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Bullpen doubts, but uncertainty never stops Braves

The Atlanta Braves have no clear answers in their bullpen, but the winners of the last 14 NL East division titles have faced doubts like these before.

The Braves' bullpen is trying to bounce back from their worst showing in over a decade.

The unraveling began when they moved closer John Smoltz back into the starting rotation and acquired stopper Dan Kolb from the Brewers, but Kolb tanked from the very beginning and was traded back to Milwaukee. They turned to Chris Reitsma for part of the season, but he struggled through the second half and ended up blowing nine of 24 chances. The Braves then sought help in Kyle Farnsworth, acquired in a trade with Detroit. Farnsworth signed a free agent contract with the Yankees back in December.

Yes, the Braves were a playoff team, but not a good one, mostly because of a bullpen that never quite settled in and was outmatched in October. On paper, they are even weaker today. The Braves' tried to address the closer situation this offseason, but couldn’t find a match.

Uncertainty on paper has meant very little to the Braves over the years. If history is any indication, they’ll probably make the impossible happen again. They did so last season by using a total of 16 rookies, many of them in the bullpen.

Oscar Villarreal
This year's savior could be reliever Oscar Villarreal, who was acquired along with Lance Cormier from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Johnny Estrada deal. Considered mainly a deal to free up the catcher spot for second-year prospect Brian McCann, the Braves may have come away with their trademark steal.

According to Baseball America, Villarreal turned heads this winter in the Mexican league, and the Braves are growing more confident he play a significant role, perhaps even step into the closer spot. Villarreal had a dominant rookie season with the D-Backs in 2003, including a 2.57 ERA and setting a National League rookie record with 86 appearances. But in 2004, he blew out his elbow and didn’t fully recover until this winter. Reports indicate he’s throwing the ball hard and free and looks dominant in camp.

Keep your eye on Villarreal to become one of those typical Braves' pitchers who comes out of nowhere, just as Jorge Sosa did last year in the rotation.

Chris Reitsma and the rest
The frontrunner for the closer position remains Chris Reitsma, who has shown glimpses of being a decent closer. His career is trending in a good direction as a full-time reliever, saving 15 for the Braves in 2005, to go with a 3.93 ERA in 76 innings.

One area where the Braves' bullpen has the edge over the Mets and Phillies is in their youth. They will be counting on a mix that averages only about 25 years of age. The youngest include Joey Devine, the first player since 1978 to make it to the big show the year he was drafted, Blane Boyer, who looked good before a shoulder injury, and Anthony Lerew, a second-year man out of Carlisle, Pa. The rest of the bullpen will likely include left-handers Macay McBride, John Foster and Mike Remlinger.

Fifteen-game-winner Jorge Sosa, acquired in one of those typical Schuerholz deals for infielder Nick Green, has been a reliever before, but a report in USA Today says manager Bobby Cox is leaning toward keeping him in the rotation. Another early rumor had veteran John Smoltz returning to the pen, but that is also unlikely to happen.

Unsettled? Yes, but it hasn’t stopped these Braves before. Only recently, they weren’t supposed to overcome the losses of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Kevin Millwood, Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez.

There's simply no sure chink in their armor.

Pint glass giveaway among best promos in history

If you've never been to a ballgame game in Reading, this is the season to do it.

Besides a stable of horses that projects to include top prospects Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez and Scott Mathieson, along with top catching prospect Jason Jaramillo, the Reading Phillies are featuring perhaps the best promotion I can ever remember.

The team will be giving away collectable pint glasses at all 11 Friday night home games, featuring 11 legendary players along with the team’s 40th anniversary logo.

Yes, indeed. The lost art of the adult promotion is back! The pint glass giveaways are for a limited number of adults ages 21 and older and compliments of All-Star Distributing.

The first Friday game is an afternoon game at 2:05 p.m. on April 14, featuring the Ryan Howard pint, pictured above, sponsored by Yuengling. I can't think of a better reason to hock off work. Here's the rest of the schedule:

Also returning to every Friday home game is the popular Classic Harley Happy Hour. Gates to the Classic Café, located in the right field food court, open earlier than FirstEnergy Stadium’s main gates. Happy hour features live music before and after the game.

Getting to know Sal Fasano ... sort of

It’s only a matter of time before the big media train catches up with backup catcher Sal Fasano.

Yesterday it was Alex Gonzalez’s turn. Today it was Ricardo Rodriguez. Soon it will be Sal’s turn for a spring profile in one of the Philadelphia papers. There was already a prelude last week in the Delco Times, so expect the Philly papers to make their play in a day or two.

I thought I’d do my best to get a leg up on the reporters, but finding information on the husky 6-2, 230 pound catcher isn’t easy. (And I mean husky. Check out the picture on the right from our leaf desk at the Reading Eagle: Compared to Lieberthal, standing back, he looks like Master Blaster from "Mad Max").

Biography
There’s no biographical information past 2005 on the Phillies Web site, so the rest must be gathered piecemeal. Most of his career has been spent in Midwestern Triple-A cities, including four separate stops in Omaha (Royals, AAA) and two in Wichita (Royals, AA). He has never stuck in any big-league job for very long. The most action he’s seen in a single season is 216 at bats with the Royals in 1998. Since then, he’s seen very limited action with Oakland, Colorado, Anaheim and then with Baltimore last season, where he resurfaced at the big-league level for the first time since 2002. Between then, he was in the Yankees organization for a while, and also out of baseball during the 2003 season.

Would you expect anything less from a player with a name like Sal Fasano, the perfect name for a goofy, 34-year-old journeyman catcher with poor speed and an even poorer body? A Google search eventually produces a few nuggets, some remnants of his time in Oakland, but mostly chatter from last season in the form of news articles, message boards or blogs.

The Phillies saw enough last season to believe he could work as a backup catcher and offered him a major league contract worth $425,000, the most he’s earned since 2001 in Oakland ($375,000). My reaction to the signing back in December was that it was a safe way to open the door to the backup spot, perhaps paving the way for Triple-A catcher Carlos Ruiz to see some action without a fuss. Both GM Pat Gillick and manager Charlie Manuel have said Ruiz has a wide open opportunity to break in, and if Ruiz looks ready coming out of spring training, they could try moving Fasano through waivers and send him back to AAA. If it doesn’t happen, no big loss. He is also cheaper, younger and provides better roster flexibility than Pratt, who became a free agent and signed with Atlanta.

Fasano, an Italian-American from Chicago who turned down an invitation to catch for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, had one of his better professional seasons last year. He played the majority of the 2005 season with the Orioles after beginning the season at triple-A Ottawa. He appeared in more major league games with the Orioles last year (64) than he had in any season since a career-best 74 in 1998. He also hit a career-best 11 home runs in 160 at-bats, and has always been a power hitter, averaging about one home run every 20 at bats, including 32 in his first professional season in 1994.

Do enough Google searches for Fasano, and you will eventually happen upon this classic phrase: “defensive specialist.” It’s the baseball equivalent of “pretty face” when complimenting a female of healthy proportions.

"Fasano has always been a quality receiver with a lot of energy," said Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. when the deal was first made "He will be a good complement to Mike Lieberthal. He's a winning player which is the kind of character we are trying to bring to our big club."

Two weeks ago, Manuel went so far as to say Fasano could play in as many as 80 games if Lieberthal were to get hurt.

Whoa. Not so fast, Charlie.

Scouting report
I asked Baltimore Orioles blogger SC from Camden Chat to offer his take on Fasano, after seeing him in action for a good part of 2005.

