Posted on Sat, Jun. 28, 2008
ARLINGTON, Texas - If a poll had been taken in the clubhouse when
Vicente Padilla still pitched for the Phillies, it wouldn't have been surprising to hear the players say he had the best stuff on the team.
He just had problems showing it at the end.
He hasn't lately. Padilla is 10-3 with a 3.74 ERA for the Texas Rangers this season. He faces Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels tonight.
"I think the change of scenery did him good," manager
Charlie Manuel said before last night's game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. "He's always had a good arm. Everybody in baseball knew that. But I think Texas has been very rewarding to him. He signed a $36 million contract. He's winning more games."
The Phillies traded Padilla to the Rangers on Dec. 12, 2005, for a player to be named because he had fallen out of favor in the organization. The player to be named was
Ricardo Rodriguez, whom the Phillies released before the end of spring training in 2006.
"Sometimes it's addition by subtraction," general manager
Pat Gillick said of the trade after the Phils released Rodriguez. "[But] if you release a guy and somebody goes someplace else, it turns out it wasn't a good trade."
The Phillies had reasons for trading Padilla. He had been in two automobile accidents in his native Nicaragua before his final season with the club. He had a minor accident in January 2005. He was a passenger in a serious accident in 2003 that left his close friend dead. Reports in Nicaragua also surfaced about an alleged drinking problem, which Padilla denied.
He had struggled in 2004 and 2005 with injuries after going 14-11 with a 3.28 ERA in 2002 and 14-12 with a 3.62 ERA in 2003. He opened 2005 on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow. He missed three more starts with a strained back, strained neck and strained rib muscle. He also missed time in 2004 with triceps and elbow tendinitis.
Because of his off-the-field and on-the-field issues, the Phillies didn't consider him very reliable and worth an investment.
Padilla wasn't happy, either.
"We had a situation where we had a player who didn't want to play in Philadelphia," assistant general manager
Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "Frankly, we didn't feel like his salary or doing a multiyear deal was going to be beneficial for the organization at the time. We just weren't comfortable at the time based on his performance and based on where we were at our payroll. . . . He wasn't somebody we wanted to lock up a good percentage of our payroll with."
Padilla went 15-10 with a 4.50 ERA for the Rangers in 2006. He signed a three-year, $33.75 million contract afterward. He went 6-10 with a 5.76 ERA in 2007 before rebounding this season.
"He has been one of the better pitchers in the league," Rangers manager
Ron Washington said.
The Phillies believe that would not have happened had he remained in Philadelphia.
Knocking the rust off
Righthander
Tom Gordon pitched Wednesday for the first time since June 15 because of soreness in his shoulder. He allowed two hits, two runs (one earned), and a walk in one inning. He struck out one.
Gordon said he felt fine physically but was comfortable in throwing only his curveball. He expects his other pitches to come as he gets back on the mound.
Jenkins' woes
Rightfielder
Geoff Jenkins entered last night hitless in his last 26 at-bats and with just two hits in his last 49 (.049).
"I've talked to Geoff the last couple of days," Manuel said. "We've got to work on his hitting. We've got to find a way to get him going. He's struggling right now. I think it's his approach to the ball. It's where his bat goes. He wraps the bat around his head. When he lifts his [right] leg, it's even more."
Contact staff writer Todd Zolecki at 215-854-4874 or tzolecki@phillynews.com.
Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/phillieszone.
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