Dontrelle Willis

The trading deadline is still two months from today, and the rumors are already beginning. The Marlins will trade 24-year-old lefty Dontrelle Willis to ...

a) the Yankees
b) the Mets
c) the Phillies
d) nowhere

Right now, the Marlins are insisting the answer is D. I'm not buying. Willis will make $4.35 million this season, and the Marlins aren't eager to pick up that whole tab. They can lose 100 games with Willis or without him.

Problem is, they're going to ask for a top prospect or a young, cheap established player. From the Yankees, they'll want 2B Robinson Cano. From the Mets, it'll be OF Lastings Milledge. And from the Phillies, you can bet they'll ask for LHP Cole Hamels.

If you were the Phillies, how much would you give up to get Dontrelle?

***

Also, Jon Lieber is scheduled to have an MRI exam today to determine if his injured left groin is torn or merely strained. Either way, I wouldn't expect him to pitch for at least three weeks, maybe even longer.

Check back here or at www.delawareonline.com for Lieber updates.

Reader poll, Part II: Who's the manager?

Do you remember how after the 2004 season, the Phillies went looking for a manager? They brought in eight candidates in a sort of dog-and-pony show that included Charlie Manuel, who got the job, and Jim Leyland, who wanted the job but was turned away. Leyland, in so many words, said the Phillies had already made up their minds to hire Manuel when he was brought in, which sparked more animosity toward former GM Ed Wade.

Of course you remember that. Especially now that the Detroit Tigers, where Leyland is in his first year, have the best record in the major leagues at 35-17 and the Phillies are, well, the Phillies, hovering around .500, somewhat underachieving given their $95 million payroll. So is it the manager? Maybe. The Tigers lost 119 games three years ago, threatening the 1962 Mets' record for futility right up until the final day of the season. They went 71-91 last season, and came back with basically the same roster this season, but a new manager in Leyland. Still, there wasn't much talk of them contending with the White Sox and Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

OK, the Tigers have some good young talent in Bonderman, Verlander and Granderson. So, too, do the Phillies in Utley, Howard and Cole Hamels (when he's healthy). So is it the manager? Or the players? I'm interested in your opinions.

Reader poll: Who's on first?

As I watched Ryan Howard slug yet another home run today, I decided to raise this question to Phillies fans:

Who would you rather have playing first base, Howard or Jim Thome?

Here are the pertinent, and eerily similar, stats for both (through Sunday):
THOME -- .292 AVG, 41 R, 49 H, 18 HR, 44 BI, 37 BB, 51 K, .424 OBP, .649 SLG
HOWARD -- .307 AVG, 28 R, 54 H, 17 HR, 44 BI, 17 BB, 46 K, .364 OBP, .619 SLG

Friday night fights

Odds and ends from another few days with the Phillies ...

* C Mike Lieberthal will play for Class AA Reading on Saturday, and it seems he's walking into a powderkeg. The R-Phils had a benches-clearing brawl Friday against Connecticut. Nine players, including pitching prospect Scott Mathieson, were ejected. According to a recap in the Reading Eagle, Mathieson started the brawl by hitting Eliezer Alfonzo in the lower left leg, the third batter he hit during the game. Mathieson, who grew up playing hockey in Canada, threw a few punches and took a few, too. Here's the story: http://www.readingeagle.com/re/sports/1525766.asp

Just wondering if any of the Connecticut pitchers would hit Lieberthal, who, you may recall, has been on the DL since getting hit by a pitch May 4. He has a bone bruise and a mild fracture in his left knee.



* Bobby Abreu batting leadoff is a nice thought. It's just not going to happen. Not unless Phillies manager Charlie Manuel reverses his position, and right now, he's steadfast about keeping Abreu in the No. 3 spot.

Manuel, peppered with questions Friday about the makeup of his lineup, asked the writers who cover the team each day for their ideal lineup. Here's mine, and I'm anxious to get your feedback:

RF Bobby Abreu
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
LF Pat Burrell
1B Ryan Howard
CF Aaron Rowand
3B David Bell
C Mike Lieberthal/Sal Fasano

This way, you break up the lefties (Abreu, Utley, Howard), get Abreu's high on-base percentage into the leadoff spot, and drop Utley, who has more home run power than Abreu anyway, into an RBI position.