“Fasano became one of my favorite Orioles last season, but more of a sentimental favorite than a favorite because he's good,” SC said in an e-mail to Beerleaguer. “What he represented was an upgrade on Geronimo Gil after Javy Lopez went down with an injury, but it's hard not to be an upgrade on Gil. Fasano is a fastball-or-nothing hitter, and he can punish a mistake pitch. He often looked completely overmatched against a good breaking ball, and had some positively foolish looking swings and misses.

“As for the rest of his game, there isn't much there. He's a poor baserunner, and I don't mean he's simply slow. He's a pretty shoddy defensive catcher that had some trouble with passed balls. Fasano is very animated behind the plate, bouncing around, moving his glove all over before the pitch. Either he's trying to be a nuisance to the hitter or he's just a little eccentric back there.

“Bottom line is, he's not a very good player, and he's pretty old. But he seems like a good guy and he's easy to root for. I hope he does well, but I wouldn't bet on it.”

Across the Web, you will find similar reaction to Fasano, mainly qualms about his defense and receiving, which is supposedly his specialty. Pitchers threw up a 5.09 ERA last season with Fasano behind the plate, compared to a team ERA of 4.57. He tossed out only 16 percent of base-stealers. He ranked 29th in the American League in defensive win shares for a catcher, according to Hardball Times.

Here’s a similar take from the Baseball Think Factory's Transaction Oracle:

"He doesn't play defense or run or bunt or hit singles, whether they be the pulled or opposite field variety or draw walks or run the bases smartly.

"What Fasano does do is swing the bat hard and occasionally hope to crush something. He does it just enough to be sort of useful when things are falling right for him, as with the O's last season, but he won't be as good a backup for Lieberthal as Pratt has been."

Fasano and faith
Google will also produce several articles linking Fasano with his strong connection to faith and struggles with alcohol in the early part of his career.

From a testimonial on ToTheNextLevel.org, a Web site where athletes give personal accounts of their relationships with Christ, including accounts from former Phillies Rico Brogna and Paul Byrd:

"When I got sent down (to the minors), Jed Hansen (now with the Padres), Larry Sutton (Cardinals) and a guy named Steve Sisco (Braves) helped me with my faith," writes Fasano "I was asking a lot more questions.      

"They came to Kansas City in the winter (of '97) to hit, along with Joe Randa, Kevin Seitzer and Keith (Lockhart), and we were in the batting cage and I said to Keith one day, 'Keith, I think I'm ready.' I just got on my knees right there in the cage and came to Christ.

"I had a tough time winding down after games. I used to drink about 30 beers a night and close to a fifth of Southern Comfort. And that was the one thing the Lord took right out of my life. I don't have a desire for it anymore.

"I think back, and I was like, 'Man, I don't know how I did it?' He took care of me, He took it out of my life. There are other things I still battle with. I'm not perfect by any means, but He took alcohol right out."

Link: Sal Fasano Baseball Cube stats

New message board opens; popular blog returns

Phillies Talk, a new independent message board spearheaded by three guys from California, Texas and West Norriton, Pa. opens for business, while A Citizen’s Blog, written by Michael Berquist, reopens its doors.

Phillies Talk is operated by brothers Ed and Joe Siegler, along with Allen Ariza (aka CD), who also writes articles for PhillyBaseballNews.com, part of the Scout.com network. You may have seen his comprehensive work there, or syndicated on sites like Yahoo! Sports. Joe Siegler maintains a blog of his own about the Texas Rangers and has contributed information to this site.

Ed Siegler says the goal of Phillies Talk was to provide a healthy, friendly, positive forum for Phillies fans to express their opinions.

You can link to Phillies Talk directly from Beerleaguer by clicking the link on the right sidebar.

Also, Michael Berquist, ESQ, has decided to throw his hat back in the ring at A Citizen’s Blog. Berquist ended his run last season when business got too hectic at the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office.

In two years of blogging Phillies, Berquist gained a reputation as the leading sabermetric voice of the Phillies blogoshpere, predicting such outcomes as Eric Milton’s 2005 meltdown, Kevin Millwood’s solid year with the Tribe and Pat Burrell’s comeback.

He’ll officially return March 6, and his link has also been added to the right sidebar.

Pedro's toe giving Mets fans discomfort

Mets ace Pedro Martinez has yet to throw off a mound this spring and is still ailing from chronic pain in his right foot.

Those who have followed the career of Pedro Martinez know the outstanding right-hander is no stranger to wear and tear. It's something the Mets were willing to gamble on when they signed the right-hander last season to a three-year, $38 million contract.

But at 34, there's increasing concern over his big right toe, which is preventing him from fully pushing off the pitching rubber. According to a story on ESPN.com, the front office has been nervously monitoring the situation since September, when his fastball was down to 86 mph. Described as "background pain," he's dealt with the discomfort for two years, but it finally caught up with him in 2005 when it cut his season short in September.

Five months, a cortisone shot and a special shoe by Nike later, the pain still lingers. And now there's a new pain: headaches among Mets nation.

"I think I speak for most Mets fans when I say that yes, the pitching rotation is a big concern right now," said Ryan McConnell of Always Amazin' Mets blog in an e-mail to Beerleaguer. "Just the possibility of Jose Lima replacing Pedro Martinez in the rotation keeps me up at night."

Pedro was supposed to pitch for the Dominicans in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, but it's highly possible he could miss the entire tournament. He will miss the opening round for sure and his chances of pitching in the tournament hang at 50-50, an official from the player’s association said.

The Mets would rather he didn't and continue to work out with the team in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where they can keep an eye on perhaps their most important piece in a season of high expectations. They had the deepest pockets in baseball this winter, acquiring closer Billy Wagner, Carlos Delgado and also catcher Paul LoDuca, to go with Carlos Beltran, the prize of last season’s free agent class. They are expected to be serious contenders for the division title, perhaps more.

But for all the high-profile moves, the team is still weak with back-end starting pitching, and is getting long of tooth at the top. GM Omar Minaya traded both Jae Seo and Kris Benson this offseason, moves that have been criticized among Internet circles for leaving the pitching staff too thin.

“If you wanted to be pessimistic – something a lot of Phillies and Mets fans can relate to - you'd see a Mets starting rotation featuring a brittle Pedro Martinez, an old Tom Glavine, an unproven Aaron Heilman, a mediocre Steve Trachsel, and an erratic Victor Zambrano," said McConnell. "If/when one of their starters goes down, the Mets have uninspiring/ unproven choices like Jose Lima, Darren Oliver, Alay Soler, Brian Bannister, and John Maine waiting in the wings."

Like the Phillies, the Mets should have little problem putting up run support. Along with the Braves, who are defending the division title for a 14th-consecutive time, the Mets are viewed as the team to beat, balanced by an upgraded bullpen and offense.

"Their hitting, which ranked seventh in the league last year, should be markedly better with Carlos Delgado replacing Mientikiewicz, a healthy Beltran (hopefully) rebounding, and both Wright and Reyes maturing," McConnell said. "And their bullpen, anchored by your Judas, Billy Wagner, and featuring a collection of solid arms (Sanchez, Bradford, Julio), should be very solid."

However, the reality of Pedro's health, the uncertainty of an aging staff and loss of two key pitchers, has dampened the state of Mets euphoria ... but only slightly. After all, it seems as if the baseball world has waited an eternity for Pedro to truly break down. We're still waiting.

