Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports from Phillies camp in Clearwater, Fla.

The Phillies have released pitcher Adam Eaton. The team owes him $9 millon for this season. More details to come.

 

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports from Phillies camp in Clearwater, Fla.


Stopped in the 7-Eleven on East Bay Drive for gas, a coffee and the morning papers on the way to the ballpark today and couldn’t help but notice the back page of the national edition of the New York Post.

Here we go again, I thought.

Cole Hamels was splashed all over it with the accompanying headline: COLE WAR.

That’s writing it haaaaaahd, as they like to say at the Post.

I plunked down a buck and a half and tucked the paper under my arm.

The story inside turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. The Post regurgitated some comments Hamels made on WIP last week. The Phillies ace essentially stood by comments he had made in December, when he called the Mets "choke artists," but he has done that all along. Hamels also explained that he was led into the initial comment by a New York radio show host who first used those words. He had done that before, as well.

Hamels laughed when he saw his picture on the back page of the Post this morning.

"I think it kind of gets out of hand," he said of all the Phillies-Mets rivalry chatter that he helped stir. "But you know what? If it spurs enough (interest) to where we get a lot more attention when we face each other, that’s fine."

Hamels made a point to say he respects the Mets.

"I don’t want it to be bad blood against their players and us because we respect each other," he said. "But if it really gets the fans involved, that’s OK.

"I know that I have the Phillies fans on my side and I know I’m never going to have the Mets fans on my side. So it’s not like they’re going to cheer me when I go out there. I guess if it gets more exciting when we play, I think that’s good for baseball. I think that’s what baseball needs. It needs some good rivalries to forget about the other stuff off the field that’s been happening."

Hamels doesn’t regret making the initial comment.

"I’ll live with it, and I’ll never regret anything I say because I learn from it," he said. "It’s a situation where I can try to apologize to players because I don’t want them to be offended by it. I have a lot of respect for all the players on their team. I guess it’s just something to stir the pot. Hopefully it’ll get things going for when we compete during the season."

Will Hamels say anything to Mets players when he sees them?

"Yeah, most likely," he said. "And I think they’ll understand. They know. They know the game. We try to play it as best we can. We like to be competitive. But we’re not trying to kill each other out on the field because further down the line we might be playing with these guys. It’s not like it used to be back in the day when players could go at each other because they knew they were never going to see them because they never had the free agency or trades that they do now. I have a lot of respect for them. They’re major leaguers and they play for a big-time franchise and city."

Over in Atlanta Braves camp, Chipper Jones has been amused by the byplay that has gone on between the Phils and Mets over the last couple of years.

Jones offers his thoughts in Wednesday’s Inquirer.

In actual baseball matters, Hamels threw 41 pitches in the bullpen today and is on track to start March 4.

Phillies players scattered quickly after today’s workout and headed off for the team’s annual golf outing.

The first Grapefruit League game is tomorrow against the Pirates in Bradenton. Jamie Moyer will start.

This just in, from the Phillies:

Individual tickets go on sale tomorrow morning. The Majestic Clubhouse store opens at 7 a.m., with a 15 percent discount all day. Tickets go on sale at 9 am at the West Ticket Windows, near the Majestic store.

The team promises surprises for early-risers.

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, in spring training as a guest instructor, gave his annual State of the Phillies/Game address this morning in Clearwater.

Schmidt touched on the Phillies' chance of repeating: Very good if they stay healthy.

He touched on Alex Rodriguez’ admission that he used performance enhancers.

"I’d welcome him if he got elected to the Hall of Fame," Schmidt said of A-Rod. "I always seem to walk down the middle of the fence. I understand the old, hard-line guys that use the words, `he cheated, he cheated.’ And the other guys that go, `It was a culture thing back then.’ If you played then, you would have been tempted, too. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. I don’t want to get that wrong. We’ve all got some things in our closet."

Schmidt once again indicated that he would have been tempted to use steroids if presented with the chance to take them when he was playing. He had said that before.

Before the interview ended, we had a little fun.

Schmidt was a stalwart on the 1980 World Series champion Phillies.

Which team would win in a matchup between the 1980 club and the 2008 club?

"That's not a good question," Schmidt said with a laugh. "We've already gone through that."

Then Schmidt answered the question.