Thoughts?

* Chris Coste got his first major-league at-bat Friday night ... finally ... and he wasted no time swinging at the first pitch and flying to deep center field. That's the sort of aggressiveness you like to see from a pinch-hitter, and as it turns out, it was enough to keep Coste around for at least another few days. OF Chris Roberson, instead of Coste, was sent to Class AAA after the game (Aaron Rowand will be activated Saturday).

* Lastly, during this week's trip to NY, I stayed with a friend in Hoboken, N.J. Aside from its striking views of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River, Hoboken is known for being the birthplace of baseball.

Well, at least according to people in Hoboken.

A plaque on Washington Street claims to commemorate the site of the first organized game. You get a decidedly different story in Cooperstown, N.Y., where the National Baseball Hall of Fame is located.

Draw your own conclusions, I guess.

Leftovers

OK, so I'm just now starting to recover from last night's 16-inning, 5-hour and 22-minute marathon here at Shea.

There was so much that happened in the game -- and after the game, with Cole Hamels revealing that he felt a "pop" in his left shoulder -- that we couldn't possible squeeze it all into the daily newspaper.

Here, then, are some observations:

* What does Chris Coste have to do to get into a game? Coste, the 33-year-old journeyman who was finally called up to the majors on Sunday, was the only Phillies position player who didn't get into the game last night. How many innings were the teams going to have to play before Charlie Manuel used Coste? 17 innings? 18? 19? It would be a shame to see Coste sent back to the minors before he gets an at-bat, and last night would've been the perfect chance. And, with the way he hit in clutch situations in spring training, he may have even delivered a big hit.

* Anybody see Chase Utley run into a pitched ball in the 16th inning? Actually, it was a smart play. The umpire said Utley was hit by the pitch, and with the scarcity of baserunners for the Phillies after the seventh inning, it could've jumpstarted the offense.

* Ryan Madson should get credit for a quality start after what he did last night. He tied a career-high with seven innings (all in relief) and threw a career-high 105 pitches. And, until Carlos Beltran belted a homer over the right-field wall, he held the Mets off the scoreboard.

* Jose Reyes could've used a 9-iron to golf a low-and-away pitch for a game-tying homer in the eighth.

Shea hey

Greetings from Shea Stadium.

Having grown up about 45 minutes away in New Jersey (albeit not as a Mets fan) and covered the Mets' minor league system for five seasons, I've come here many times over the years. And every time, I utter the same phrase:

The Mets need a new stadium.

Fortunately, they're getting one. Unfortunately, it won't be finished until 2009, which means a few more years of coming to Shea, where the clubhouses are small, the hallways are dirty and the pressbox is cramped. But I digress...

A few other notes from today ...

* Phillies C Mike Lieberthal may be ready to play this weekend. But don't talk Lieberthal's word for it. After the Phils called up C/1B Chris Coste last Sunday, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was left with only one catcher (Dusty Wathan). Rather than promoting someone from Class AA Reading, they called up Orlando Guevara, who had played in only one game for Class A Clearwater and was mostly in extended spring training. He's hardly a long-term solution, which tells me Lieberthal isn't far from being ready.

* Mets 3B David Wright hit one of the longest homers I've ever seen at Shea on Sunday night against the Yankees. It cleared the left-field wall, and the picnic area behind it, and could be seen bouncing in the parking lot. I covered Wright in the minors, so I'm hardly surprised he's been THIS good. But he's on his way to becoming the Mets' version of Derek Jeter, a matinee idol who transcends baseball in New York City. Last year, he told me he's starting to get paparazzi trailing him around the city. The spotlight is only going to get hotter for Wright, who handles it amazingly well.

* Looking forward to seeing RHP Alay Soler make his major-league debut for the Mets on Wednesday. RHP Jeremi Gonzalez is scheduled to pitch Thursday. Clearly, the Mets need help to fortify the back end of their rotation. My suggestion? Dave Williams. The C-R grad was just designated for assignment by the Reds. Shea is a pitcher's park, unlike Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. I think he'd do well here.

BREAKING NEWS: Gonzalez retires, Coste promoted

The Phillies made the following announcements before today's game ...

IF Alex Gonzalez has announced his retirement from baseball after a 12-1/2-year career in the majors.

