's better for our team, and it's better for me." Clearly, Lidge was disappointed by the decision. But I sort of had a feeling this might happen when the Phillies posted their weekly pitching schedule yesterday. The only reason for Lidge to pitch in minor-league games, rather than Grapefruit League games, this week was to assure that he could be placed on the disabled list retroactive to March 21. If he had pitched in a Grapefruit League game today or tomorrow or the next day, the DL stint would've had to be set retroactively to the date of his last game. That would've meant Lidge would miss more time during the season.As it stands now, Lidge is eligible to be activated before the April 5 game in Cincinnati, meaning he'll miss only the first four games of the season. In his absence, Tom Gordon will be the primary closer, with J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson serving as setup men. But a few moments ago, pitching coach Rich Dubee left no doubt that Lidge will be the closer when he returns. "We traded for Brad Lidge to be a closer," Dubee said. "We didn't trade for him to be a sixth- or seventh-inning guy."More from Lidge, Manuel, Dubee and Gordon in tomorrow's paper. Speaking of which, I have to get started on writing that story and your daily Phillies notebook, too.*For now, your lineup for tonight's game against the Yankees and RHP Phil Hughes: SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, RF Greg Dobbs, 1B Ryan Howard, LF Pat Burrell, DH Chris Snelling, 3B Pedro Feliz, C Chris Coste, 2B Eric Bruntlett. This game is televised back in New York on the YES Network, so the Yankees have close to their A-lineup against Jamie Moyer: CF Melky Cabrera, SS Derek Jeter, RF Bobby Abreu, 3B Alex Rodriguez, DH Jason Giambi, C Jorge Posada, 2B Robinson Cano, LF Shelley Duncan, 1B Morgan Ensberg.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- This much we know: A week from today, at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies will open their 2008 season against the Washington Nationals.
But will Brad Lidge be there?
Right now, that's about as uncertain as the weather.
Lidge threw 16 pitches in an intra-squad minor-league game yesterday at the Complex, and although he struggled with his command (only eight strikes) and was disappointed by his velocity (fastball reached only about 90-92 mph), he continues to insist he'll be ready for opening day. If not, Lidge said he will be good to go by the season's second game, April 2.
Still, the Phillies are being extra cautious with their new closer. Lidge, who had arthroscopic right knee surgery Feb. 25, is scheduled to pitch in minor-league games Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, which means he will remain in Clearwater after the Phillies break camp Thursday and head home for two exhibition games at the Bank against the Blue Jays.
Don't read too much into that. Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies are "hopeful" that Lidge won't have to start the season on the DL, although he added "time will tell on our decision." And if Lidge does go on the DL, the Phillies always can backdate the move to March 21, making him eligible to return April 5 in Cincinnati for the second game of the season's second series. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
So, will Lidge be in the bullpen on opening day? Stay tuned.
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Had lunch before yesterday's game with a bunch of scouts. One, an American League scout who I've known for several years, said he thinks the Phillies were shrewd to sign Pedro Feliz to a two-year, $8.5 million contract. After watching him a lot last season with the Giants, the scout said Feliz will be a "great short-term signing" and expects him to drive in a lot of runs batting behind Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell in the Phillies' lineup.By the way, in an informal poll of about five scouts, none think the Phillies have enough pitching to defend their NL East title. What do you think? Are you as skeptical as they are?
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Quiet morning here. Phillies play a night game against the Yankees in Tampa. Phil Hughes pitching for the Yanks, Jamie Moyer for the Phillies. Lineups and more updates later today.