"Probably these guys," he said of the current club. "Bigger, stronger, faster. Yeah, no doubt in my mind. It would go seven games. It would probably turn on a Schmidt error. Bowa picks it up, throws to first, and Bruce Froemming calls him safe. And the '08 team wins in a controversial play that's talked about for years."

Bright and sunny here, pushing 70 with a nice breeze.

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:

The Phils signed veteran utility man Miguel Cairo to a minor league contract today and invited him to spring training. The veteran infielder will be a candidate to add infield depth.

Cairo, 34, has played 1,200 big-league games for seven teams. He played in 108 games for Seattle last season and hit .249

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:

The Phillies have completed Day 2 of workouts for pitchers and catchers. After today's workout, pitching coach Rich Dubee said that righthander Kyle Kendrick "is still the leading candidate" for the open fifth starter's job.

"I can't walk away from those 21 wins," Dubee said.

Kendrick has 21 wins in his first 50 big-league starts. He lost his spot in the rotation late last season, but hopes improvements to his changeup and slider will help him win back the job this spring.

Dubee emphasized that three others have a chance to win the job in spring training: They are lefty J.A. Happ and righthanders Chan Ho Park and Carlos Carrasco.

"We'll evaulate all of them," Dubee said. "If someone is better, we'll go with someone better."

More on Kendrick in Monday's Inquirer. We'll also have a look at the story behind Carlos Ruiz' decision to play for his native Panama in the World Baseball Classic.

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:

Some years, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel doesn't decide who his opening day starter will be until a few weeks have passed in spring training.

Other years, he knows all along, but won't reveal it.

This year, Manuel named his opening day starter right out of the gate. To no surprise, Cole Hamels will get the ball April 5 against Atlanta.

``Oh, you might as well go ahead and pencil him in,'' Manuel said after the first spring workout for pitchers and catchers. ``There's no sense BSing.''

Hamels was the MVP of the National League Championship Series and the World Series.

The Phils will get their World Series rings before their April 8 game against Atlanta.

Inquirer staff writer Jim Salisbury reports:

Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero met with reporters this morning for the first time since receiving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

Romero tested positive for androstenedione after using an over-the-counter dietary supplement last summer. Romero has said his punishment is not warranted because the list of ingredients on the supplement's packaging included no banned substances.

Despite maintaining his innocence, Romero will take his punishment and move on.

``I guess I have to pay the consequences for something that, in my heart, I know I didn't do anything wrong,'' Romero said before the team's first workout for pitchers and catchers.

``I didn't cheat the game of baseball. I did, according to my understanding, everything by the book. It's just unfortunate that the arbitrator didn't see it that way and I have to pay the consequences of perhaps a wrong ruling, I would say.''

In an October arbitration hearing, Romero claimed that he shouldn't be suspended because no banned substance was listed on the label of 6-Oxo Extreme, the supplement that he purchased last summer in New Jersey. He also stated that the Players' Association had informed players that over-the-counter supplements purchased in the United States were safe.

Asked if the Players' Association let him down, Romero said: ``That's for you to decide.''

Romero said he was considering legal action against ErgoPharm, the maker of 6-OXO Extreme.

Romero also said: ``The bottom line is, the commissioner and all the people who run MLB have a job to do. The union has a job to do. I could say I'm the victim. It's a process. I went through the process, the arbitrator didn't see it the way the union and myself saw it. And now I'm sitting here with a 50-game suspension on my back which I still can't comprehend.''

Romero said he may pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, depending on how his arm feels in the next few days.

``I'm trying to focus on the game right now,'' he said. ``I don't want to be a distraction to my teammates. I came here (today) prepared to answer all the questions I have to answer. After that, I've got to prepare myself to win another championship. That's what I'm here for.''

Romero will be eligible to rejoin pitch for the Phillies on June 1. He can pitch in the minor leagues 16 days before that.

His suspension will cost him nearly $1.3 million in salary. He paid $52 for the supplement.

``Fifty-two dollars cost me $1.3 million,'' he said.
There will be more from Romero in Sunday's Inquirer, as well as plenty more Phillies coverage.

Players are trickling into the Phillies' spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. The official first day of workouts, for pitchers and catchers, is Saturday, but some early birds are getting a head start.