1B/C Chris Coste has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

I'll have complete coverage in Monday's News Journal.

5/19 -- Interleague play

The goal of this blog is to be both informative and interactive, and unfortunately, it has been lacking a bit of the latter. So, in the hopes of hearing from you, I'll pose the following question:

With MLB about to kick off "Rivalry Weekend," which interleague rivalry is of the greatest interest to you?

a) Phillies vs. Red Sox
b) Yankees vs. Mets
c) Orioles vs. Nationals
d) Angels vs. Dodgers
e) Giants vs. A's
f) Other ... and why?

Wolf to begin rehab

According to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick, left-hander Randy Wolf will pitch in a simulated game Tuesday in Clearwater. Wolf, you'll recall, underwent Tommy John surgery last July 1. That procedure, pioneered in the 1970s, involves replacing a ligament in the elbow.

Typically, the recovery time from Tommy John surgery is 10-12 months, so Wolf is slightly ahead of schedule. During spring training, Wolf said he was hoping to pitch in minor-league games by June, and Tuesday is May 23.

But, before anyone gets too giddy, Tommy John survivors often don't start pitching like their pre-surgery selves until the 20-24-month mark. So, while Wolf's return may well give the Phillies' rotation a boost, he also may not be as effective this season as he will be next year.

Wolf, who will be 30 on Aug. 22, is 65-60 with a 4.14 ERA in his career. He won 16 games for the Phillies in 2003 and posted a 3.20 ERA in 31 starts in 2002.

Currently, the Phillies' starting rotation looks like this:

RHP Jon Lieber (3-4, 5.50 ERA)
RHP Brett Myers (2-1, 2.73)
RHP Cory Lidle (3-4, 4.84)
RHP Gavin Floyd (4-2, 5.71)
LHP Cole Hamels (0-0, 3.18)

Expanded coverage

Because last night's game here in Milwaukee ended so late, I filed an early feature on Cole Hamels for the first-edition newspapers. But, most readers who live in and around Wilmington only receive our second and third editions.

So, here's a story on Cole Hamels that may not have been in your morning paper.

By SCOTT LAUBER
The News Journal
MILWAUKEE – Even on the days he doesn’t pitch, Cole Hamels learns valuable lessons about life in the big leagues.
Lessons like where to stand in the dugout.
Last Saturday night in Cincinnati, during the ninth inning of a 2-0 Phillies victory, Hamels unknowingly stood in front of hitting coach Milt Thompson, who was already in a foul mood since the Phillies mustered only six hits.
“He grabbed my arm and yanked me over,” said Hamels, who makes his second major-league start here today against the upstart Milwaukee Brewers. “From now on, I’m going to stay as far as possible from him.
“I’m not used to being in the dugout when I’m not pitch. [In the minors], I’d be in the stands charting pitches or something.”
There have been others lessons, too.
Throughout the seven-day road trip to Cincinnati and Milwaukee, Hamels hasn’t had to carry his luggage. That’s taken care of in the majors. On planes, he’s required to wear a suit, and in games, the mound is better manicured and umpires often give pitchers new baseballs.
That’s also part of major-league etiquette.
Before the Phillies opened a three-game series here Tuesday, Hamels went to the top step of the dugout and surveyed Miller Park and its retractable roof.
“You say you’re going to do the same things that you’ve done as you’ve come up through the minors, but there are certain rules you have to follow up here,” Hamels said. “It’s a little different.”
So are the hitters.
Hamels, the Phillies’ prized 22-year-old left-hander, threw five scoreless innings and got a no-decision last Friday night against the Reds. But, after walking one batter in 23 innings for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he issued five walks and threw 92 pitches, just 51 for strikes.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel attributed the wildness to nerves, and Hamels admitted he was anxious for his first major-league start.
But Hamels also said he noticed many of the Reds hitters were less likely to chase curveballs and changeups out of the strike zone. Such discipline isn’t as common in the minors.
Now that some of the hype has dissipated from Hamels’ heralded promotion – he held a press conference on his first day in Philadelphia – he’s hoping to settle into a more normal between-starts routine.
After today, his next scheduled start is Wednesday night at Shea Stadium against the first-place New York Mets. Hamels isn’t slated to start at Citizens Bank Park until May 29 against the Washington Nationals.
“Hopefully now, I can on a schedule and get into a good routine,” Hamels said. “I think things were kind of crazy last week. It’s been nice having five days of rest and doing everything possible to get ready for the next start.”
Contact Scott Lauber at slauber@delawareonline.com.