"So, like always, injuries will likely be what determines the Mets success this year," McConnell said. "But considering Mazzone and Furcal's departure from the Braves, I'm as optimistic as I've been in quite some time about the Mets chances of actually taking the division this year."

Harry in the headlines

Recapping the headlines focusing on Phillies Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas and the broadcast team.

A report by Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News yesterday reported a tentative plan by the Phillies to pair Harry Kalas and Chris Wheeler in the first three and last three innings on television, with Wheeler and Scott Graham working the middle three. Larry Andersen will move to radio exclusively.

The speculation is the Phillies are trying to turn Kalas away at the end of the year when his contract expires by making him work with Wheeler for six innings. The dicey relationship between the two became public two seasons ago.

When asked whether the new broadcast pairing would impact his decision to return, he replied: "It might. I'm certainly going to miss working with L.A." Kalas turns 70 in a month.

Today, a report in the Courier Post indicates the Phillies are not trying to forcing Kalas out the door.

"Harry Kalas is a very, very valuable member of our ballclub as a play-by-play announcer and visible spokesperson," Scott Palmer, the Phillies' director of media and public affairs told the paper. "To have any notion that we're trying to force him out, well, we'd have to have our heads examined. We hope to have Harry here a long, long time.

"In no way are we trying to show Harry the door," Palmer added.

Palmer however did not deny that the organization has discussed possible changes to its broadcast teams.

Lieberthal's boredom becoming transparent

Some players are hoping to build on breakout seasons. Others are fighting for their jobs.  Mike Lieberthal is playing for a different reason: Because it's there.

According to a story in the Delaware County Times, Lieberthal considered making ’06 his last, but was talked out of it by former players.

"I thought about [retirement], " he told the newspaper. "But former players I've talked to have said, 'Play as long as you can,' that if you leave the game too soon, you're going to be bored and miss it. And I think I would."

It’s the kind of talk that only comes from a player whose fire has been long extinguished. He gives the standard line about sticking around to win, but it sounds like he's speaking for someone else.

The fact is, he's only noteworthy now for his tenure and connection with the past. He’ll become an endangered species soon, a fossil from the Ed Wade era.

Under the new plan constructed by Pat Gillick, veterans and unprovens find themselves with comparable job security, all but the relaxed, chilled, slouching Lieberthal, whose contract makes him a lock to stick around until it expires after the season.

Unless backup Sal Fasano suddenly becomes someone other than his mostly poor-hitting, part-time playing Triple-A self, Lieberthal will be shouldering most of the load once again, with every ounce of job security he’s held since Wade signed him to a long-term deal.

Isn’t it strange how a 14-year Phillie doesn’t fit in anymore?

Just kicking it: Position players roll into camp

Glorified stretching, jogging and long-tossing winds down as the rest of the Phillies roster filters into Clearwater.

I caught myself looking at AP pictures of Keith Foulke stretching his groin at Red Sox camp the other day and realized, then and there, I had a problem. Then I proceeded to the next slide: A shot of Mike Piazza doing the dosado with Doug Mirabelli.

Ah, the glory of pitchers and catchers, preparing for a marathon season with high-leg kicks, hurdles and a bunch of other stuff that could land out-of-shape pitchers on the disabled list for the rest of the season.

There isn’t much to take away from roughly the first week of spring training as the earliest arrivals flowed into Clearwater about a week ago. Those who arrived in shape are ahead of the game. Others, like Josh Hancock in Reds camp, found an early pink slip on his locker. He was placed on waivers after arriving at camp 17 pounds overweight. Tough luck for a pitcher who went 5-1 with a 4.45 ERA for a lousy team.

The better stories from the week brought encouraging news about Randy Wolf and his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Others profiled new additions like Aaron Rowand, Arthur Rhodes and Abraham Nunez.

It’s still too early to figure out who’s in or out. Games are the ultimate indicator, so early reports along the lines of roster competition should be taken with a grain of salt.

For now, the pictures from camp reveal the changing seasons and colors of summer, the green grass and brilliant red caps, headed north in due time.

Hopefully, the extra pounds will not make the trip.

[Link] Yahoo MLB homepage, featuring pictures of slightly rounder, slightly scruffier-looking players doing high leg kicks and yucking it up. (Slideshow at bottom right) [Link]

Your token faceless reliever

Struggling to stick, Geoff Geary's worst enemy is the 25-man roster.

There are few players in Clearwater that should be more outwardly miffed than Geoff Geary.

Spring training hadn’t even started and he’d already been crossed off most bullpen projections, even leapfrogged in some of the early depth charts with guys that pitched less big-league innings, including a 29-year-old Rule 5 pick from Triple-A.

If I were in Clearwater, with permission to ask Beerleaguer-type questions, one of the first players I’d approach would be Geary. I’d ask “Are you nervous the team will forget you pitched OK last season?"

Though most of his appearances came when the game was out of hand or the team was trailing, Geary proved surprisingly effective in certain situations, especially in long relief. In four appearances lasting three innings or more, Geary allowed just one run. His best game was June 16 at Seattle, when he pitched two shutout innings for the win in a 3-2, 13-inning victory over the Mariners. Afterward, the locker room interview revealed a pitcher with something to prove. “I’ll pitch anywhere at anytime,” he indicated.

That’s when I finally took notice of Geoff Geary, flying under the radar and appearing in 73 total games the past two seasons.

My money says you don’t remember a single one. I only remember Seattle.

At 29, Geary has been a slow mover through the Phillies’ farm system, one of the few pitchers the Phillies actively converted from starter to reliever midway through the minors. He has not started a game since 2003 in Scranton. In five seasons, he’s crawled from Reading, to Scranton to Philadelphia. However, he has not made a lasting impression and has not pitched especially well in tough spots. He was sent down twice last season, the second time was a roster decision more than anything else.

Still, Geary has seen nearly twice as many innings the past two seasons as Julio Santana, who signed as a free agent and was pegged by some as the team’s new seventh-inning guy. After that, the Phillies acquired 29-year-old minor leaguer Chris Booker in the Rule 5 draft. Booker must make the 25-man roster or be offered back to the Nationals. Later, the Phillies acquired Ricardo Rodriguez from the Rangers, who also factors into the mix. And recent talk has the Phillies looking at Robinson Tejeda as a possible long reliever, the area Geary excels most.

Pitcher comparisons
It’s funny how bullpen experience may actually work against Geary this spring. Rodriguez, Booker and Tejeda are all projects with dynamic, athletic upside. They will command more attention than Geary as the Phillies work to convert them into big-league relievers this spring. On a team where youth is beginning to prevail, things do not look good.

On paper, Geary and Santana, the two veterans, are farily even.

Geary, 29, finished 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 58 innings. He gave up five homers and opponents hit .248 against him.

Santana, 33, went 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA, with 49 strikeouts in 42 innings. He allowed 6 homers and opponents hit .221 against him.

Beerleaguer take
Based on bullpen experience alone, Geary edges most of the candidates for the bottom half, but the team may be more inclined to roll out Tejeda and Booker, a young pitcher with the ability to start, and one with a high strikeout rate. Though Santana may be the better choice for late innings because of his higher strikeout rate, Geary is still worth strong consideration for the final spot, kept aboard as a long reliever used in a similar capacity as last season.

Chances are, Geary will remain the same faceless pitcher that leads the Phillies in most appearances when Phans are fast asleep in front of the television.

A long history of faceless Phillies
Geary is another in a long line of faceless Phillies relievers. Do you remember Tim Mauser, who pitched for the Phillies in 1991 and 1992? He had an almost identical career as Geary up until this point, including nearly identical minor league progressions.