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- When I met Jason Donald last month in the Phillies' clubhouse at Bright House Field, I knew he reminded me of someone.Facially, I thought he resembled David Wright, the Mets' star third baseman who I covered for years in the minors. And when he talked, I thought he sounded like Wright, who routinely offers old-time baseball platitudes like, "I'm just trying to work hard and get better every day." (Wright means it, by the way). But Wright has a much thicker frame than Donald, a lean, 190-pound shortstop prospect.Anyway, I wrote a feature story last month about Donald and second baseman Brad Harman, whose path to the majors with the Phillies is blocked, now and in the future, by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. A few weeks later, Donald (and Harman) were sent to minor-league camp, casualties of the Phillies' early cuts. Both are slated to open the season at double-A Reading.At about 10 a.m. today, Donald was told by minor-league coordinator Bill Dancy (remember him?) that he'd be making the short trip to neighboring Dunedin for the Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He wouldn't be starting, of course. But after Rollins left the game, there was a chance Donald would get to play. And he made the most of the chance, blasting two three-run homers in a 15-7 win. It was his first multi-homer game, he said, since his senior year at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif.After the game, Charlie Manuel said Donald reminds him of Craig Biggio, and I definitely see where he's coming from. "Same makeup, talks like him, plays like him, everything," said Manuel, high praise considering all that Biggio accomplished in his career. Evidently, Manuel has even started calling Donald by Biggio's name.
"I didn't know what he was saying the first time he called me Biggio," Donald said. "I just thought he didn't know my name. I'll take that comparison. Craig Biggio is a great player. He'll probably be in the Hall of Fame some day."If Donald never gets there, he'll always remember this Easter Sunday."It's pretty surreal," he said. "This kind of stuff doesn't happen too often. If I hit home runs, I run into them. To get the opportunity to do this is pretty amazing. It's something I can take with me."
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, after rain washed out yesterday's Tigers-Phillies game, I chit-chatted for a bit with Pat Gillick. The subject, mostly, was the possibility that the Phillies will acquire a pitcher before the season starts next Monday.
Gillick's answer: Quite possibly.
It's no secret the Phillies are looking for another reliever. If they carry 12 pitchers (Gillick and Charlie Manuel prefer to keep 12 than 11), the Phillies have two bullpen spots available after Brad Lidge, Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin. Right now, I think Clay Condrey is looking good to get one of those spots. The other? Well, Rule 5 lefty Travis Blackley has had an inconsistent spring; J.D. Durbin has been ineffective; Francisco Rosario went on the DL yesterday; Vic Darensbourg and Gary Knotts are non-roster invitees, and therefore, long shots.
I asked Gillick if one of the bullpen vacancies may be filled by someone who isn't in camp yet. "One of them could be here, one of them could be outside," he said.
Problem is, the Phillies don't have much to trade. *Gillick confirmed what we've been talking about for a while. There has been little interest in spare third baseman Wes Helms, and Gillick said he's "not optimistic" that the Phillies will be able to trade him. That means Helms may be released, although the Phillies still would be on the hook to pay him $2.9 million. It also means the Phillies may have to scour the waiver wire to find the bullpen help they need.
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Talk to enough people around baseball -- or any industry, really -- and you're bound to get some dissenting thoughts about everything. But everyone I spoke to last week about Rich Dubee -- from Twins starter Livan Hernandez to Tigers manager Jim Leyland -- had nothing but positive things to say about the Phillies pitching coach, the subject of our latest Sunday enterprise feature.
A small sampling of opinions:
Hernandez, who pitched for Dubee in Florida in 1998 and '99: "He's a great pitching coach. He does a great job. There are a lot of different things. You do something wrong in the game, he's good at figuring it out. He makes it more easier for you to get people out."
Leyland, Florida's manager when Dubee was pitching coach in '98: "He's always been a coach who knows quite a bit about the game, overall. Some pitching coaches don't see the other stuff that goes on. He's a good baseball man, overall. Rich Dubee can handle anyone. He's smart and has a good rapport with people. And he knows the game. ... He's very serious about what he's doing. He's got a great personality. I offered to take him to Colorado with me [in 1999], but he wanted to stay in Florida. He's done a hell of a job. The Phillies are very fortunate to have him.
Jamie Moyer, Phillies' 45-year-old lefty: "Dubes is a guy that cares about each one of us. To me, that's first and foremost. Some guys don't give a flip who you are and just throw you out there and try to get the most out of you. That's not Dubes. There's a personality with Dubes and a genuine concern for your well-being as a pitcher and as a person. ... The way I've always looked at pitching coaches is as an extra pair of eyes. You spend a lot of time with them one-on-one, especially during your bullpens. Dubes tries to make a habit of walking around the outfield each and every day when he has time. 'How are you doing? How are you feeling?' There's an interest there. That's nice. ... I think he's good at getting to your level and parlaying what you're bringing to what it's going to take to maintain or stay here. He also tries to create as much of a comfortable environment for that person. It's like, 'OK, this is what you're accountable to and for as a pitcher. It's going to take a lot of work on your behalf, but I want you to know I'm here to work with you and help you.'"