5/16 -- Postgame thoughts

Greetings from Milwaukee, home of bratwurst and Miller beer (I'll be sampling both before I leave here Friday).

A few observations from tonight's game, a 3-2 Phillies loss in the ninth inning.

* It's hard to be too critical of a team that has won 12 of its last 14 games, but here goes: The Phillies have scored six runs in their last three games, not nearly enough even though they've been getting great starting pitching. As I see it, the Phils are too reliant on home runs. When they don't hit the ball out of the park, they have trouble scoring. If they don't learn how to better manufacture runs (hit-and-run, steal bases, move runners over and get timely singles), the Phils won't be able to avoid prolonged offensive slumps.

* Ryan Franklin made the right play tonight. He just made a bad throw, and it cost the Phillies the game. But Franklin, a stand-up guy, was sitting by his locker after the game to talk about it. That's accountability.

* Pat Burrell won't make a better defensive play than in the eighth inning when he bare-handed Carlos Lee's single to left field and threw a strike to home plate to nail J.J. Hardy. That said, Burrell is 1-for-12 with six strikeouts in the last three games. He struck out three times tonight, and manager Charlie Manuel indicated he may need a day off to rest his gimpy right leg and refocus his mind.

* The famous "Sausage Race" in the seventh inning at Miller Park is a sight to behold. I'm also waiting to see Bernie Brewer scoot down the yellow slide in left field after a Brewers player hits a homer.

* Miller Park is nice, as stadiums with retractable roofs go. But when the roof is closed, as it was tonight, you feel like you're watching the game in an airplane hanger.

... and one non-baseball note ...

* The series finale of The West Wing was fabulous. What made the show so great during its long run was the writing and the dialogue. Aaron Sorkin knows how to write characters better than just about anyone. Any other fans sorry to see The West Wing go?

Aaron Rowand

Long before I knew Aaron Rowand was going to break his nose while making the best catch I've ever seen, I had planned to fly home on the off-day between trips to Cincinnati and Milwaukee.

I'm glad I did.

I went to Citizens Bank Park today to see Rowand, who was speaking to reporters for the first time since making his catch on Xavier Nady's sure-fire extra-base hit with the bases loaded in the first inning last Thursday night against the Mets. He was wearing a splint on his nose, and both of his eyes were black from the fractured cheek and orbital bones he suffered.

But his sense of humor was unharmed.

Among other things, Rowand joked that he has "a face for radio" and said, "Believe it or not, I look pretty good today."

Say what you want about Rowand -- and according to one person who works for WIP, fans actually have called the station to say he shouldn't have made such a physical sacrifice to catch the ball -- I'll take him on my team any day.


And it's not because he hits .330 (he's a .283 lifetime hitter). Or because he slugs 30 homers (he's never hit more than 24) or drives in 100 runs (his career-high is 69 RBIs).

It's because of how he changes the culture of a clubhouse.

Rowand has routinely organized team get-togethers for bowling and laser tag. And, along with reliever Arthur Rhodes, he has sparked the Phillies' remote-control truck craze. Before batting practice at home, Rowand and several other Phillies often can be found racing remote-control trucks in the outfield. It keeps the mood light, and in baseball, that's important.

He's also been a pleasure to cover since spring training, when he showed up driving a pickup truck with 37-inch wheels. There isn't a more colorful character in the clubhouse than Rowand, whose wristbands bear the title "Beer Pong Champion," and nobody is more accountable either.

How hard did he hit the wall? Four days later, the imprint of his knee is still on the W.B. Mason sign in center field. But Rowand says he'll play May 27, the day he's eligible to come off the DL.

I wouldn't bet against him.

5/13 -- Postgame thoughts

Greetings from Cincinnati.

It's been 10 years since I've been here, and the riverfront area has changed quite a bit. In 1996, when I came to the Queen City for the NCAA hockey Frozen Four, Riverfront Stadium was the cookie-cutter home of the Reds and Bengals. Now, Riverfront is gone, and two new stadiums have been built in its place.

