Farewell, Florida
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Farewell, Florida
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Welcome to Disney, where dreams can come true. The Phillies have a simple one: Let nothing else go wrong this spring before the team's scheduled charter flight home this evening.
It's getaway day in Florida, the end to this charmless Phillies spring. The five-time defending National League East champions will depart with a 22-year-old starting at second; continued questions about first base and left field; and myriad bullpen uncertainties.
Other than that, the spring has been great.
Yes, there are positives. Carlos Ruiz has just dominated opposing pitching this spring. He's hitting .512 (21 for 41) with nine extra-base hits. Jimmy Rollins is healthy, swiped five bases, and walked as many times as he's struck out. Hunter Pence has swung a decent bat, hitting .286 (22 for 77) albeit with 20 strikeouts, tied for the fifth most in all of baseball. Shane Victorino is at .299 (20 for 67).
Of course, Grapefruit League statistics have no significance whatsoever, barring a competition for jobs. All of the above players were guaranteed spots.
About the only drama remaining is whether Joe Savery or Raul Valdes makes the bullpen, and if Ruben Amaro Jr. can find an upgrade from another team's cut list. Savery is pitching after Lee this afternoon.
The 32d and final Grapefruit League lineup, which is possibly a preview of Charlie Manuel's thinking against righthanded pitchers:
1. Juan Pierre 7
2. Placido Polanco 5
3. Jimmy Rollins 6
4. Jim Thome 3
5. Hunter Pence 9
6. Shane Victorino 8
7. Carlos Ruiz 2
8. Freddy Galvis 4
9. Cliff Lee 1
Thome is playing first base for the fourth time in eight days. That is a huge storyline heading north.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Any word on Thome's back? He made a heck of a diving stop the other day. Could he actually be in line to play more than once a week?
— zdog- I'm hoping that Howard can get back in there in a month or so. I can't imagine Jim Thome lasting very long with a heavy work load. You have to wonder how effective he will be with the bat. His swing looked pretty good in Fla., but who knows how the daily grind is going to affect that.— djlen
- Thome won't be going through a daily grind. If things go well with Mayberry, Thome will get, at most, half the starts against right handers until Howard returns. A question is how much Mayberry qualifies, as the season progresses, as being an everyday player. If he does, he changes the lineup Manuel has today to put him at 1B with Nix in left on the other half of the days right handers starts.— calm weather
- 3 good starters, may be 3 to 5 other decent players and most of the rest not even major league caliber...as the season progresses all you naive Amaro-apologists will see the pure futility of this awful team put together by the most inept g.m in sports spending the biggest budget in the league with nary a clue— warbiscuit
- Nobody has mentioned this, but Thome has not homered this Spring, and he's had a fair number of at bats. Could his power be diminished by the strain on his back from playing in the field?— SteveS11
- If that's the opening day lineup its got to be one of the oldest Game One lineups in the history of baseball. If you take out Galvis and Pence, six of them are in their 30's and one in his 40's. Phillies have won the NL with the Whiz Kids and the Wheeze Kids. Now they are trying to do with the "Over the Hill Gang" Good luck!
— Dull - I love that lineup. Speed at the top. Jimmy in a spot where he can swing away.— beefbre
- No upside in keeping Nix....just an opinion. If Cholly is really into small ball keep Pierre + Pods and Orr.— NewMick314
