Mar. 2 -- ROLLINS, VICTORINO & TEAM USA

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, Team USA has overtaken Bright House Field. While the Phillies face the Blue Jays in nearby Dunedin today, the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic, including Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, is using the visiting clubhouse at Bright House and working out at the Phillies' facility. Team USA will play exhibition games against the Yankees tomorrow in Tampa, the Blue Jays on Wednesday in Dunedin and the Phillies on Thursday in Clearwater.

A few notes, courtesy of colleague Chuck Gormley:

--Derek Jeter on Rollins: "Jimmy hasn't shut up since he got in the clubhouse. He's a great player and I've gotten to know him, and I'm looking forward to playing with him."

--Victorino will wear No. 50 in honor of Hawaii Five-O. No. 8, his uniform number with the Phillies, is being worn by Team USA coach Reggie Smith. "Coming from Hawaii, it comes with a lot of pride," Victorino said. "I'll always have a bond with Hawaii."

--Rollins said David Wright has stolen his line by declaring Team USA will be the "team to beat" in the WBC. I know Wright quite well (I covered him in the minors), and I'm sure he had a big smile on his face when he used the "team to beat" line. Rollins kind of likes it. "Why not?" he said. "The target's on our back anyway, so why not go out there and proclaim it and put the pressure back on us and go out and play winning baseball?"

--Asked if the Phillies-Mets rivalry has caused any friction with Wright, Rollins said, "[Wright] is my locker-mate, and Jeter comes and he's right between us. He comes in and says, 'They put me between you two to keep the peace.' He's right between us. Isn't that something? ... That's really a love-hate thing there. Can you imagine what the picture's going to look like? I already said, 'Hello, David.' We sat around joking chopping it up. We're all together. This is one team."