Wade Miller update: Cubs pitcher Wade Miller, a Berks County native, is feeling much better this spring, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

"This is the best I have felt in a couple years,'' he said. "Hopefully, I won't have any setbacks and I can keep on going forward.''  Miller, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, isn't certain when he might pitch for the Cubs. "We don't have a set timetable because if something happens and we don't stick to it, it gets blown out of proportion,'' Miller told the paper. "I think May or June is very reasonable, though."

Phillies cannot fear unpopular choices

Everyone agrees: The Phillies must start hot. For that to work, manager Charlie Manuel must play the percentages once again.

The Phillies have a reputation for poor performance against left-handed pitching. Manager Charlie Manuel believes it. GM Pat Gillick believes it. The fans believe it.

Two of their popular stars, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, have known struggles against it. Last season, they were swapped out in favor of a collection of bench players, including Placido Polanco, Tomas Perez and Ramon Martinez. Howard rarely started a game when a left-hander was on the hill. Utley only started once Polanco was traded.

It’s true that the Phillies fared poorly against the marquee left-handers. They were dominated in three of the four games against Dontrelle Willis. They never hit Mike Hampton well, and didn’t again in 2005. They scored one run in two games against Odalis Perez. They were shut out in seven innings against rookie Zack Duke. And if it wasn’t for a Jimmy Rollins solo home run, the Phillies wouldn’t have scored a run off Andy Pettitte.

As a team, they faced more southpaws than any team in the division, and the third most in the National League (1,509 ABs).

When it was all said and done, how’d they finish?

Very well, when you compare them with the rest of the league.

You can thank Charlie Manuel and David Bell for that.

The Phillies generated the fourth-highest OPS in the NL (.784) against left-handed pitching. Bell finished hitting .400 against them, with a 1.053 OPS. The center field platoon of Jason Michaels and Kenny Lofton was a significant boost, as was Polanco when he spotted Utley.

Over the course of the season, those contributions added up, as did the solid seasons by Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu and Jimmy Rollins. Mike Lieberthal and Todd Pratt also finished strong against left-handers.

Platooning in April
From the looks of their April schedule, the Phillies face a modest amount of left-handers, but will need to make a decision on platooning as soon as the second game of the season.

They open with three against St. Louis, which will probably include Mark Mulder in game two. Next, they host the Dodgers and will probably avoid Odalis Perez, but nothing is certain. Then they travel to Atlanta for three with the Braves, always tough, but they get a break this year as Mike Hampton will miss the season with Tommy John surgery. Horacio Ramirez projects as their only left-hander. Then they travel to Colorado. Not a tough staff, except for left-hander Jeff Francis, who shut out the Phillies over six innings last season. Next is Washington at home. They do not have a left-handed starter but pitch Phillies tough, and have the best bullpen in the division. Next is Florida, led by D-Train, but also backed by a number of left-handers, including Jason Vargas. Then it’s Colorado again, followed by a trip to Pittsburgh. The Pirates could be rough on the Phils as the month comes to an end. They have four potential left-handed starters in the mix, including Oliver Perez and Zach Duke.

With more choices on his bench, including the switch-hitting Abraham Nunez, Shane Victorino and right-handed Alex Gonzalez, Manuel has room to work. And as unpopular as he is, Bell is still the reigning best hitter against southpaws.

But this isn't a popularity contest.

Lucky we have a manager who can roll with the punches.

Upcoming television schedule

Jonesing for some baseball? The national past time returns to television shortly, including the first round of the World Baseball Classic, the first of seven preseason Phillies games, and the return of Baseball Tonight, premiering tomorrow night.

PHILLIES – PRESEASON
Sunday, March 5
1:05 P.M. (UPN) Astros at Phillies (L)
Saturday, March 11
1:05 P.M. (UPN) Phillies at Astros (L)
Saturday, March 18
1:05 P.M. (CSN) Pirates at Phillies (L)
Wednesday, March 22
*1:05 P.M. (ESPN) Phillies at Atlanta (L)
* national broadcast
Saturday, March 25
1:05 P.M. (CSN) Phillies at Pirates (L)
Sunday, March 26
1:05 P.M. (CSN) Red Sox at Phillies (L)
Sunday, April 2
12:35 P.M. (UPN) Red Sox at Phillies, from Citizens Bank Park (L)

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
Friday, March 3
2:00 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: Chinese Taipei vs. Korea. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo.
4:30 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: China vs. Japan. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. (L)
Saturday, March 4
12:30 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: China vs. Korea. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo.
4:00 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: Chinese Taipei vs. Japan. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. (L)
Sunday, March 5
2:00 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: China vs. Chinese Taipei. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo.
4:00 A.M. (ESPN2) World Classic: Japan vs. Korea. From the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. (L)

BASEBALL TONIGHT SEASON PREMIERE
Friday night, February 17
12:20 A.M. (ESPN)

Pat Burrell season review & preview

The "trade Pat Burrell" crowd never gained much traction this winter.

It started with a neutral cry to trade a corner outfielder for pitching, either Burrell or Bobby Abreu. For certain reasons, "trade Bobby Abreu" got the better jump and never looked back.

There are good reasons. The Phillies needed front-line pitching, and Abreu is considered the only commodity that can get it. He is seen as the the better all-around player and has one less year on his contract. He is a left-handed hitter on a team stacked with bats from that side, while Burrell is still the best right-handed bat in the organization.

Last season was different. There was little talk of moving either of them. The concept of dumping their long-term contracts and getting value in return seemed an impossible proposition.

If then-GM Ed Wade were to unload one, just for argument’s sake, it would have been Burrell. Abreu had already established himself as one of the premier offensive producers in the game, while Burrell--still owed close to $45 million through 2008--was still receiving specialized hitting instruction.

Wade had made a critical error it seemed. He had pushed six-year, $50 million on the young, fast-rising Burrell midway through the 2002 season. Two years later, he was lost.

But in 2005, Wade’s last as GM, the gamble finally paid off. Burrell led the team in home runs (32) and tied for second in the National League in RBIs (117). He posted career-highs in walks (99) and on-base percentage (.389). He was the best source of isolated power (SLG-BA) for most of the season, and also the best producer in clutch situations, according to the Hardball Times interpretation of clutch.

All this, but he still showed stretches where he was completely beaten.

Mechanics
A comment came in to Beerleaguer from a person named "Bill" back in May, when I was all wired up about Burrell’s hot season:

Pat put up good cumulative numbers this year, but almost all of it has been from 2 hot stretches (early April and recently). Look at his numbers on a week by week basis. He has poor hitting mechanics with a tendency to lunge. Look at the picture attached to the blog entry which shows his "collapsing back leg." I hope I am wrong, but I don't ever see Burrell being the star player we had expected after 2002.

Burrell maintained a consistent batting average for most of the season, hovering around the .285 range, but his power would indeed shut down for long stretches, including a dry patch from mid-July to early August, and again in September, when he was accumulating strikeouts at an enormous rate, often called out looking. In watching most games, I noticed during the hottest months that Burrell had shredded off some of his mass and appeared to be wearing down, along with the rest of the offense.

Managers
Burrell’s struggles in 2003 and 2004 are repeatedly linked to Larry Bowa. Looking back on last season, he could have easily plummeted into a rut after a week or two of lost confidence. Charlie Manuel was advertised as a manager that could keep players loose, and appeared to deliver on that promise. Had some of the same two-week droughts from this season occurred under a different regime, Burrell's season may have been different.