John Boles, former Marlins manager: "He's really well-rounded. He's got a terrific personality. There's no agendas there. He's hard-working, diligent and very knowledgeable. And in Florida, his patience was exemplary. He was developing pitchers at the major-league level. We knew they were good. It was a matter of taking off the rough edges. His work culminated with another world championship for the Marlins, led by guys like [Josh] Beckett and [Brad] Penny. Rich was really their watchdog and guardian."
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Yesterday, we asked you which team has a better offense, the Tigers or the Phillies. Chad Durbin has pitched for both teams, so we asked him, too. Also within our Sunday MLB notes, Caesar-Rodney's Ian Snell had a big week, and Miguel Cabrera lost weight. *Kevin Tresolini has some problems with the Yankees. I'll make sure to pass along his concerns to Hank Steinbrenner when the Phillies travel to Tampa tomorrow night.
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Short trip to Dunedin today for the Phillies-Blue Jays. A.J. Burnett, another Dubee disciple, pitching today for Toronto; Cole Hamels for the Phillies. Here's your lineup: SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, 2B Chase Utley, DH Ryan Howard, LF Pat Burrell, RF Geoff Jenkins, 3B Pedro Feliz, 1B Eric Bruntlett, C Carlos Ruiz.
Enjoy your Easter Sunday.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Good morning, all. Hope you're enjoying your Saturday.Casey Smith has had better days. Upon arriving at the ballpark this morning, he was told he had been reassigned to minor-league camp. Sooner or later, that was going to happen. He plays second base, and the Phillies are pretty well-set at that position. Smith batted .333 (8-for-24) with two home runs and six RBIs this spring, but he could've batted 1.000 and he wasn't going to beat out Chase Utley. Smith turned 29 this week, so he's past the point of being a prospect. He'll head to Class AAA Lehigh Valley, where, if he plays well, he'll put himself in position for a call-up if the Phillies ever are in need of a utility man (he plays every infield position). For now, Smith walked around the clubhouse, shaking hands with his teammates, many of whom said they hope to see him again soon. Jamie Moyer extended a hand and said, "Work hard." Good advice for any minor leaguer.*More on Adam Eaton's latest encouraging performance.*Asked assistant GMs Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle yesterday if the Phillies have any interest in right-hander John Patterson, who was released Thursday by the Nats. The answer: Probably not.*The Tigers are here today, and they've brought all of their regulars, except shortstop Edgar Renteria and DH Gary Sheffield. Their rather formidable lineup against former Tigers pitcher Chad Durbin: CF Curtis Granderson, 2B Placido Polanco, 1B Carlos Guillen, RF Magglio Ordonez, 3B Miguel Cabrera, LF Jacque Jones, C Ivan Rodriguez, SS Brandon Inge, LHP Kenny Rogers.The Phillies counter with a pretty good lineup of their own: SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, 2B Chase Utley, 1B Ryan Howard, LF Pat Burrell, 3B Pedro Feliz, RF Geoff Jenkins, C Chris Coste, RHP Chad Durbin.Light rain falling here. Tarp on the field. While we wait to see if this game gets played, I'll ask you this: Which lineup would you rather have, Detroit's or the Phillies'?.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- That's more like it.
I'm talking about our finally re-designed blog, but I easily could have been referring to Adam Eaton's performance here today. Eaton's balky back survived the long bus trip to Fort Myers, and in 5-1/3 innings, he threw 75 pitches and allowed one run on four hits and struck out four. In 12-1/3 innings over four Grapefruit League starts, he still hasn't walked a batter.
And, when it was over, Charlie Manuel all but pronounced Eaton as the Phillies' No. 5 starter after Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick. Chad Durbin will start tomorrow against the Tigers at Bright House, but barring a health setback for Eaton, he figures to open the season in the bullpen.
