It had to be the quote of the week, but because Jimmy Rollins (sprained left ankle) and Shane Victorino (strained right calf) have turned the daily Phillies notebook into a medical report, it got buried in The Paper. So, in case you missed it, here's what pitching coach Rich Dubee said last Saturday in response to my question about why Kyle Kendrick suddenly has been trying to strike guys out instead of getting the ground-ball outs that made him so effective last season."Last year, I don't even think he knew where he was. He pitched in a blur last year. I wish last year never would've ended and he never would've reflected on what he did. We don't want him to change. Who he is, is what we want. We like Kyle to attack the strike zone, get all the ground balls he can get.
"He wants everything to be perfect when all he has to do is be the guy he was last year. Why change? I told him, it's like dating a pretty girl and bringing her a rose every night and having a great relationship, and then, he stopped bringing her the rose every night. Why change if things are working? Why complicate the matter? Hopefully, he brings the rose next time."
Next time is tonight. Kendrick will start against the Astros at The Bank.
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Geoff Jenkins ran through third-base coach Steve Smith's late stop sign last night to score the winning run in that stirring, four-run ninth inning. But was Jenkins safe? After watching the replay, Smith still wasn't sure.***
Rollins didn't start last night, but for now, the Phillies aren't thinking of putting him on the disabled list. If they were, Charlie Manuel's decision to use Rollins as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning was a gaffe. Why? Well, if Rollins hadn't pinch-hit last night and the Phillies placed him on the 15-day DL, they could've backdated the move to last Thursday, the last time he played, making him eligible to be activated April 25. Now, the move can't be backdated before yesterday, so Rollins wouldn't be eligible to come off the DL until April 30.
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