The sun is shining. The temperature has risen to 71 degrees. The Phillies are finished with their first full-squad workout. And, finally, it feels like spring.Charlie Manuel's pre-workout message to the team? "Losing is not an option," he said. "We've got to win." In his news conference, Jimmy Rollins reiterated that he believes the Phillies are "the team to beat" in the NL East this season. And, if that helps motivate the Marlins, Braves or defending division-champion Mets, Rollins said he doesn't care. You can read all about that in tomorrow's News Journal and at www.delawareonline.com.
As I walked over to the back fields of the Carpenter Complex, I noticed a larger than usual gallery of fans around Mike Schmidt Field to watch Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard take batting practice.
A few minutes laster, longtime Phillies PR chief Larry Shenk stopped by and told me it was the largest crowd he could recall for the first spring-training workout since the mid-1980s. Shenk said the parking lot at Bright House had filled up, and fans were being asked to park down the street at Joe DiMaggio Field.Back in the clubhouse after the workout, Howard and Shane Victorino were checking out some 2007 Topps baseball cards. Howard is a spokesman for Topps this season. Victorino looked at the back of a card that featured the Phillies' team picture and noted that Howard was listed as the team leader in nearly every offensive category. "Next year, it's going to say Victorino, Victorino, Victorino."
OK, time to start writing my stories for the newspaper. More later.
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