Great American Ballpark is one of the more antiseptic new stadiums I've been to. There are no bells and whistles to this place. No skyline view like PNC Park in Pittsburgh. No McCovey Cove like AT&T Park in San Francisco. The view over the outfield wall is of the Ohio River and Kentucky, and inside the stadium, the only unique aspect are the smokestack-like structures in right-center that shoot off fireworks whenever one of the Reds hit a homer.

Anyway, a few Phillies-related notes:

* I'd be shocked if the Phillies trade RF Bobby Abreu to the Yankees, as Buster Olney suggested in his ESPN blog yesterday. The only way GM Pat Gillick will deal Abreu is if he can get a front-line starting pitcher in return, and the Yankees don't have any to spare.

* C Mike Lieberthal had trouble running in the outfield today and will undergo an MRI exam and a bone scan Monday in Philly. Not good news, considering Lieberthal has had knee problems in the past.

* Finally, before Abreu was scratched with back spasms, the Phils were going to start an odd lineup, in which CF Shane Victorino was going to lead off and SS Jimmy Rollins was going to bat third. The idea, manager Charlie Manuel said, was to split up his left-handed hitters (Chase Utley, Abreu and Ryan Howard) against lefty Dave Williams, the Caesar Rodney grad. Normally, Aaron Rowand bats third against lefties, but with Rowand out of commission with his broken nose, Manuel put Rollins in the No. 3 hole.

More tomorrow.

Breaking News: HAMELS CALLED UP

Just a few minutes ago, the Phillies made it official.

Cole Hamels will make his major-league debut Friday night in Cincinnati.

Finally.

Hamels was simply spectacular in three starts for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and, quite frankly, I'm not surprised. Last season, I saw him pitch for Class AA Reading, and I came away thinking he'll be a future ace in the majors. Pitching-wise, he was ready for the majors a while ago. The only question about Hamels is his health, and since spring training, when he learned how to manage a chronic back problem, his health hasn't been a concern.

One word of caution: Don't expect Hamels to come up and be the savior of this rotation. He's still only 22, and 22-year-olds tend to struggle a bit in their first few major-league seasons. In five seasons of covering the minors, the only pitchers I saw who were comparable to Hamels are Josh Beckett and Scott Kazmir, neither of whom were instant successes. Felix Hernandez, the wunderkind with the Seattle Mariners, also has struggled at times.

Of course, putting Hamels in the rotation means removing someone. The Phils have decided to return Ryan Madson to the bullpen, which, to me, is a move that should've been made in spring training. It's not that Madson can't be a good starter. He can, and he will. I predict he can be a 15-18-game winner as a major-league starter. But, right now, Madson is more valuable to the Phillies as a reliever. With Tom Gordon, Arthur Rhodes, Ryan Madson and Ryan Franklin, the back end of the bullpen looks much deeper -- and better. Manager Charlie Manuel said he's been looking for someone else to pitch eighth innings, and Madson is the perfect guy for the job.

So, for now, the starting rotation looks like this ...

Wednesday vs. Mets -- RHP Cory Lidle
Thursday vs. Mets -- RHP Gavin Floyd
Friday at Reds -- LHP Cole Hamels
Saturday at Reds -- RHP Jon Lieber
Sunday at Reds -- RHP Brett Myers

And the bullpen looks like this ...

Closer -- Tom Gordon
Setup men -- Arthur Rhodes, Ryan Madson, Ryan Franklin
Left-handed specialists -- Rheal Cormier, Aaron Fultz
Middle relief -- Julio Santana, Geoff Geary

Note: Before Hamels makes his start, the Phillies must make a roster move. I'll look into this more once I get to the ballpark, but since Geary doesn't have to clear waivers to be sent to Class AAA, I'm guessing that's what they'll do.

More later.

Final thoughts on Barry

So, Barry Bonds has come and gone. A few random thoughts from a wild weekend.

* Lost in all the Bonds excitement, but hopefully not in my game story for Monday's paper, is that the Phillies have won eight straight games. It's their longest winning streak since 1991, when Bonds was just a skinny kid with the Pirates. The Phillies weren't panicking when they were 10-14, and to their credit, they aren't getting overly excited by this streak, either. But they finally are starting to play like some people thought they could when they broke spring training.

