Make or break time for a few Phillies prospects

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The seats were being wiped clean and the concession stands readied. The grounds crew carefully painted crisp white lines onto the newly trimmed grass and groomed the infield dirt. The scoreboard was being tested. Workers bustled around the concourse making sure that everything was just so.

These were sure clues that a baseball game will be played at Bright House Field today, and not a moment too soon. It's only an exhibition against Florida State but it beats the hell out of another day of fundamentals drills and batting practice. Better yet, it's a harbinger of what's to come. The Grapefruit League schedule begins in earnest tomorrow against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Everybody understands, however, that the fevered attention the next month of box scores will command is far out of proportion to the actual importance of what they will reveal. A large majority of the spots on every roster are penciled in before players even report. So-called battles for the final openings on the bench or in the bullpen will become afterthoughts when the results begin to count. A promising rookie who fails to make the Opening Day roster still has plenty of time to craft a long and distinguished career.

For established veterans, spring training is all about getting ready. Ditto for youngsters just hoping to make a favorable impression before heading off for their predetermined minor league assignments.

In between, however, there are a few names on the roster for whom the next 33 days have the potential to make or break their careers. Players for whom time might be starting to run out. Players who have to treat each chance to play as seriously as if it was the World Series. Players like John Mayberry Jr., Scott Mathieson, Antonio Bastardo and Mike Zagurski.

One day a player is a bright and shining hope for the future. The next he's considered a has-been and he never knows what hit him. There's no way of knowing exactly when a player slips over the invisible line from prospect to suspect. When "what might be" becomes "what might have been." No formula for organizations to determine when is the proper time to cut the cord. Charlie Manuel laughed when asked what factors come into play when he tries to make that determination.

"The projection part comes into play," the manager said. "When he starts leveling off, if he hits a bump in the road somewhere, if all of a sudden he starts sitting still or backing up. Once you do that, there would be concern.

"One of the biggest things, too, is when you get a chance in the big leagues. Sometimes you get one chance. Sometimes you get two chances. Sometimes you get three. But eventually you have to take advantage of that chance. Because if you don't, there may come a day when a team looks at you and you're no longer in their plans."

Mayberry is the most obvious example in camp this year. The Phillies clearly have a vacancy in rightfield. Their lineup would have more balance if a righthanded hitter took over that spot.

Manuel roots for Mayberry. Knew his father, who starred with the Royals. Is determined to give him an ample opportunity to show what he can do. Remembers that the youngster homered twice in his first 12 at-bats in 2009, when he was called up three times.

But he also understands that Mayberry is now 27 years old and hasn't broken through yet. If he doesn't beat out Domonic Brown and Ben Francisco this spring he'll probably go back to the minors and could be in danger of slipping off the radar screen.

Mathieson broke into the majors in 2006, seemingly destined for big things. Two serious elbow operations followed. He turns 27 this weekend. He's well aware that, for him, spring training is not about getting ready for the regular season.

"It's now," he said. "It's at a point where I don't want to have a minor league career. I want to have a major league career."

For that to happen, Mathieson will have to convince the Phillies that he can be effective with his secondary pitches. Which means that even though he's a fastball pitcher, he'll have to showcase his breaking stuff and get hitters out with it. He'll also have to hope that he appears early enough in games to face the opposing teams' starters.

Bastardo is 25. The Phillies like his arm and are looking for a second lefty to pair with J.C. Romero, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy consistently. Zagurski is 28, has also battled injuries. Both have had big-league chances. Neither has been able to establish himself.

All will have another opportunity this spring. None can be certain how many more there might be. That makes this spring the most important of their baseball lives.

Play ball. *

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