No real surprise there, I suppose.
Check tomorrow's 50-center for more from Eaton and Manuel. Time for me to start making the trek back to Clearwater.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Good morning, all. TGIF! We're here in Fort Myers, about a 2-1/2-hour drive from our home base in Clearwater. The Red Sox and Twins share this place, although they have separate ballparks and training complexes. But with the Sox jetting off to Japan, the Twins are the only game left in town.
Anyway, as I drove south this morning along the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which links St. Pete with Bradenton, I thought about something Phils pitching coach Rich Dubee said yesterday. He mentioned that Kyle Kendrick started panicking being blitzed in back-to-back Grapefruit League starts a few weeks ago. "We had to watch for him on the Skyway Bridge for a while," Dubee said.
One thing is for certain: Kendrick will have ups and downs this season. It happens to every young pitcher, and the fact that Kendrick didn't hit a single speed bump en route to 10 wins after being called up from Class AA Reading last June was truly remarkable. Even Cole Hamels struggled during his first 10 or so major-league starts in 2006, and you can bet Kendrick will endure some tough times as teams develop a better scouting report and collect more video of him.
Yesterday, Kendrick faced a Pirates lineup that included only two starters. There was no Jason Bay, no Adam LaRoche, no Freddy Sanchez. But Kendrick looked sharp, tossing five scoreless innings. If nothing else, it should help his confidence moving forward.
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Brad Lidge was supposed to pitch against Yankees minor-leaguers yesterday in Tampa. But early-morning rain canceled the game, leaving Lidge to pitch in a minor-league intra-squad game back at the Complex. Will Lidge be ready for opening day March 31? Ask us on the 30th," Dubee said. OK, we will.
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Adam Eaton starts today. We'll let you know how he does. Today's lineup against Twins right-hander Livan Hernandez: CF Shane Victorino (.239), 2B Eric Bruntlett (.237), 1B Greg Dobbs (.263), LF Pat Burrell (.250), DH Chris Snelling (.267), 3B Wes Helms (.281), RF So Taguchi (.321), C Carlos Ruiz (.407), SS Ray Olmedo (.185). Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have the day off. Brett Myers is starting a minor-league game back in Clearwater. We'll get you an update on that, too. 75 and sunny today at the Fort. Another perfect Florida day.*Finally, as always-informed Paul W. alluded to in the comments section of the previous post, John Patterson has been released by the Nationals. I'll check to see if the Phillies have any interest, although from what I'm hearing, it's extremely unlikely that any team would sign Patterson to anything but a minor-league contract. Keep in mind that he has had two surgeries to relieve a nerve problem in his forearm. You can read more about Patterson here.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Sorry for the lack of bloggage today, but as you can see, we've been having some trouble with the formatting on the new Web site. The folks back at the home office tell me we're close to having it corrected, so hang with us.
Anyway, wanted to pass along as story about Travis Blackley that didn't make the cut in today's paper. Blackley, who is vying for a roster spot with the Phillies as most likely a long reliever, was training to pitch for Australia in the World Cup in November when he was approached by pitching coach Phil Dale. "What happened to you?" Dale asked. "You look like [garbage]." Turns out, Blackley had subsconsciously altered his delivery after shoulder surgery in 2004. Suddenly, not only had he lost velocity, but he also lacked some of the deception that had made him effective. With a few tweaks, Dale restored Blackley's pre-surgery motion, and Blackley said he has noticed the difference this spring.
But will he win a job with the Phillies? That's still to be decided. Blackley is competing with Clay Condrey, Francisco Rosario, J.D. Durbin and Vic Darensbourg for one or two bullpen spots, depending on whether the Phillies keep 11 pitchers or 12. And, of course, the Phillies could make a deal for a reliever before opening day.
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Speaking of deals, talked yesterday to assistant GM Mike Arbuckle, who said the Phils are still trying to move Wes Helms. Good luck. Not much of a market out there for him right now.
