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The Phillies Zone

Archive: March, 2009

One more thing

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 10:27 PM

Andy Martino

Had enough news? Can you take any more? Brett Myers will start opening night.

14 comments

Team sources: Chances of Sheff "very slim"

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 5:44 PM

Andy Martino

A name like Gary Sheffield is guaranteed to create buzz, both for and against the idea of bringing him in. Though the lines of communication are open between the Phillies and the 40-year-old slugger, multiple team sources told the Inquirer that chances of signing Sheffield are, in the words of one official, "very slim."

Ruben Amaro Jr. would only say that the parties had spoken today, and declined to comment whether Sheffield would accept a part-time role.

I posed that last question to Sheffield's agent Rufus Williams a few minutes ago. He said: "As we look for our options over the next few days, we'll decide what the best role will be. (A part-time role) is not off the table; nothing is off the table."

35 comments

Park fifth starter, Phils have talked with Sheffield

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 4:04 PM

Andy Martino

The hits keep coming this week. After releasing Geoff Jenkins, the Phillies have informed Chan Ho Park that he will be their fifth starter. J.A. Happ will compete with Gary Majewski, Bobby Mosebach and Jack Taschner for a bullpen spot. A visably upset Happ has so far declined to speak with the media.

Also, Ruben Amaro Jr. said that the team had spoken with Gary Sheffield's representative. Sheffield, 40, was released by the Tigers today. At the moment, Miguel Cairo is the 25th man on the roster, but Amaro made clear that he was still looking at other alternatives for that job.

26 comments

More on Jenkins release

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 2:55 PM

Andy Martino

Some of what Jenkins had to say: "I knew that there was a lot of lefthanded hitters, so I knew someone was going to be the odd man out at some point," he said. "I don't regret anything, one minute that I was here. Jenkins gave the organizaton high marks for their handling of the situation, and expressing no bitterness. He said that Charlie Manuel told him, "There's going to be another home for you, and just keep working hard"

5 comments

Phillies release Geoff Jenkins

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 2:03 PM

Andy Martino

About 25 minutes after speaking with Ruben Amaro Jr. and Charlie Manuel, Geoff Jenkins talked to reporters about his release. Sitting on a picnic table behind the Phillies clubhouse, Jenkins was composed after the Phillies decided to eat the $8 million left on his contract.

3 comments

Myers or Blanton for opener

POSTED: Monday, March 30, 2009, 5:06 PM

Andy Martino

More for you chewers to chew on, courtesy of Jim Salisbury. He's covering the beat today while I work on the season preview, and let's just say the poor guy picked a busy one. After Cole Hamels threw 64 pitches in four minor league innings and allowed 10 hits, three runs, one walk, five strikeouts, he said he felt good, but needed one more practice start. Rich Dubee said that either Joe Blanton or Brett Myers will start opening night April 5. Hamels is on track to pitch this Saturday's exhibition in Philadelphia against Tampa Bay and the fourth game of the regular season, in Colorado April 10.

24 comments

Giles Released, Mayberry and Carrasco sent down

POSTED: Monday, March 30, 2009, 8:45 AM

Andy Martino

And the roster continues to settle. The Phillies have released INF Marcus Giles, who was attempting a comeback after missing the entire 2008 season. P Carlos Carrasco and OF John Mayberry Jr. have been optioned to Triple-A, and P Mike Koplove. OF Jason Ellison and INF Pablo Ozuna have been told that they will not make the opening day roster, but will travel to Philadelphia for the exhibition series against Tampa Bay.

These moves simply confirm what had become obvious. Giles batted .167 and lacked the defensive versatility of Miguel Cairo, who looks like he'll be the righty bat off the bench--unless the team makes a trade, which they'd like to do. The fast recoveries of Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz essentially ended Giles' audition.

