June 16 -- MADSON IS SET UP TO SUCCEED

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, the way Ryan Madson tells it, Scott Boras visited his South Jersey home a few weeks after the World Series. Lugging volumes of statistical data, the high-powered agent sat in the living room and presented all the pertinent information. One season from his first crack at free agency -- and fresh off a postseason in which he emerged as a dominant eighth-inning reliever, Madson had two options:

a) He could've authorized Boras to negotiate a multi-year contract extension with the Phillies, a choice that would bring instant financial security for him and his wife, Sarah, but perhaps sacrifice some of his maximum earning power.

b) He could've elected for one last round of arbitration, a process that would bring an annual raise from his $1.4 million salary in 2008, and pressed his luck for a larger, longer-term payday (and, possibly, a job as a closer) on the free-agent market.

Boras offered his opinion, as always. Ultimately, though, the decision belonged to the Madsons.

They chose Option A.

Six months later, Madson believes -- nay, he knows -- it was the right one. In January, he signed a three-year, $12 million extension, meaning he should have no trouble sending his three children to college someday, and he'll still be able to test the open market after the 2011 season, when he'll still be only 31. But without the specter of free agency looming this year, he told Philled In he has been able to relax and shrug off bad outings. Honestly, though, I can't recall Madson having any of those. In 33 appearances, he has a 1.95 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 32-1/3 innings, and hasn't allowed a run since May 16, a span of 14-2/3 innings. If he isn't the best setup man in the majors, he's in the top five, and with Brad Lidge sidelined until at least next Tuesday with inflammation of the right knee, he has filled in as the closer and gone 2-for-2 in save opportunities.

"I don't think I'd be having this much success if I had all the pressure sitting on this year right now, if I was saying, 'I better get it done this year or else who knows?'" Madson said Sunday. "I definitely give a lot of credit for my success to signing that contract."

But, as I wrote in today's News Journal, Madson owes a great debt to Tom Gordon, too. It was Gordon who took him last May to see Keith Kocher, a physical therapist in Tempe, Ariz., and it was Kocher who prescribed a daily exercise routine that has strengthened Madson's shoulder. The result: His fastball velocity has climbed into the upper-90s, making his already nasty changeup even nastier.

Now, these days, eyebrows get raised when a 28-year-old pitcher in his sixth major-league season experiences a velocity spike. But Madson, 6-foot-6 and only 200 pounds, said he never considered using performance-enhancing drugs, and if he ever was accused, well, his spaghetti arms would seem to prove his innocence. Madson explains his faster fastball thusly: He's finally healthy, and Kocher's program has made him stronger.

"Early on, I said, 'If I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it the right way, and I don't care what anybody else is doing,'" Madson said. "Who knows how many guys did or didn't? I don't know. I never paid attention to it because I just knew, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I'm not going to cheat. For that to be a question, it's just society, in general right now."

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Here's your Blue Jays-Phillies series preview. Back with more later today.

BLUE JAYS (34-31) at PHILLIES (36-25)
Tonight, 7:05: LHP Ricky Romero (3-3, 3.71) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.62)
Tomorrow, 7:05: RHP Scott Richmond (4-3, 3.90) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.11)
Thursday, 1:05: RHP Casey Janssen (2-3, 6.23) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.17)
Hot: Blue Jays 3B Scott Rolen, who played for the Phillies from 1996 to 2002, has 11 hits in his last 22 at-bats (.500); Blue Jays RF Alex Rios is 8-for-16 (.500) with two homers and four RBIs in his last four games; Phillies 2B Chase Utley is 35-for-102 (.343) with five homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games since May 15; Phillies 3B Pedro Feliz has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games, batting .361 (26-for-72) with 12 RBIs.
Not: Blue Jays CF Vernon Wells is hitless in 17 at-bats, 4-for-45 (.089) and hasn't homered in 137 at-bats, the longest drought of his career; Blue Jays OF Adam Lind is hitless in eight at-bats; Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins is 7-for-44 (.159) with a .174 on-base percentage in the last 10 games; Phillies C Carlos Ruiz has two hits in his last 15 at-bats after a torrid 16-for-39 stretch.