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Filed two Web updates during today's game: First, Brad Lidge threw 19 pitches in an intra-squad minor-league game at the Complex. He'll pitch in another minor-league game Sunday and could get into a Grapefruit League game next week. Will he be ready for opening day? "Ask us on the 30th," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. You can be we will. Second, Caesar-Rodney High product Ian Snell allowed solo homers to Ryan Howard, Geoff Jenkins and Pedro Feliz in today's 3-0 Phillies win.
More on both in tomorrow's paper.
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It was something of a had-to-be-there moment, but it also produced the quote of the day. Talking about the arthroscopic procedure Feb. 25 in which Lidge had a portion of his meniscus (cartilage) removed from his right knee, Charlie Manuel said, "They took his hibiscus out. That's what I call it. It's the name of a flower. See how much I know about knee injuries? He had his hibiscus out. Man can't be walking around with that in him."*Not many regulars making the 2-1/2-hour trek to Fort Myers tomorrow to face the Twins. Pat Burrell, Carlos Ruiz, Chris Coste and Adam Eaton are among the few. We'll be there, though, so check back throughout the day for updates.
Until then ...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- So, if you had seats near the bullpen for a spring-training game, and if you spotted Cole Hamels warming up before a start, would you say anything to him? What might you say?
Hamels met a few hecklers before yesterday's game.
He actually enjoyed it.
"They want to see what you're worth," he said with a smile.
Hamels' worth has been a popular topic this spring. He wasn't happy that the Phillies renewed his contract for $500,000 instead of forking over the $750,000 that he was seeking, even though $500,000 is more in line with the annual salaries of comparable pitchers with similar service time, and he wasn't shy about calling it a "low blow." By now, though, Hamels says he's over it. And yesterday, he tossed 4-2/3 perfect innings, retiring the first 14 Rays batters before allowing a home run to Evan (not Eva) Longoria.
That's one way to quiet the hecklers.
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Geoff Jenkins finally homered yesterday after working through his problems in a minor-league game Monday. Also within the notebook, there's news of Fabio Castro being optioned to Class AA Reading. By my count, that leaves right-handers Clay Condrey, Francisco Rosario and J.D. Durbin and lefties Travis Blackley and Vic Darensbourg to compete for jobs in the bullpen. Assuming the Phillies keep 12 pitchers (a relatively safe assumption, considering the unpredictablity of their starting rotation), they have two available jobs in a bullpen that includes closer Brad Lidge, setup man Tom Gordon, lefty J.C. Romero and right-handers Ryan Madson and, probably, Chad Durbin. Condrey, Rosario and Blackley are scheduled to pitch today, so we'll keep an eye on them for you.
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We're here in St. Pete at Progress Energy Park, a few blocks from Tropicana Field, the regular-season home of the Rays. Haven't seen the Phillies lineup yet, although the only starters who didn't make the trip were Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell. Jamie Moyer on the mound today for the Phils against the Rays' Edwin Jackson.
More later.
(Update, 10:52 a.m.): Add Chase Utley and Shane Victorino to the list of starters who didn't make the short trip to St. Pete. Eric Bruntlett will start in center field, while Chris Snelling gets the nod in left field, Casey Smith at second base and Ray Olmedo at shortstop.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- So, Chris Coste's autobiography, "The 33-Year-Old Rookie," hits the bookstores today. Back in January, I spoke to Coste and Tim Bartlett, one of his editors at Random House, about how the book came to fruition. Coste said the final thrill will come today when he actually sees the book in Barnes & Noble. He has an autograph signing at a nearby store after today's game. (Reliever Clay Condrey, Coste's close friend, has volunteered to serve as his personal bodyguard for each of his personal appearances now that he's a published author.)But yesterday was a big day for Coste, too. With catchers Jason Jaramillo and Pete Laforest headed to minor-league camp, Coste is all but guaranteed a job on the opening-day roster for the first time in his long and winding career. After yesterday's game, I spoke with Coste about his newfound job security. Interestingly, he attributes his roster standing to Carlos Ruiz's success last year."I appreciate Ruiz probably more than any guy in here because if he’s having success, he'll keep playing a lot," Coste said. "And then, the front office can look at the catchers and say, 'Why change anything?'"Coste's prediction for Ruiz this season: .295, 19 home runs, 75 RBIs.I think the Phillies would take that from their starting catcher. So would Coste, who harbors no illusions that he's Ruiz backup.*Within the notebook, there's more on Kris Benson's setback, Brad Lidge's progress and Chad Durbin's latest challenge for the No. 5 starter job. Durbin pitched fairly well yesterday against the Indians -- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K -- and interestingly, he has been scheduled to start again Saturday. Adam Eaton, meanwhile, will follow starter Kyle Kendrick into Friday's game against the Twins at Fort Myers. I wouldn't read too much into that just yet. I still think Eaton is the frontrunner to be the No. 5 starter, unless his last few spring-training outings are terrible.*Another gorgeous morning here -- 70 degrees, going up to about 80. The Phillies' lineup for today's game against the Rays and pitcher Matt Garza at Bright House Field: SS Jimmy Rollins (.195), CF Shane Victorino (.268), 2B Chase Utley (.237), 1B Ryan Howard (.349), LF Pat Burrell (.243), RF Geoff Jenkins (.136), 3B Pedro Feliz (.238), C Chris Coste (.222), LHP Cole Hamels (0-1, 12.60).
