By then, Phillies Opening Day starter Brett Myers had made what would turn out to be his last start in the big leagues before heading off to a tutorial assignment at Triple A Lehigh Valley. The team had lost 13 of its last 18 and its lead in the National League East was evaporating.

So now the predictable angry buzz is that the Phillies screwed up big-time by not bringing Lohse back after his asking price plummeted and before the Cardinals picked him up on a 1-year, $4.25 million contract in mid-March.

Well, maybe they did.

Here's the thing, though: As tempting as it is to simply transplant Lohse's 10-2 record and 3.67 earned run average onto the Phillies' stats sheet, that's a fantasy. There's no way of knowing how he would be pitching in a Phillies uniform.

Lohse didn't constantly complain about Citizens Bandbox Park after being acquired from the Reds last season. But, if asked, he made it clear that he didn't really care for the cozy dimensions.

Busch Stadium has been friendlier. He has a 2.77 ERA and a .218 opponent's batting average there compared to 5.13 and .337 on the road.

There was also little pressure in Lohse in St. Louis, a city that tends to support its team unconditionally. Plus, coming into the season, expectations for the Cardinals were as low as they've been in years.

Had he stayed in Philadelphia, do you think he would have been reminded about that grand slam he gave up to Colorado's Kaz Matsui in Game 2 of the NL Division Series? Maybe once or twice?

Also, Lohse is working with pitching coach Dave Duncan. No offense to Rich Dubee, or any of the other pitching coaches Lohse had while going 63-74 before this season, but Duncan has a reputation for teasing the most out of pitchers who haven't lived up to their potential elsewhere. Just ask Jeff Weaver.

Lohse might well make the All-Star team, which would stir things up again. And perhaps when the Phillies look back, they regret not scraping together the cash to sign him during spring training.

You just can't assume he would have been the same pitcher he's been for St. Louis. It doesn't work that way.

The hot corner

 

* If the Astros decide to can manager Cecil Cooper, don't be surprised if former Phillies skipper Jim Fregosi gets serious consideration as his replacement.

Around the bases

 

* Add White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to the list of those who think interleague play is an idea whose time has passed. "I think it takes away from the World Series, but the fans want it, so I gave up that fight a long time ago," he told the Chicago Tribune. "The thing about [Cubs vs. White Sox] is that while it's going on there's so much excitement, so much hype. But at the end of the year, when you look at 162 games, the games in your division are far more important."

On deck