April 28 -- CATCHING ON

So, I came home from Pittsburgh today, about six hours later than scheduled (I'll spare you the travel horror story, but let's just say that US Airways is brutal), and waiting from me was an e-mail from the Phillies about old friend Mike Lieberthal.

Lieberthal, who caught more games than anybody in Phillies history, retired last year after spending his 14th major-league season as a backup with his hometown Dodgers. But Lieberthal wants to retire as a Phillie. So, on June 1, he'll sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Phillies, then formally announce his retirement. The last Phillies player to retire in this fashion was outfielder Doug Glanville, who signed a one-day contract in 2005.

Say what you want about Lieberthal -- and many fans have said many things, not always nice -- but the guy was devoted to the Phillies. He grew up in the organization after being drafted in the first round (third overall) in 1990 and spent 13 seasons in the red and white pinstripes. From 1994 through 2006, Lieberthal played in 1,174 games, much of the time through searing pain. Multiple knee injuries required multiple surgeries, and he made seven trips to the disabled list. In 2001, he tore his ACL and MCL and cartilage in his knee while attempting to dive back to second base. In 2002, he was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. Overall, he batted .275 with 150 home runs and 609 RBIs. He was an All-Star in 1999 and 2000, a Gold Glove winner in 1999, and someday, he'll be in the Phillies' Wall of Fame at The Bank. Bank on it.

I covered Lieberthal for only one year, but my favorite story came in mid-September 2006. The Phillies had just won a series in Houston and were making their usual late-season push for the NL wild-card berth. Lieberthal sat on a couch in the clubhouse at Minute Maid Park, his legs propped on a table and ice bags strapped to his knees, looking very much like Tom Berenger's fictional catcher from Major League. Chit-chatting with a group of reporters, myself included, he made a bold guarantee.

"We have a good chance to win it, and I think we will win it," he said of the wild card. "The way we're playing, we should be able to make the playoffs. I'm certain of it."

Of course, Lieberthal was one year too early on that prediction. Too bad, too. After all those games behind the plate, I remember thinking that Lieberthal should've been the one to catch the first pitch of the NL Division Series last October.