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Must start tapping away for tomorrow's paper, but I wanted to pass along that Kris Benson has been scratched from a minor-league start tomorrow with what he's describing as "biceps tendinitis." Benson and Charlie Manuel think it's a minor setback. Pitching coach Rich Dubee called it a "bump in the road" and a "normal occurrence for a guy coming off surgery.And while that may be true, it's now guaranteed that Benson won't be ready by opening day, a scenario that had seemed unlikely anyway. It's not even assured that Benson will throw in a Grapefruit League game before the Phillies leave Florida in 10 days. For now, Benson won't play catch until at least Wednesday. He said he'd probably need about a week off."Not knowing how his arm is going to respond with the rest, that will be discussed as we get further into knowing where he’s at," Dubee said of Benson's likelihood of getting into a major-league spring-training game. "It’s going to be on how Kris is feeling. He’s been pretty honest with us so far. I think our trainers know him from stretching him and talking with him and examining him where he’s at. That’ll be on a day-to-day thing, and we’ll see where he’s at."More later.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A few quick notes before the Phillies and Indians get started:
It's a good time to be Chris Coste. His autobiography, "The 33-Year-Old Rookie" hits bookshelves tomorrow (check your local Barnes & Noble), and today, his spot on the Phillies' roster was assured when catchers Jason Jaramillo and Pete Laforest were sent to minor-league camp.
"I knew I was in a good situation coming in, but if I don't play well, I know I could find myself right back in triple-A," said Coste, still not taking anything for granted. "My sense of accomplishment was all about last year. Getting back and proving that I belong in the big leagues. Whether they send catchers down or not, nothing's changed for me."
Coste will do an unofficial book signing at Barnes & Noble on US-19 here tomorrow, and he'll be signing here at Bright House Field on Saturday. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood. I'm sure Chris would love to see you.
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In case you're heading down here for spring break or Easter vacation and want to take in a few games, Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee have listed the pitchers for the next six days.
Tuesday vs. Rays: Cole Hamels, Fabio Castro, Ryan Madson
Wednesday at Rays (St. Pete): Jamie Moyer, Francisco Rosario, Clay Condrey, Travis Blackley, J.C. Romero
Thursday vs. Pirates: Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton, Castro, J.D. Durbin, Tom Gordon
Friday at Twins (Fort Myers): Brett Myers, Madson, Romero
Saturday vs. Tigers: Chad Durbin, Blackley, Castro, Condrey
Sunday at Blue Jays (Dunedin): Hamels, J.D. Durbin, Gordon
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Good morning, all. And, to our Irish friends, happy St. Patty's Day!
