Mar. 22 -- TO START (IN TRIPLE-A), OR NOT TO START (IN MAJORS)

BY SCOTT LAUBER

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Getting ready to make the 2-hour drive up I-75 back to Clearwater, but before I go, a few notes from City of Palms Park:

--More on this in Monday's News Journal, but Jason Donald and John Mayberry Jr. almost certainly will open the season at triple-A Lehigh Valley. Why? Well, Charlie Manuel and assistant GM Scott Proefrock explained today that the Phillies believe both players will benefit more from playing every day in the minors than coming off the bench in the majors. So, I spoke to Eric Bruntlett, who was a starting shortstop in the minors before becoming a bench player in the majors. He said the adjustment to the big leagues can be tougher if you aren't getting regular at-bats. Do you agree? Disagree?

--Chatted with reliever Chad Durbin, who is working on a slider to offset his cutter. The idea stemmed from a conversation Durbin had with Brad Lidge. Turns out, the grip on Lidge's devastating slider is similar to the grip on Durbin's cutter. Durbin has thrown two sliders in games, both for strikes. But he's still trying to decide if the pitch is ready for regular-season use.

--No brawl this time between Ryan Howard and Josh Beckett. No runs for the Phils either. After being held to an Eric Bruntlett solo homer yesterday against the Twins, they were blanked today by Beckett, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Daniel Bard. But Manuel isn't freaking out. "I ain't worried about our team offensively," he said. "We're all right. We're going to have a big year this year. I feel real good about us. We know we can do better than what we did the second half of last year offensively. We've got guys that can put up bigger numbers than they did last year."

--Don't expect a verdict on the backup catcher competition until April 3 or April 4. It will be among the last decisions the Phillies make before they set the roster.

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Clearing out the inbox: I came across a few e-mails from folks who are wondering if Manuel or Rich Dubee will make the final decision about the No. 5 starter. The short answer is it will be a mutual decision. But you should know that Manuel defers to Dubee on most pitching issues. It's kind of like Andy Reid trusting Jim Johnson to handle all matters related to the Eagles' defense. So, if, just for the purposes of this discussion, Dubee says J.A. Happ should be the No. 5 starter and Chan Ho Park should be in the bullpen, odds are Manuel won't overrule him. For more on Dubee, check out this feature that I wrote in The News Journal nearly a year ago.

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Asked today about when the Phillies will make the customary World Series champions' visit to the White House and was told by a team official that April 14, an off-day in DC, is a possibility. Of course, the date/time will be determined more by President Obama's schedule than the Phillies'.

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Finally, from the Ex-Files: Gavin Floyd has signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract extension with the White Sox.

On tap tomorrow: Happ starts against the Yankees at Bright House. Talk to y'all then.