Health
In October, Burrell underwent foot surgery to remove a bone spur, a less-publicized ailment than his left wrist. To my knowledge, he has not undergone surgery on the wrist, which was the original plan back when he suffered the injury late in 2004. Instead, he rehabbed in the offseason, and appeared to have no ill effects.

It’s the little things like wrists and feet that scare me, especially with a big guy and big swinger like Burrell. Injuries like that can screw up the swinging motion, more than his already unorthodox hack, and lead to bigger injuries to the back and shoulder.

He’ll turn 30 later this year and has been clean so far, but for a man his size and strength, there are some things a gym can’t prevent. I would consider Burrell an injury risk.

2006 projection
The folks at the Phillies blog The Good Phight are polling readers to give their 2006 projection for Burrell. I’ve never been good at forecasting his season, horrible in fact.

I'm confident of some things. I don’t see Burrell ever reaching 40 home runs, but it's no big deal. I look for the same high-strikeout rate we’ve come to expect, somewhere in the 140-160 range. I think the walks will stick, but the .281 batting average will not. At 29, I begin to worry about when he starts to break down. He rarely had a day's rest last season, and I am curious to see how often he will be used next season, or whether he'll get some games at first.

His most important contribution to the team is batting fifth and driving in old-fashioned RBIs, appropriate for a player who looks like a heroic throwback to the 1940s. If he can repeat 2005 in that category over the life of his contract, it’s worth it. I believe he can do it.

Did you see it?

Did you see it? The most significant words of 2006? Did you see it this morning in the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer? If you missed it, get ready. Are you ready? You’re not ready. OK, you’re ready. Here it is:

CLEARWATER, Fla. –

Lieber credits Pratt's advice for strong finish

Phillies pitcher Jon Lieber, interviewed at last weekend's South Alabama Hall of Fame game, spoke with the Mobile Register about catcher Todd Pratt's role in the final two months of the season.

"He told me he didn't think I was being as aggressive as I should be, as aggressive as I was earlier in the year," Lieber said of Pratt's advice. "He's an aggressive player and he wanted me to add more of that to my pitching. He said I was trying to be too fine with my pitches. He was right."

Lieber went 8-3 during the final two months, including 5-1 in his final seven starts to finish 17-13 with a 4.20 ERA.

Pratt became a free agent and signed a one-year contract with Atlanta this offseason.

Mathieson, Myette added to Canadian roster

The Canadian Press is reporting that Scott Mathieson and Aaron Myette have officially been added to the Canadian roster for the World Baseball Classic.

The 21-year-old Mathieson is considered the best right-handed prospect in the Phillies minor league system according to Baseball America and will open the season in Reading. He is a native of Aldergrove, B.C. and pitched for Canada in the 2005 World Cup.

Myette, a 28-year-old right-hander from New Westminster, B.C, signed as a minor league free agent and will be in camp with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee. He has seen action with the White Sox, Rangers, Indians and Reds, and started 10 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2003.

Almost tyrants

Without a front-line pitcher, opponents will not fear the Phillies.

"The Phillies need a front-line pitcher."

The line has been repeated so many times, it’s lost meaning.

Months removed from the final game of 2005, the mention of a front-line pitcher conjures up images of Roger Clemens, Johan Santana and Dontrelle Willis.

But during the season, a front-line starter doesn’t need to throw a single pitch to be effective, or leave a trace in the stat sheets.

The threat of him can be enough.

The Phillies know this well. They entered such a situation on July 25, when they traveled to Houston for three games with the surging Astros. No pitch was even thrown, and the Astros had already swept.

As prophesized by every paper in the city, as shivered over by every fan, the Phillies were dusted out of Houston, 1-2-3, just as feared. Led by two dominant performances by Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt, followed by a solid outing from an ailing Roger Clemens, the Phillies were hurled further back in the Wild Card standings, managing to score only four runs the entire series. Later in the season, in a series beginning Sept. 5, the Phillies had their chances, but were swept once again, this time at home, completing the Astros' season sweep.

When it was all said and done, only one game separated the Phillies and Astros in the final standings, but they were leagues apart in pitching, which helped guide them to the World Series. The Phillies could never match what the Astros could do: batter you with intimidation, fry you with pitching, and always know that a win was only one day away.

Unless nothing else is done before April, there isn’t a team in the league that will enter a series with the Phillies knowing they have no shot at winning, just as the Phillies knew in that Houston series. There isn’t a single pitcher -- starter or otherwise -- that will send pangs of fear through opposing hitters.

Billy Wagner had that, but he’s gone. He was the only pitcher who had "it."

One benefit of having a closer like Wagner was having a presence that reverberated into the middle innings of a close game. Opponents knew they must not surrender the lead or their chances of winning would be slim.

On the mound, he could represent shear tyranny. Wagner could tear hitters down, embarrass them, make them regret ever putting on a uniform. Wagner could break a team’s spirit so badly, it would carry over to the next day.

A.I.: Artificial Intimidation
Let's face it: The Phillies want a front-line pitcher, and can't have one. The only thing they can do now is continue to work the edges.

One reason I advocate having at least one fire-baller in the bullpen, regardless of control, is having someone to get the blood flowing when a game seems lost, or to trample the opposing team’s spirits when the coast is clear.

I love the idea of Yoel Hernandez, the minor league closer who lead the Venezuelan winter league in saves. He’s clocked in the high-90s and keeps his ERA in check. Having a young pitcher like that, to pitch in low-pressure spots, would at least give kids something to watch in the eighth-inning of a one-sided game. It might also give the team an emergency charge in a desperate situation.

Playtime GM:
David Bell, cash, to Kansas City for 21-year-old fireball relief pitcher Ambiorix Burgos.

Phillies reportedly contact free agent Surhoff

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com has reported that the Phillies have contacted free agent outfielder B.J. Surhoff to gauge his interest in joining the club. Surhoff turns 42 in August and has played the last three seasons in Baltimore.

In 303 games, Surhoff, a left-handed hitter, hit .257 with a .282 OBP and .356 SLG, some of the worst numbers of his career.

If he's given an offer and accepts, the 19-year veteran would represent another addition with ties to GM Pat Gillick, who signed Surhoff as a free agent before the 1996 season and was with him the entire time he was GM in Baltimore.

Since 1987, including stops in Milwaukee, Baltimore and Atlanta, Surhoff is a .288 career hitter with 188 homers and a .413 slugging percentage. He has not reached 10 homers in a season since 2001, when he tore a ligament in his right knee and underwent season-ending surgery.

Defensively, he would provide some versatility. Recently, he has been used primarily as a corner outfielder, first baseman and designated hitter. He lives in Baltimore.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG
2005	91	303	30	78	11	2	5	34	0	.257	.282	.356
Career	2313	8258	1062	2326	440	42	188	1153	141	.282	.332	.413

Red Baron favorite lands in independent league

Outfielder Jim Rushford, who spent the last two seasons with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, signed with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent American Association.

Rushford, making a stateside return after spending the winter in the Dominican Republic, finished with the fourth-best average in the International League last season, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and 63 RBI in 117 games. He finished three of the last four seasons as one of the top ten hitters in the International League and was named an all-star in 2004.

The 31-year-old veteran appeared in 23 games with the Brewers as a September call-up in 2002. He never appeared in any games with the Phillies.

This will be Rushford’s third stop in the independent leagues. He became a minor league free agent after the 2005 season.