Spent a few minutes yesterday with Geoff Jenkins, one of the streakiest hitters you'll ever see. The reason? There are a lot of moving parts to his swing. Jenkins raises his front leg as a timing mechanism. He begins his swing when the pitcher breaks his hands. If he doesn't get his leg down just in time, his swing often is askew. Jenkins is prone to torrid stretches, but he also has had some horrid slumps during his 10-year major-league career. So, he isn't sweating a 4-for-35 funk that has dropped his spring-training average to .136.You shouldn't either. Somehow, through all of his ups and downs, Jenkins' offensive numbers are almost always solid. He's a .277 hitter with 212 career home runs. Not a bad body of work.*Walk into Charlie Manuel's office here, and you'll see a quote on the wall from legendary Billy Martin, his former manager with the Twins. It reads: "It's not a light bulb. You can't turn it on and off." Lately, Manuel has been repeating that refrain over and over, hoping his players will snap out of their spring-training funk and start playing more crisply as the season nears. He hasn't named names, but based on his one-on-one meetings, it seems he's most concerned about Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and a few others. And, of course, he's worried about the Phillies' pitching. Brett Myers, meanwhile, said yesterday that he isn't worried about anything, that the Phillies will be able to flip the switch on March 31 when the season opens."I've been in this game 46 years. How long has Myers been in it?" Manuel said. "You don't turn it on and off. I know that. If he thinks he can do that, well, please do. Win us about 20-25 games."Also, within this notebook, prospect Jason Jaramillo got a chance to catch Brett Myers yesterday in Sarasota and liked what he saw. Well, how could anyone not? Myers threw only 70 pitches and made it through the seventh innings, allowing only two runs. On March 16. That's impressive.
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Tip o' the hat to Delaware's own Ian Snell, who has agreed to a three-year contract extension worth at least $8 million with the Pirates. Safe to say Snell has come a long way since his days at Caesar-Rodney High.*Shortly, Brad Lidge is slated to throw another batting-practice session here at the Complex. We'll let you know how that goes. Today's lineup against Indians' starter Cliff Lee: SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, 2B Chase Utley, 1B Ryan Howard, LF Pat Burrell, 3B Pedro Feliz, RF Jayson Werth, C Carlos Ruiz, RHP Chad Durbin.
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Since he became the Phillies' general manager in November 2005, Pat Gillick has made some good moves (trading for Aaron Rowand and Jamie Moyer, claiming Greg Dobbs off waivers) and some questionable ones (signing Adam Eaton and Wes Helms).
But there's little doubt about his Hall of Fame resume.
Gillick has been a GM for 27 years with Toronto, Baltimore, Seattle and the Phillies, and he has built playoff teams with all four franchises. He was the architect who turned the Blue Jays from an expansion team in 1978 into back-to-back World Series champs in 1992 and '93. In 19 of his last 21 seasons, his teams have had winning records.
So, with Gillick planning to retire after the season, I wanted to examine why he's been so successful. Over the past few weeks, I've spoken with some of his oldest friends, including Astros president Tal Smith and former Blue Jays president Paul Beeston. I also talked to his Phillies deputies (Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle) and several former and current players. And, before a spring-training game a few weeks ago, I sat down for a long interview with Gillick.
What I learned, and tried to convey in my story in your $1.50-edition today, is that Gillick seemingly has a photographic memory. Earl Weaver once nicknamed him "Wolley Segap" (Yellow Pages, backward) because he'd read the phone book and memorize numbers. There also is no distance he won't travel to unearth new talent. As a young scout in the late '60s and early '70s, he often traveled to Latin America. As GM of the Mariners, he brought Ichiro Suzuki and closer Kaz Sasaki over from Japan. And Beeston told me a great story about traveling with Gillick on a 24-hour odyssey in 1992 to lure Joe Carter and Paul Molitor to Toronto.
But there was a lot that I wasn't able to squeeze into my story. Luckily, we have The Blog. Here, then, are some excerpts from my interview with Gillick that didn't make the paper.
Q: How has the job of a GM changed since you got started?