* Bonds went 3-for-9, the final two hits coming Sunday night. He hit No. 713, which was a majestic blast off the McDonald's sign on the facing of the upper deck. The estimated distance was 450 feet, but it's hard to believe it didn't travel farther. My colleague, Kevin Noonan, put it best when he said the ball probably burned up when it re-entered the atmosphere. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "It almost took down those Golden Arches." And from center field, Aaron Rowand "just looked to see how far it was going to go."

* Actually, Rowand told me he had a hunch Bonds might hit a homer during that at-bat simply because of the way he laid off the first pitch from Jon Lieber. It was a sign, at least to Rowand, that Bonds was locked in.

* Bonds was here for three days and talked to the media for 20 minutes. All of his remarks came after Sunday night's game, and he was generally cordial and reflective.

* So, the Phillies are off Monday, which gives everyone just enough time to catch their breath before the Mets come to town. Personally, I'm looking forward to that series since I used to cover some of the Mets when they were in the minors (David Wright, Jose Reyes, Brian Bannister, Aaron Heilman, etc.). But, naturally, the story will be Billy Wagner, especially in light of his controversial comments this weekend about feeling like an "outsider" in the Phillies' clubhouse late last season.

Should be three more crazy days at the Bank.

5/6 -- Pregame report

On Day 2 of Bonds Watch, there's some Phillies news to report ...

* As expected, the Phils activated RHP Julio Santana from the 15-day disabled list and optioned RHP Clay Condrey to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

* C Carlos Ruiz is in the lineup and will make his major-league debut tonight.

... and from the Giants' clubhouse, colleague Kevin Noonan reports that Bonds still hasn't spoken to the media.

All that, and more, in Sunday's News Journal. Plus, with Billy Wagner coming into town next week, we'll have a report on how he's been pitching (not well) for the Mets.

5/5 -- Postgame thoughts

Notes left on the cutting-room floor after tonight's 8-3 Phillies win over Barry Bonds and the Giants ...

* Maybe, just maybe, fledgling starter Gavin Floyd is starting to figure it out. The other night in Miami, I asked Floyd how he planned to pitch to Bonds. Floyd smiled and said, "You mean, how am I going to pitch the Giants?" Then, he told me he'd approach Bonds "like any other hitter." I rolled my eyes, thinking it was false bravado from a 23-year-old right-hander who has done little beside struggle since his eye-opening spring training. But here was Floyd, challenging Bonds with a first-pitch sinker in the first inning and getting him to fly meekly to center field. In the fifth, he threw a curveball that Bonds rolled over for a double play.

* Catcher Sal Fasano on Floyd's progress: "The fact that he's got confidence to throw a breaking ball when he's behind in the count, that tells me something." The breaking ball Fasano was referring to was the aforementioned curveball to Bonds.

* How did reliever Aaron Fultz approach Bonds when he struck him out in the eighth: "It's 8-3, so you just go after him. If he hits it out, it's 8-4."

* If Ryan Howard was a fan, he might not boo Barry Bonds. "The true, true baseball fans recognize the milestone. If he hits it and it's gone, you might not like it because it's against your team. But you're watching a milestone. You're watching history. You can tell your grandkids you were there the day he passed Babe Ruth."

Welcome to the Circus

So, Barry Bonds is at Citizens Bank Park, and the atmosphere here 45 minutes before game time is rather electric.

Here's a quick flavor ...

* According to the Phillies' media relations staff, more than 200 credential requests were granted for this weekend. News media from all corners -- Sports Illustrated, The NY Times, Fox Sports, ESPN, to name a few -- has descended upon the field and press box. Also, the Phillies are expecting big crowds all weekend, 30,000-plus fans.

* Bonds decided not to speak with any of those reporters before the game.

* During batting practice, Bonds jacked the first two pitches out of the ballpark to straightaway center field. He hit 16 homers (my colleague, Kevin Noonan, counted)during his BP session, then went back into the Giants clubhouse. One of the homers mirrored Ryan Howard's mammoth clout from a few weeks ago, which was measured at 496 feet. Another dented the Bud Light sign on the second deck in right field.

* Phillies right-hander Gavin Floyd is scheduled to pitch tonight. Floyd, he of the 6.57 ERA, has never faced Bonds.

More later.