Braulio Castillo resurfaces
The El Paso Diablos, also of the American Association, signed 37-year-old former Phillies outfielder Braulio Castillo to a one-year contract earlier this winter. Castillo played two seasons with the Phils between 1991 and 1992, hitting .188 in 56 games. Castillo has since played in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic. He originally signed an amateur contract with the Dodgers in 1985.

Fun with non-roster invitees!
In addition to Rushford and Castillo, a number of former Phillies and Phillies farmhands have new destinations this spring as non-roster invitees. Keep your fingers crossed for the following hopefuls … for time is running out on their big-league careers:

RP Ricky Bottalico, Orioles
RP Felix Rodriguez, Nationals
RP Valerio de los Santos, Nationals
RP Terry Mulholland, Diamondbacks
RP Hector Mercado, Tigers
RP Pedro Liriano, Giants
RP Jose Santiago, Mets
RP Terry Adams, Pirates
P Brandon Duckworth, Pirates
P Michael Bacsik, Nationals
P Jim Crowell, Nationals
P Eric Junge, Padres
P Andy Ashby, Padres
P Joe Roa, Pirates
P Josh Hancock, Reds
OF Eric Valent, Padres
OF Reggie Taylor, Tigers
C Bobby Estallela, Mets
C Andy Dominique, Mariners
INF Desi Relaford, Orioles
INF Shawn Wooten, Twins
SS Anderson Machado, Reds

Recent minor league signings:
1B Nate Espy, Athletics
C/OF John Castellano, Reds
RP Francisco Butto, Yankees

Local product invited to Red Sox Camp
Boyertown-native and Kutztown University product Tim Bausher will be in Red Sox camp this spring as a non-roster invitee. The 26-year-old right-hander pitched in 44 games with Triple-A Pawtucket last season, going 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA.

And because everyone else has reported this footnote …
The Phillies announced that catcher John Vanden Berg will join spring training as a non-roster invitee. He will replace catcher Tim Gradoville, who will miss camp because of a medical issue.

Vanden Berg was selected in the Triple-A phase of the 2005 Rule 5 draft. The 26-year-old catcher hit .252 with a .742 OPS in 81 games with Double-A Huntsville (Brewers).

Finding light in a black hole

The bottom of the Phillies lineup was a cause for consternation last season, and will likely remain as such whether or not David Bell and Mike Lieberthal stay at the bottom of the lineup.

Representing the same type of slow, pull-hitting right-handed threats, opposing pitchers feasted upon the smoked hams known as David Bell and Mike Lieberthal in '05, seeing most action in tandem as the team’s 7-8 hitters.

Bell, who grounded into the second-highest number of double plays in baseball, along with Lieberthal, a poor hitter with runners in scoring position and among the slowest base runners in the game, earned the nickname "The Black Hole" for the dearth of offense produced at the bottom of the order, including the pitcher’s spot.

In a statistical report produced on the Phillies blog, The Good Phight, writer David Cohen determined that the team’s 7-8-9 hitters were, in fact, among the worst in the game, hitting .226 with a .619 OPS.

Most revealing in Cohen’s study was the difference between the bottom three and top six in the lineup. According to the report, hitters 1-6 and 7-9 had the worst OPS gap (.222), the second-worst AVG gap (.063), worst OBP gap (.089), and third-worst SLG gap (.134) in baseball.

"To put it simply," wrote Cohen, "the performance difference between the Phils' first 6 batters and their last 3 batters was the worst in baseball by a good margin. It was indeed a black hole you witnessed at the bottom of the lineup."

In a few days, pitchers and catchers will report to Clearwater, and for the 10th-straight season, Lieberthal will head to camp as the primary starting catcher.

Bell, however, is on shakier ground, with the team capable of testing several players for third base, including free agent acquisitions Abraham Nunez and newly-acquired infielder Alex S. Gonzalez.

On the surface, it would appear that Bell will defend his starting spot and will be replaced only if he is outplayed. This is what manager Charlie Manuel or GM Pat Gillick would tell you, but all signs point to his Phillies days being numbered. According to reports during the winter meetings, the Phillies were trying desperately to unload Bell, but found no takers.

Since then, the team added a pair of free agents who bring very little to the table in terms of offensive, but based on last season, outperformed Bell’s terrible season with the lumber, and are also capable defenders.

A better third baseman, or a better lineup?
In terms of lineup construction, a primary goal of the manager this spring should be to figure out a way to break up the Black Hole, which will stay at least 2/3 intact even without Bell.

One idea is to go with Nunez as the team’s third baseman and No. 8 hitter, moving the slower Lieberthal to 7, two spots removed from the pitcher. This would inject better speed into the lineup, and puts a right-handed power threat behind Ryan Howard. Nunez is a good base runner and would make life a little easier for pitchers to move him along with a bunt and also reduce the risk of hitting into a double play.

If Bell stays and wins the spot, or is used in a platoon, it would become another good reason to keep Carlos Ruiz and not Sal Fasano as the team’s backup catcher. Similar to Nunez, Ruiz has better speed than Fasano and Lieberthal and would also assume the No. 8 spot in back of Bell. Using Bell and Ruiz, in tandem twice a week, could be a nice situation, especially against left-handers.

Next season, the Phillies will add Ryan Madson and Ryan Franklin to the list of light-hitting pitchers, and if nothing is done to separate Lieberthal and Bell, the hole could get even deeper. Even still, it would take a miracle for the 7-8-9 to produce anything brighter than a black hole. Perhaps a dark-grayish hole is all we can hope for.

Bet on Abe
My feeling when Nunez was signed was that he would become the team’s everyday third baseman at some point and would serve as a stop-gap through 2007 when his contract expires. Though Gonzalez offers some promise for his pop and defense, third base might be a better spot to inject speed into the lineup.

If you followed the clues in my discussions with Manuel, and the facts surrounding the Nunez signing, you know there was a press conference when Nunez was signed, he was spotted having lunch with Gillick in Philadelphia and Manuel had a conversation with him at some point and told him Bell wasn’t going to give up his job that easy.

The writing is on the wall. My senses tell me Nunez is already being viewed as the primary third baseman, and would actually be the best choice based on his speed, defense and ability to switch-hit.

Phillies targeting free agent Alex S. Gonzalez

According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies are close to reaching an agreement with free agent infielder Alex S. Gonzalez, who spent last season with Tampa Bay and played 98 games at third base.

Gonzalez, a right-handed hitter, hit .269 last season, with 9 homers and a .410 slugging percentage. Known for good defense, he is a high-strikeout guy like the other Alex Gonzalez, fanning 74 times in 349 at bats last season, but has found good success as a mid-level power hitter, mashing as many as 20 in a season.

His signing would bring the total number of utility infielders on the 40-man roster to five, a list that includes incumbent Tomas Perez, free agent addition Abraham Nunez, Matt Kata and minor leaguer Danny Sandoval.

Gonzalez, a Miami-native, saw most of his action at third base with the D-Rays, and if the season were to begin with Gonzalez on the roster, would appear to be the statistical favorite to win that position considering offense alone. His .733 OPS is better than both Bell (.671) and Nunez (.704), and he is also a smooth fielder.

Gonzalez, who will turn 33 this season, could also mean the end for Perez, who’s spent six seasons as the team’s primary utility threat. In addition, if Bell can be unloaded at this point, he will be. This signing would also indicate the team may not have as much faith in minor leaguer Danny Sandoval as some would think in looking at his stat line. Kata, who was listed by GM Pat Gillick as someone worth keeping an eye on to make the club, would also appear to be partially blocked.