A: When I started out, [judging players] was more about physical ability. That's what counted. Now, physical ability is probably 70 percent and the mental aspect is 30 percent. You do a lot of research, talk to managers they've played for, talk to other scouts about them. Once in a while, you make a bad decision on a guy's makeup. Makeup has, the last 15 years, played a pretty big part in it. Then, there's free agency. Certainly that changed a lot of things. Guaranteed contracts are another thing. I don't think there's nearly as much patience as there was before. Used to be that ownership was patient. But when you're paying $300 million or $400 million for a franchise, they're not patient. The press isn't patient. Consequently, it takes a while to change things around. It takes a while to develop players.I think the [GM] jobs of the higher-revenue clubs -- the Mets and the Yankees and Boston, we're in the upper-third there -- are harder. With the lower-revenue clubs, there's only a certain segment of the player pool that they look at because from a revenue-standpoint, they just can't afford the others. The higher-revenue clubs have to look at the entire pool of players available, and the chances of making a mistake is probably greater because there's a greater pool of players. The lower-revenue clubs, they don't look at $10 million players. That doesn't fit into their program.They're looking at guys who are maximum $4-5 million. So, the higher-revenue clubs' GM jobs are more difficult than the lower-revenue clubs.
Q: Friends have described you as "eccentric." Your daughter once lovingly called you "quite weird." How would you describe yourself?
A: Unpredictable, I think. Or unconventional. I think I'm reasonably easy to get along with. I think my wife sometimes thinks I have some weird notions or some weird ideas.
Q: Your Mariners team won 116 games in 2001 but didn't win the World Series.
A: Winning 116 games, that was pretty special. We had a hell of a year. We just had a sitation where we ended up down to Cleveland, and we ended up coming back and beating Charlie [Manuel] to get into the [ALCS]. But we had to use [Jamie] Moyer in the fifth game against Cleveland to get in, and that kind of upset our situation. We would've liked to pitch Moyer in the first game against the Yankees. It kind of upset our rotation.But that's baseball. That's really what's kind of wonderful about it. Just like last year, the Mets, what happened to them, who would've thought that would've happened. Then, you get to the end of the season, Colorado wins 22-some games, and San Diego is actually in the play-in game, up a couple runs going into the inning and ends up losing that game. It's a very unpredictable game. Look at '93. We were playing in Philly [in Game 4 of the World Series], down 14-9 and scored a bunch of runs in the eighth inning and ended up winning that game, 15-14. That's what's so unpredictable about baseball, and that's what's so intriguing about it.
Q: Isn't that a helpless feeling, though? You spend all this time building a team, but ultimately, the outcome is out of your hands.
A: There's so many variables that go into it. That's what makes it great. With the Orioles, we were playing the Yankees in '96 [in the ALCS]. I'm sitting at third base, and I could see in right field, the kid [Jeffrey Maier] reached over the fence. Who knows how that game would've gone?
Q: Any regrets from 26 years as a GM?
A: You always look back in hindsight. There's always a trade or two you thought you should've made and you didn't make it. Maybe a draft or two, when you look back. Overall, it's been a good run. I've had a lot of wonderful people to work with. I've always enjoyed going to work. I really don't think it's work.
Q: I guess another World Series title would be the perfect ending.
A: It would be terrific. It would be good for Philly, good for the fans. I think the fans are frustrated. I think they're good fans, but it's good to win a championship in some sport. Hopefully it's baseball. It gives everybody a chance to boast and feel good about the city.
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More on Adam Eaton's three scoreless innings yesterday.
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Has Aaron Rowand's free-agent departure left a leadership void in the Phillies' clubhouse? Also within our Sunday MLB notes, Chris Coste weighs in on the controversial collision at home plate last week between the Yankees and Rays.
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Overcast and drizzling here at The Ed, but the weather is expected to clear. Today's lineup against Reds RHP Edinson Volquez: SS Jimmy Rollins (.171), CF Shane Victorino (.222), 2B Chase Utley (.212), 1B Ryan Howard (.378), LF Jayson Werth (.154), RF Geoff Jenkins (.146), 3B Greg Dobbs (.281), C Jason Jaramillo (.071), RHP Brett Myers.
Enjoy your Sunday.
So, we've got a new feature on The Blog this season. Once a week, I'll sit down and tape a Phillies podcast with Camden Courier-Post beat writer Michael Radano and columnist Kevin Roberts. This morning, we talked about whether the Phillies' pitching will hold up throughout the season, gave our predictions for 2008 and more.
