Phillies Notebook: Phillies' newest Pedro is Feliz, too
Phillies Notebook: Phillies' newest Pedro is Feliz, too
Nobody seemed too upset about the delay. The New York media has a designation for such a thing. Pedro Time, they call it - with no definite accounting for its ebbs and flows. In fact, far more than the setting of the sun, Pedro Time seems to be determined by the various fancies that pass in front of him as he bounces his way through baseball life, one reason his eventual arrival is normally greeted with more chuckles than grumbles.
Yesterday, it was when he spotted a man at a distance walking down the hallway away from the conference room where the media awaited.
"Charrr-layyy," Martinez yelled.
A few moments later, the future Hall of Famer and new Phillie captured the security guard in a smothering embrace, then chatted with him for the rest of the walk to the room.
Life in the Big Apple might not stop when Martinez leaves, but it certainly gains a certain energy when he returns.
"I'm very happy to be back," Martinez said moments later, when he sat down behind a microphone at the front of the room. "I'm very happy to see some old friends and actually get back into my home. In a different uniform? The only thing that changes is the colors. I remain the same person, I remain the same player, I'm just looking forward to having a blast over here."
Those who had come in search of controversy left unfulfilled. Yes, Martinez said, he had hoped to continue his career with the Mets. No, he said, general manager Omar Minaya never offered him a contract. Yes, Martinez said, he heard from numerous people that he should take a "Glavine contract," referring to the incentive-based deal the Braves handed aging lefty Tom Glavine this offseason. No, Martinez said, he never considered such a thing.
But even while talking for nearly 20 minutes to an audience that had followed him for the previous four seasons, Martinez somehow avoided turning his start tomorrow into a showdown between himself and his former team.
"I think it's going to be like always, the same mutual respect and fun," said Martinez, who allowed three runs in five innings in his Phillies debut, then allowed one run in three innings of a rain-shortened outing at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday. "If they think like I think, and they feel like I feel about them, it's going to be great. It's going to be great to see them, and exchange with them these 3 days and they are going to get a great chance to see me in a different way: healthier, more focused, and more relaxed about the game."
Tomorrow, it is Pedro Time. Scheduled, tentatively, of course, for 1:10 p.m.
Myers makes progress
Over the previous 2 years, Brett Myers had seen the velocity of his fastball drop precipitously, according to data recorded by FanGraphs.com, from an average of 92.6 mph in 2007 to 89.3 mph in his month-and-half of action this season. So the Phillies had to be happy with Myers' performance in his first rehab outing since having hip surgery in early June.
In one inning of work for Class A Clearwater Thursday, Myers struck out three, allowed two hits and averaged 90 to 92 mph on his fastball. While the drop in velocity from 2007 to 2009 can be partially attributed to the fact that he was a reliever in 2007 and a starter in the next two seasons, the Phillies think a big factor was the hip condition he battled throughout that time.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. estimated yesterday that Myers will likely need four to five minor league appearances before he is ready to contribute to the Phillies. While that will not happen in the immediate future, it might not be too far into September before the free agent-to-be is ready to join the bullpen.
"We're working on mapping something out," Amaro said, "but the schedule is fluid, depending on how it goes."
The plan, according to Amaro, will be to build enough strength in Myers to pitch two, maybe three, innings at a high level.
His performance Thursday was an important first step.
Phillers
The Phillies are making final preparations for the players they will call up when rosters expand on Sept. 1. Rather than prospects such as Michael Taylor, expect such names as Rodrigo Lopez, John Mayberry Jr. and Jack Taschner to reappear, along with a third catcher . . . Greg Dobbs entered last night 6-for-11 with a home run in his career off Mets starter Mike Pelfrey. Not surprising, he was in the lineup and batting seventh, giving third baseman Pedro Feliz a day off . . . Third baseman Greg Dobbs left the game in the fifth inning with a strained calf . . . Mets manager Jerry Manuel was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing that Jeff Francoeur had not been tagged by Jimmy Rollins on a caught stealing. Television replays backed his claims . . . Gary Sheffield was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes . . . Righthander Chan Ho Park pitched for the first time since Aug. 12, allowing one hit in two scoreless innings. *