Beerleaguer take
One can only speculate how Gonzalez will be used on a team that features two switch-hitting bench players in Nunez and Shane Victorino, and two infielders in Chase Utley and Ryan Howard both poor against left-handed pitching. I am not looking forward to seeing how Charlie Manuel will handle this many options, but there is a way to maximize it all and balance a powerful lineup without sacrificing defense.

Gonzalez is worth a good look at third base, and a very good look at getting into the lineup on days against tough left-handers. Over his career, Gonzalez is a .256 hitter with a .408 slugging percentage against southpaws, though most of his power last season was generated against right-handed pitching.

Overall, Hardball Times Win Shares has Gonzalez as the 16th-best third baseman in the American League in 2005. He is known for good defense across the board, including a strong, accurate throw and good range.

But the big benefit for the Phillies is having a guy with decent home-run potential playing half his games at Citizen’s Bank Park and filling out a bench that is thin on right-handed power. He swings for the fences and has had some success at it, posting a career-high 20 homers in 2003 and 137 of them over his career. He is a Charlie Manuel-type hitter.

Look for the Phillies to throw out a very different lineup against left-handers this season, including the possibility of an infield that features Gonzalez at third, Jimmy Rollins at short, Nunez or Utley at second, Pat Burrell at first or some other mix. Manuel likes platooning, and also indicated his desire to improve the lineup against left-handers.

Done correctly, the Phillies have the potential to field one of the most productive infields in baseball.

Alex S. Gonzalez
Last 3 years	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2003	CHC	152	536	71	122	37	0	20	59	47	123	3	3	.228	.295	.409	.704
2004	CHC	37	129	15	28	10	0	3	8	4	26	1	1	.217	.241	.364	.605
2004	MON	35	133	19	32	7	0	4	16	8	32	1	1	.241	.289	.383	.672
2004	SD	11	23	2	4	1	1	0	3	2	6	0	0	.174	.240	.304	.544
2005	TB	109	349	47	94	20	1	9	38	26	74	2	1	.269	.323	.410	.733

Career split		G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
vs. Left		624	1242	200	320	74	10	31	124	118	251	28	9	.258	.323	.408	.731
vs. Right		1291	3699	419	885	200	17	106	411	272	904	69	39	.239	.297	.388	.685

Phillies pitching woes became personal in 2005

Two games in April and two in July, followed by time off for undisclosed personal issues, sent the seasons of Tim Worrell, Cory Lidle and the Phillies whirling.

The damage done by Tim Worrell, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his personal life, represented perhaps the most destructive single factor in the Phillies season.

The Phillies had a chance to start 2005 with a series sweep for the first time since 1993, and would have done so had it not been for back-to-back blown saves by Worrell in games two and three of the season. Instead, the Phillies dropped two-of-three to the Nationals and stumbled out of Citizen’s Bank Park under a cloud of controversy and lingering negativity.

After a month of trying to work past his rocky start, Worrell and the Phillies shocked fans when the 38-year-old pitcher was granted a leave of absence to deal with personal issues.

Following a three-run drubbing at the hands of the Mets on May 5, the Phillies issued a press statement from Worrell, saying "I called Ed Wade last night to tell him that I am dealing with some personal psychological issues that I need to resolve. They are affecting my family life and my ability to do my job. I am going to deal with these issues and I hope to resolve them as quickly as possible. I appreciate the Phillies' understanding and their pledge of confidentially."

Worrell wouldn’t return to the Phillies until July 4, leaving the team a setup-man short and with the residue of an ERA approaching 10.00.

Sensing urgency in the bullpen, the Phillies traded second baseman Placido Polanco to Detroit for veteran setup man Ugueth Urbina. Soon after, only days after his return from the DL, Worrell was unloaded to Arizona for utility infielder Matt Kata.

The damage had been considerable. The bullpen was considered one of the team’s great strengths prior to the season, led by closer Billy Wagner, sophomore phenom Ryan Madson and Worrell, a prominent signing the season before. In 2004, he pitched a steady campaign as a compliment to Wagner, finishing with a 3.68 ERA, striking out 64 and holding hitters to a .254 BAA, and was expected to produce similar results.

But over the first two months, Worrell’s shaky stuff and unexpected self-removal meant more work and more uncertainty for the back end of the bullpen. It was especially taxing for Madson, who ran out of gas by September. It also meant that Polanco – one of the better second baseman in baseball – may have been rushed out the door for Urbina, who would become a free agent after the season and had no future with Detroit, or with the Phillies for that matter.

Meanwhile in Arizona, the time away from Philadelphia paid off as Worrell finished red-hot, including a 1.13 ERA in September and a string of seven shutout appearances to end the season. Despite a bad start and missing a month of action, he would finish with a respectable 4.07 ERA. He signed back with the Giants this winter.

Tim Worrell		G	GS	W	L	SV	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	BAA
Pre All Star		16	0	0	1	1	0	0	13.1	23	12	12	3	3	12	8.10	1.95	.390
Post All-Star		35	0	1	1	0	0	0	35.1	36	18	10	5	9	27	2.55	1.27	.261

To a lesser extent, Cory Lidle’s own personal issues resulted in a good season knocked down to a mediocre one.

On July 21, in the thick of the race for the NL East title, The Daily News reported that Lidle left the team for personal reasons following back-to-back outings when he allowed seven-earned runs.

It was reported that Lidle appeared visibly upset after the team's game that day and did not speak with the media. Though he didn’t miss his next start, it would take the right-hander three games to get back on track, allowing five runs in each of his next two outings.

Before the setback, Lidle had been the unsung hero of the starting rotation. Just before leaving, he pitched an eight-inning shutout against Washington before the all-star break, finishing the first half with an impressive 3.65 ERA.

After the break, manager Charlie Manuel reshuffled the rotation order, making Lidle his No. 2 pitcher. But upon returning from the break, Lidle was a mess, and wouldn’t regain his first-half form for the rest of the season. Lidle finished with a 4.53 ERA, leaving fans to forget numerous early-season highlights, including his shutout and career-high 11 strikeouts against the Brewers on May 11.

However, Lidle went on to lose that game in the eighth inning, drawing criticism that he was left in the game too long instead of pulled for a reliever.

The Phillies could have used a good setup man at that moment, but the best they had was at home, dealing with family issues.

Cory Lidle		G	GS	W	L	SV	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	BAA
Pre All Star		18	18	8	6	0	1	0	116.0	117	53	47	7	24	74	3.65	1.22	.259
Post All-Star		13	13	5	5	0	0	0	68.2	93	52	46	11	16	47	6.03	1.59	.337

A super selection of baseball tidbits

A bowl full of nuts from around baseball.

World Baseball Classic television information
ESPN and ESPN2 will carry at least 16 games of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, including the semifinals and the championship round. ESPN Desportes, the network’s Spanish-language channel, will carry all 39 games.

So unless Panama can pull an upset and squeak past Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands in Pool C, there will be no shot at seeing Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, unless I switch cable providers or move to Latin America.

The initial rounds begin March 3 in Japan. Here is the full schedule. [link]

The Phillies have 11 players who have agreed to participate if selected, headlined by the American infield pair of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. Here are the complete rosters. [link]

Caribbean Series stuff
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Series is in full swing, with host country Venezuela earning a dramatic win last night against the Dominican Republic. Alex Gonzalez hit a three-run homer off Jorge Sosa in the top of the ninth inning, lifting Venezuela to an 11-9 victory.