Catching the Bonds HR

With Barry Bonds possibly hitting a historic home run in Philly this weekend, I wonder how tight security will be on Ashburn Alley, after what happened in San Francisco in 2001 after Bonds' 73rd home run that season.

To make a long story short, one guy caught it and one guy ended up with it. The first guy sued and a judge ruled . . . Well, I won't spoil the wild story, because Spike TV has been airing "Up For Grabs," a well-made documentary about all the aftermath.

As far as I can tell, its next airing is late Saturday night at 2 a.m. (in what amounts to early Sunday morning). It's 90 minutes long, so set your VCR or your TiVo, and check it out. Anyone who has ever brought a glove to a baseball game (and if you are reading this blog, that's all of you) will really enjoy it, and so will lawyers. When does a catch become legal possession?

Minor spoiler: Bonds himself has the best solution, and they don't listen to him. Also, stay tuned during the ending credits for a funny cameo by Robin Williams.

HAMELS UPDATE

MIAMI -- It was posted earlier on www.delawareonline.com, but if you missed it ...

In his second start for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cole Hamels threw a complete-game, two-hit shutout and struck out 12 today in a 5-0 win over the Richmond Braves.

And so, in two Class AAA starts, he has throws 16 scoreless innings and struck out 26 batters.

Naturally, that begs the question, when will Hamels get called up to Philadelphia?

"Of course, if he can help us, I want him," manager Charlie Manuel said. "If our people think this kid could definitely help us, he'll be here."

FYI: Hamels' next start is scheduled for Sunday. It'll be his first start at Lackawanna County Stadium in Scranton.

Where are all the fans?

MIAMI -- Last night's game here was wild and wacky, so here are a few leftovers that didn't quite make the cut in this morning's paper.

* The announced crowd at Dolphin Stadium was 6,017, but in reality, there couldn't have been much more than 2,000-3,000 fans. Honestly, it's hard to blame baseball fans in south Florida for staying away. Except for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, the Marlins traded away everyone from their 2003 World Series winner. The stadium was built for football, not baseball, and is anything but intimate. And rumor has it the team is going to move, maybe to San Antonio. The result is a sea of empty seats, colored in Dolphins orange. Kind of sad, actually, when you consider this team has won two World Series in the past 10 years. That's one more title than the Phillies have won in what, 123 years?

* Phillies manager Charlie Manuel finally had enough last night. Television cameras caught Manuel blistering his team in the dugout before the fourth inning. He waved his arms, raised his voice, yelled, screamed, hooted, hollered. That's unlike the mild-mannered Manuel, a players' manager who prides himself on keeping the clubhouse relaxed. But when you just lost two of three to the lowly Pirates and trail the lowlier Marlins, 5-1, in the fourth, something's must be done. And good, old Charlie flipped out.

* Cole Hamels has allowed one hit through six innings for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

* And this, from the Class AA Reading Phils today in Trenton, N.J. ...

Gio Gonzalez -- 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Julio Santana -- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 1 K

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

MIAMI -- As you may have already read on www.delawareonline.com, neither Ryan Howard nor Bobby Abreu are in the Phillies' lineup tonight against the Marlins.

The reason?

Marlins lefty Dontrelle Willis is on the mound.

Say what you want about manager Charlie Manuel's decision to sit two of his best hitters (it should be noted that Howard and Abreu have played in each of the Phillies' first 24 games, with Abreu starting all 24 and Howard starting 23).

But the move demonstrates how much respect Willis, only 24, is already getting around baseball.

The only lefty I can think of who causes managers to change their lineup is Randy Johnson. In fact, Abreu put Willis in the Big Unit's class before the game.

"He's a tough pitcher," said Abreu, 9-for-32 lifetime against Willis. "He's got the kind of [funky] motion that takes you out of control at the plate."

Anyway, without Howard or Abreu, here's what the Phillies' lineup looks like tonight.

SS Jimmy Rollins (switch-hitter)
RF Shane Victorino (switch-hitter)
CF Aaron Rowand (righty)
LF Pat Burrell (righty)
2B Chase Utley (lefty)
3B David Bell (righty)
1B Alex Gonzalez (righty)
C Mike Lieberthal (righty)
P Ryan Madson

What does Utley think of being the only real left-handed hitter (Madson also hits lefty) in the lineup?

"Lucky me," he said.

More later.