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Phillies' Perkins makes opening statement at the plate

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Cameron Perkins has at least one thing in common with Pete Mackanin: a strong dislike for batting gloves. Perhaps that will be enough to sway the Phillies manager later this spring when he makes the final decisions on his opening day roster.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Cameron Perkins has at least one thing in common with Pete Mackanin: a strong dislike for batting gloves. Perhaps that will be enough to sway the Phillies manager later this spring when he makes the final decisions on his opening day roster.

Perkins, who bats barehanded like Mackanin did during his career, will use any advantage he can to carve out a role as an extra outfielder after spending last season in triple A. He put forth a strong opening statement Friday, going 2 for 2 with a home run as the Phillies began Grapefruit League play with a 9-4 loss to the Yankees. The Phillies did not have a hit until the seventh inning, when Perkins came off the bench for a pinch-hit single.

The competition for the fifth outfield spot will likely come down to Perkins, Chris Coghlan, Daniel Nava, and Brock Stassi. All four played Friday. Nava went 1 for 3 and Coghlan finished 0 for 3. Stassi added a homer of his own in the ninth, two batters after Perkins went yard. It is shaping up to be a good race.

"All I can do is do exactly what I did today," Perkins said. "When I get my opportunity, make the best of it. Whether I'm wearing a major-league jersey, minor-league jersey, IronPigs, Reading, it doesn't matter. I'm just going to go out there and help whatever team I'm playing for win. Because that's the competitor I am. It doesn't matter if I'm playing chess or I'm playing whatever, I want to win."

Perkins, 26, batted .292 with a .329 on-base percentage in 408 at-bats last season with triple-A Lehigh Valley. The righthander runs well and is a smooth defender who can play all three outfield spots. He stopped wearing batting gloves when he was in high school. He made swinging a bat feel as if he was "holding a tree trunk." Mackanin would wear them only when it was cold during his time in Montreal. No batting gloves, Mackanin said, makes Perkins look like a real ball player.

"He doesn't grade out as a top-notch type prospect, but he's a solid player," Mackanin said. "He swings the bat. He's aggressive. He can play anywhere you want and he can sit on the bench and come off the bench and swing the bat pretty well. My first impression is a good one."

Extra bases

Jeremy Hellickson will start Sunday against Toronto in Dunedin and Jerad Eickhoff will pitch Monday against Tampa Bay at Spectrum Field. . . . Sean Burnett gave up a homer and allowed two runs in one inning. The lefthander is working his way back from his second Tommy John surgery. Making the Phillies could be a steep challenge. . . . "You're doing yourself an injustice even being here if you don't see yourself in the big leagues," Brock Stassi said after homering. "I'm definitely very confident in myself, and I want to win that job."

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen www.philly.com/philliesblog