Interestingly, Sosa, who went 13-3 with a 2.55 ERA as a starter with the Braves last season, has been used as a relief pitcher for most of the winter in the Dominican, and I have heard rumors that the bullpen-deficient Braves would consider moving him to the pen .

Braves warning
And speaking of the Braves, time for my annual warning about the defending division champs: just when you think they will go quietly into the night, GM John Schuerholz will pull something out of his hat that will astound the baseball world. I say this because the Braves have not made a significant move this winter, which should be viewed as the calm before the storm. Just watch: they'll swing a deal no one will ever see coming.

Alex Gonzalez has new home
One of my least favorite players in baseball has moved out of the division. Free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with Boston Thursday.

It’s hard to believe Gonzalez spent eight years in Florida, where he’s consistently among the most overlooked players in the game. Cast aside as a free swinger with high-strikeouts and a low average, he could still hurt you in many ways, often doing so out of the No. 8 hole.

Over his career, it seemed Gonzalez would never fail in delivering a well-timed double or home run against the Phillies. In addition, he made up one-half of perhaps the best double-play duo in baseball. Second baseman Luis Castillo, the other half, was traded to Minnesota earlier this offseason, as the Marlins dismantling continues.

Center Fielder Juan Pierre, who was traded to the Cubs, Castillo and Gonzalez will not be missed by this Phan, but they were, without question, the three players who made that team special in my eyes. Games played at Dolphin Stadium when the Marlins were at their best were never easy to watch, with its vast outfield, quick leadoff hitters, smooth defense up the middle and crowd of 1,000 to appreciate one of the most complete teams in the game.

Notice I’m using past tense when referring to the Marlins.

Transactions of note
In other news, free agent third baseman Russell Branyan signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Tuesday. Several readers thought Branyan would make a nice left-handed platoon partner at third or spare bat for the Phillies, but will instead head to spring training with the D-Rays, who are now loaded with more bats than they can carry.

I keep thinking one of our spare pitchers would look good in a D-Rays uni, swapped for one of their spare bats with power. Ricardo Rodriguez, for instance, is good enough to challenge for a spot in the bottom of the Rays’ rotation.

Phillies purchase contract of indie league pitcher
The Phillies purchased the contract of pitcher Tom Cochrane from the Ohio Valley Red Coats of the Frontier League. Cochrane went 7- 6 with a 4.73 ERA while striking out 109 in 19 starts.

Donovan McNabb mug
Anyone else tired of seeing the same Donovan McNabb picture at the top of Philly.com, featuring his trademark look of bemused resignation? Admittedly, it’s an extremely versatile picture. He could be reacting to a question about T.O., or the NAACP, or Rush Limbaugh. He could be relaxing after a win and a 300-yard performance. Whatever the headline, Philly.com’s online paginator is getting plenty of miles out of this shot - the Tomas Perez of Philadelphia sports photographs.

Super Bowl prediction
I will enjoy approximately three of the commercials.

Gavin Floyd, and doubters, could use a rest

The 2005 season was the worst -- and longest -- of Gavin Floyd’s career. What the former No. 1 prospect needs is time to recover ... and a little slack.

Turning 23 less than a week ago, Gavin Floyd must feel ten years older after a dubious season the best pichers in baseball would never see spread out over a career.

Thought to have a shot at becoming a fixture in the starting rotation by mid-season, the young right-hander’s progress came to a grinding halt after a sudden move to the bullpen in late April was met with catastrophic results.

The move followed one promising start against the Cards on Apr. 9 (7 innings, 1 earned run), but also a rough go against the Braves on Apr. 15 (3 1-3 innings, 8 earned runs). Following three doomed attempts in bullpen, the Phillies conceded their mistake and sent the 6-4 kid back into the oven to cook. The baseball season had only just begun, but Floyd's big-league rendezvous had ended, and it wasn't even May.

The struggles continued in Triple-A, prompting the Phillies to call in Johnny Podres to mentor their former first-round pick. The problems figured to be both mental and physical. Hitters came to expect his famous breaking ball, which didn’t have the same snap or control, and would sit on his fastball, which wasn’t as sharp. It was believed Floyd would melt down too soon when things didn’t go his way -- likely to be the first time in his entire baseball life when he wasn’t in control.

A few scattered starts late in the season gave the Phillies hope, and the team brought him back when rosters were expanded in September. Met with skepticism, following a less than impressive 6.16 ERA in Scranton, the Phillies were forced to use him in two consecutive starts during the stretch run. The best was a six-inning affair against the Nationals, when he was able to shake off early problems with the curve to hold the Nats to three runs. But when it was all said and done, Floyd gouged an irrecoverable black mark on what figured to be his breakthrough year: a 10.04 ERA in 24 innings, scrambled confidence and command, and instant removal from all the top prospect lists.

Pitching this offseason in Puerto Rico, Floyd went 1-1 with an uplifting 3.89 ERA, but no one really knew how those outings unfolded until a report in Baseball America.

"Up and down," general manager Pat Gillick told Jim Salisbury, writing for BA, only to be repeated by assistant GM Mike Arbuckle. "Overall, his performance was up and down. At times he showed a more consistent delivery and a better breaking ball. But we still saw some inconsistency from outing to outing."

Ending his season only weeks ago, it’s a lot of ball for any athlete, especially a pitcher, but it must have felt like Chinese water torture for Floyd, whose career has suddenly hit a wall. Adding insult to injury, the same people who though he could develop into a pitching savior just one year ago have already discarded him like yesterday’s news. Speaking at a banquet a few weeks back, John Kruk said Floyd will never develop into a front-line starter.

"He is what he is: A back of the rotation guy," Kruk told the Reading Eagle. "He'll never be a No. 1 guy. He doesn't have the stuff for it."

It’s harsh criticism for a pitcher this young, but if Floyd could develop even into a back of the rotation guy, someone better than Ryan Franklin, the Phillies would consider themselves fortunate. Not every pitcher can be Roger Clemens, and not many of them even become Cory Lidle.

Still, it’s worth a hard look at whether Floyd can even develop into a No. 4 or 5. This isn’t the Ed Wade era, and nobody should be untouchable. If only pitchers could be red-shirted the way quarterbacks are in college football, Floyd could have an entire season to rest and recover. At present, he doesn't figure into any plan for the 2006 season, and has been mentioned most among fans as possible trade bait.

But rather than listen to Krukker prognosticate the future of a pitching prospect, it’s better to monitor his situation one step at a time, the way other, less-celebrated 23-year-olds are guided to the majors.

"I think he needs to go home and clear his head and come to spring training ready to go." Arbuckle told Salisbury. "When you’ve struggled, I’m not sure some time off isn’t as valuable as anything."

Link: "Hope for Gavin: Mike Drago remembers Floyd’s 2004 season"

State of the bullpen address II: Flash opens up

An informative audio interview with new Phillies closer Tom Gordon, recorded last week in Reading.

It would be a disservice to Phillies fans to keep this excellent interview under wraps. Answering questions, primarily from Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle, Gordon educated a small group of reporters about a number of topics, including the decisions he’s made, his physical and mental health and what it takes to be a big-league closer.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call this the most education I’ve ever received on the subject of relief pitching. It was also beneficial because I knew very little about Flash, even though he will pitch his 18th season in the major leagues this season.

Topics covered:
-- Why he decided to leave the Yankees
-- What it takes to be a major-league closer
-- Why he’s made certain career decisions
-- His response to concerns about his age

Download the 7.8 MB mp3 file [here].