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Tommy Joseph's hard work paying off at first base

DETROIT - Tommy Joseph dove to catch a ball during spring training and thought to himself, "OK, I can do this." The former catcher worked for hours each day on the back fields of the Phillies complex in Clearwater, Fla., as he continued his transition to first base.

DETROIT - Tommy Joseph dove to catch a ball during spring training and thought to himself, "OK, I can do this." The former catcher worked for hours each day on the back fields of the Phillies complex in Clearwater, Fla., as he continued his transition to first base.

He played first base at triple A for the second half of last season, but it was not until that dive that he truly felt comfortable. Joseph has looked more than comfortable in his first 10 days in the majors. He made a diving stop Monday night.

He nabbed a line drive for a double play Sunday and sealed last Tuesday's win with a diving catch and toss to first base. He entered Tuesday without an error in six games.

Joseph says he surprises himself sometimes. "When you were catching, there was so much you could do behind the plate to control the game and help the team win," said Joseph, who had to switch positions after suffering a series of concussions. "At first base, sometimes there's not a whole lot of action. To be able to be successful over there is awesome."

Joseph spent each day during spring training with Phillies minor-league infield coordinator Chris Truby and field coordinator Doug Mansolino. He did drills to fine-tune his footwork, which has looked smooth since he joined the Phillies.

Joseph worked daily once the season began with triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage. He spends his afternoons in the majors with bench coach Larry Bowa and first base coach Mickey Morandini. Joseph's work never seems to stop.

"It's good to see," manager Pete Mackanin said. "It looks like he moves around pretty well. He's made some real nice plays here. He looks relatively comfortable over there. He'll be tested as we go along. Bunt plays, slow-hit balls, various types of plays. But so far, so good."

The Phillies hoped that Joseph's move to first base would in turn improve his hitting. As a catcher, Joseph focused his attention on the team's pitcher instead of himself. He spent his time in the dugout going over the pitching game plan and not preparing for his at-bats.

Joseph said his offense, like his defense, started to click during the spring. He stopped worrying about his pitchers and was one of the standout players of minor-league spring training. Through Monday, three of his six hits were for extra bases. His offense, like his defense, seems to have carried over from the back fields of Clearwater.

"Last year, I was still kind of addicted to the whole catching mentality of wanting to know what's going on," Joseph said. "Now, I just try to worry about their pitcher, what they're going to do, and their game plans. I'm not worried about any sort of pitching or catching plan on our side."

Extra bases

Mackanin said he did not have to talk to Odubel Herrera on Tuesday after benching him Monday for not hustling to first base. The issue was taken care of, the manager said. . . . Monday night was the first time Ryan Howard played at Comerica Park. He has played in all but one of the 30 major-league ballparks. The Phillies will visit the one Howard has missed, Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field, on Aug. 23 and 24.