Utley, Hamels, Rowand are in fine company

SAN FRANCISCO - Before the doors opened to the madness yesterday afternoon, Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels sat at a table in a mostly empty ballroom at the Westin St. Francis hotel.

Teammates Chase Utley and Aaron Rowand sat to his left. Barry Bonds sat 30 feet across.

But Hamels' view of Bonds soon vanished behind the horde of media that stormed the ballroom to see him.

"I've never seen that," Hamels said with a laugh. "I don't understand it, but I think it's kind of funny. You've got all these other all-stars here and everybody is over there. It was a race to the finish line."

"It was a full sprint to Barry Bonds," Utley said. "He's got 100 people around him, which is kind of weird."

Hamels, like Rowand, is a first-time all-star. Utley is making his second straight appearance as the National League's starter at second base.

"Pulling into the terminal [at the airport] and seeing some of the other guys was cool," Hamels said. "Then checking into the hotel and getting your all-star packages was cool. That's pretty much the realization that this is for real. I've finally made it. It's just a great feeling, just to be at the same level as them. Just to be able to talk to them as equals. I've been introducing myself to people."

Hamels is just 23 and his potential seems limitless. It's not hard to picture Hamels (10-4, 3.72 ERA) starting an All-Star Game in the future. He would be the first Phillies pitcher to start since Curt Schilling in 1999.

It's not hard to picture Utley starting at second base for the next 10 years, either. He clearly is the class of the league at his position. He is hitting .325 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs, and if the Phillies can improve their pitching in the second half and remain in the postseason hunt, he could make a run at the NL MVP.

By the way, Utley is hitting eighth tonight.

Eighth.

"We have a good lineup," NL manager Tony La Russa said. "All you have to do is look who's hitting eighth."

"It's a stacked lineup," Utley said. "You could put anybody anywhere."

La Russa sat next to Phillies chairman Bill Giles as Major League Baseball announced tonight's starting lineups. Giles serves as the honorary NL president during the All-Star Game.

"We start the second half in Philly," La Russa said. "I told Bill that Cole Hamels is pitching five innings [tonight]."

Utley and Hamels could be fixtures for the Phillies at future All-Star Games. Utley signed a seven-year, $85 million contract extension in the off-season that will keep him in red pinstripes through 2013. Hamels cannot become a free agent until after the 2012 season.

Rowand is another matter.

He is making his first all-star appearance in a free-agent year. The Phillies have had no contact with Rowand or his representation about a contract extension.

"The business side is obvious," said Rowand, who is batting .310 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs. "It all depends what the Phillies want to do. Somebody asked about going back to Chicago. The honest answer is: There are so many variables that go into it. My decision could be made for me. . . . I don't care how much money you offer me, I don't want to play for somebody who's going to finish fourth or fifth. That's not why I come to the field every day. I want to win.

"It's impossible to say what's going to happen. But I have no idea at all which direction the Phillies are going to go in because they haven't said a word to me or my agent."

Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said yesterday that he didn't like to talk about contracts in season because it can become a distraction to the player, and that no one should read anything into the team's silence.

"And right now we've got enough problems on our hands without getting into talks," Gillick said, referring to the Phillies' pitching staff, which has the highest ERA (4.91) in the National League.

But what does Rowand's gut tell him?

"Pat's got a poker face," he said with a smile. "But it's obvious on the business end of it, you have Shane [Victorino], who's young and inexpensive. And you have Mike [Bourn], who's young and inexpensive. And I'm a free agent. You do the math. There's that business [side] of it I'm sure we'll be taking into account when they decide what they want to do."

For now, the 29-year-old Rowand said he planned to enjoy the week as much as possible. He said he was looking forward to watching the Home Run Derby last night with his son, McKay, and daughter, Tatum.

"It's great being able to be here and share the stage with some of the greatest players in the game," Rowand said. "It's a dream come true. I feel lucky to be here with Chase and Cole."

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