June 18 -- IS IBANEZ HURT?; PARK STILL UPSET

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Tough week for Raul Ibanez.

The Delaware Valley's favorite left fielder blasted a game-winning, three-run homer in the 10th inning last Thursday night at Citi Field. Since then, he is 3-for-17, including an 0-for-3 performance in last night's 7-1 loss to the Blue Jays. Making matters worse, he's been bothered by a sore left Achilles' that was caused by, of all things, an uncomfortable pair of new spikes. After sitting out Sunday, Ibanez downplayed the problem, claiming it wasn't a big deal. But if you saw him hobble to first base on a fourth-inning double-play grounder last night, you could tell it's a concern.

Ibanez was unavailable for comment after the game (I'm guessing he was getting treatment from athletic trainer Scott Sheridan). We'll try to get y'all an update today.

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This isn't exactly news, but to me, it's newsworthy: Chan Ho Park still prefers to be a starting pitcher.

That's significant because Park is emerging as a valuable part of the Phillies' bullpen. As the season gets longer, as the innings pile up, as the arms grow more weary, it's Park, trained as a starter, who can help ease the burden on the Clay Condreys and the Chad Durbins. But Park's heart remains in the starting rotation, any starting rotation.

"The No. 1 thing for me," he said yesterday, "is I want to be a starter."

Before last night's game, Charlie Manuel reiterated something he has said often over the past month since J.A. Happ replaced Park in the rotation. He said he believes Park's stuff plays up better for two or three innings at a time, and the stats back that claim. In seven starts, Park had a 7.59 ERA. In eight relief appearances, his ERA is 3.21.

"Sooner or later, a guy's got to accept where he belongs, or what the team wants him for," Manuel said. "To me, Chan Ho Park's stuff plays up big [as a reliever]. I listen to what he says. He's saying things about staying focused more. His arm's better at two innings than it is at five or six."

When I asked Park if he concurs with that assessment, he said, "No, I don't agree. I think I can start. A bad month or a bad week or a bad game happens to everybody. But they saw last year how I helped the Dodgers so much in being a reliever. Starting is much easier for me, but I've got to do whatever to help the team. Maybe, in a way, it'll get me back to where I want."

If it helps the Phillies win, nobody will care about his motivation.

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Infield prospect Anthony Hewitt, the Phils' 2008 first-round draft pick, has been assigned to short-season Williamsport of the New York-Penn League, which opens its season tomorrow night. Should be interesting to track Hewitt's progress. He has seemingly boundless athletic ability, but after signing with the Phillies last summer, he batted only .197 with 55 strikeouts in only 117 at-bats in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

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Stat of the week: Phillies relievers have thrown 248 pitches -- 248 pitches! -- in the last seven games.