Koplove has pitched well (1.23 ERA), but as a righty in a righty-heavy bullpen, faced long odds. The Taschner trade was not good news for him. Mayberry's and Carrasco's need for further development was clear. Ellison and Ozuna were always headed for Triple-A, barring injuries to someone else.

72 comments

The World Baseball Thing

POSTED: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 6:40 PM

Andy Martino

3/29 Wrap

It was March 12 in Port Charlotte when I first noticed Charlie Manuel sounding anxious about some of his hitters. Minor injuries and the “World Baseball Thing,” as Charlie dismissively called it today, left many regulars short of the 65-70 Grapefruit League at-bats Manuel feels are needed to prepare for the season.

That day, Manuel was asked if his team’s loss bothered them. As he began his response, he seemed to realize that the answer was yes. “Actually, we've got to get our regular lineup out there soon,” he said.

The subject died for a while, but after the Phillies lost 3-1 to Boston and a wild Jon Lester today (their only run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Howard), Manuel returned to it at length. Here’s part of the monologue:

“We’re not playing good right now. We’re not knocking the runs in, we’re not hitting the ball good. I mean, we’ve got to do better. We’re still in the process of getting Utley and Feliz and Victorino and Rollins some at-bats. Victorino got behind when he went to the World Baseball thing, he got 19 at-bats or something….we’ve got Coste, we’ve got a whole lot of those guys (who are behind)…At the start of spring training, that was our goal, to get everybody at-bats to be ready to go when the season starts, and we’re running short with some of those guys. It takes you a while to get your timing and get in good playing condition….Am I concerned about it? I’ve been to spring training 40-some years, and I know this: you’ve got to have at-bats….There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Other comments were less family-friendly. As I wrote the other day---the season is approaching, and the mood around here is becoming more serious.

***

Joe Blanton was terrific today, allowing two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Blanton has pitched more consistently than anyone this spring, and both he and Manuel said he was ready for the season. He will probably start that Friday exhibition at Citizens Bank Park.

Cole Hamels will pitch tomorrow, though it could be in the major league or minor league game. As mentioned earlier, he long-tossed this morning before the game and looked fine. I wouldn’t read much into the major/minor league switcheroo, although Dubee did tell me that minor league games caused less stress on a pitcher’s arm—not as much competitive tension, I guess—so you CAN probably read that Hamels won’t be ready opening night, if this is where he is now. “I wouldn’t rule anything out when it comes to Cole Hamels,” Dubee said. But come on. Expect an official announcement on an opening night starter in the next few days.

Jack Taschner arrived today, and I’ll have a getting-to-know-the-new-lefty piece in tomorrow’s paper. He threw a bullpen session , and when I asked Dubee what he noticed about the new guy, he said: “That he was lefthanded.” Thanks, Dubes.

***

Sorry that I don’t have time to respond to the many emailers who enjoyed our recent digression into the founding brothers. I’ll just say this: thanks for the kind words, and as far as I’m concerned, the only way to cover sports is to connect it to the rest of the world. That’s what you can always expect from my coverage. Otherwise, the games are just...games (and we love them, but still). Not everyone agrees with that—and I’m sure I’ll hear from you—but judging from recent responses, most of you do.

11 comments

Sunday's lineup

POSTED: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 11:09 AM

Andy Martino

The tarp is on the field at Bright House, but the rain seems to be clearing. Here's the lineup for the 1:05 game against the Bloody Sox.

Rollins SS

Victorino CF

7 comments

Happ pitches in Dunedin

POSTED: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 1:13 PM

Andy Martino

The Phillies play the Pirates in Bradenton today, but the more newsworthy game may well have occured on a minor league field in Dunedin, where J.A. Happ pitched (Jamie Moyer starts in the Grapefruit League game, and he seems pretty much assured of a spot in the rotation).

It wasn't Happ's finest outing, but most of the damage came in a three-run first inning. Here's the line: 5 1/3 IP, 5R, 3BB, 4K, 6H. He threw 94 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Pedro Feliz went 0 for 6 in that game.

19 comments