Posted: Monday, February 14, 2011, 3:42 PM | 51 comments |
 

Phillies starters face the media
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CLEARWATER, Fla. - The five starters of the Phillies rotation gathered this afternoon for a news conference. It was the Big 4 (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels) and Joe Blanton.

The five appeared to be in good spirits as they sat at a table facing the media at Bright House Field. They were hit with all kinds of questions.

Lee was asked what it was like to be in spring training with these other top pitchers. "Basically, it's spring training," Lee said. "Just preparing for the season. I'm honored to be around these guys. But I'm just getting ready for the season."

Blanton was asked if he was surprised to still be with the Phillies. "I've been traded before, that's how I got here," Blanton said. "I'm pleased to be here."

"I wish I threw lefthanded," Halladay said with a laugh about his rotation members. "Everybody does it different, different ways of pitching. They are quick, they are aggressive, they go after guys. It's fun to watch."

"I felt like this was the best chance to win a world championship. That's what it's all about," Lee said. "I felt that if I got an opportunity to come back, I would take advantage of it.

Hamels said: "Every year, we've gotten a lot smarter. It shows the organization wants to push the envelope. We love to play this game, we love to play it fast, we're very aggressive. If we continue to stay healthy, we'll see what happens. Now that we have guys with postseason experience, we'll see what happens."

"I couldn't care less what the guy ahead of me does," Lee said. "If he threw a complete-game shutout or gave up five [runs] in the first inning, I'm still going to go out and pitch my best. I'm competing against the other team, not these guys."

"We haven't thrown a single pitch yet, so it's a little early to be compared to another rotation," Lee said when asked what rotation the Phillies' aces would be compared to. "I remember the Braves' rotation [John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux] was very good."

"I didn't find out until the next day that we signed Cliff," Oswalt said. "I'm going to see where I'm at with my body [before deciding whether to pitch in 2012]."

When asked about October, Lee said: "Nobody is going to give it to us because we have a good rotation and good offense."
Posted by Daily News staff @ 3:42 PM  Permalink | 51 comments
52
Comments   
  • 1 like this / 1 don't   •   Posted 2:16 PM, 02/14/2011
    am i reading too much into this, or do all of these responses seem really guarded, defensive, and overly "tight"?
    — tockeyhockey
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:18 PM, 02/14/2011
    five is alive?...that press conference was great cliff lee is all buisness he wants a ring bad they all do no big ego's on that staff stay healthy baby
    — phillykid19
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:21 PM, 02/14/2011
    you're reading way too much into it-these guys are all business which is why they are as good as they are
    — DODGE.EM
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:23 PM, 02/14/2011
    Tight on day 1 of spring training? Don't think so, you're definitely reading too much into this. Nothing has happened yet, what can they do except give canned answers?
    — Phils Phan 28
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:25 PM, 02/14/2011
    can't really compare yourselves to the Braves, Cliff since those 3 were together for more than a year-3. Just saying
    — wolfburn
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:25 PM, 02/14/2011
    The 4 aces and "the other guy". Poor Joe Blanton.
    — ej610
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:27 PM, 02/14/2011
    HAHA 'it was the 4 aces, oh and joe blanton' hahahaha
    — rayne215
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 1 don't   •   Posted 2:36 PM, 02/14/2011
    joe looks like hes in great shape
    — Ted Mosby
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:38 PM, 02/14/2011
    Cliff wasn't comparing Phils staff to the Braves staff of the mid 90's. He was aksed which staff he remembers as being the best he saw.
    — phillyphan17201
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:39 PM, 02/14/2011
    These guys just seems real to me. Refreshing.
    — johnny eagle
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:47 PM, 02/14/2011
    Roy Oswalt looked uncomfortable the whole time; rolling his eyes and his head around, only guy sitting with his arms folded, and the first to stand up when they announced it was over.
    — Dan in Holmesburg
  • 1 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:49 PM, 02/14/2011
    Biggest D'OH moment was the reporter who directed his question at Hamels and remarked "you're the only one with a WS ring" which Cole promptly interrupted and said "Joe's got one too". Had to moan aloud at that one.
    — jactaid
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:09 PM, 02/14/2011
    I'm sorry, but the way the fans/media treat Joe Blanton is absolute BS. He's a good number 3 starter, but the way people talk about him, he is at Adam Eaton levels of incompetence.
    — Tom Cos
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:00 AM, 02/15/2011
    Yep. Joe played a major role in the 2008 WS run. Dude even hit a homer in game 4 and got the win.
    — ludwigiv


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About David Murphy
David Murphy joined the Daily News as its Phillies beat writer in February of 2008. Born in Upper Merion and raised in the Poconos, he attended college at La Salle University before taking jobs with the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News and the St. Petersburg ( Fla. ) Times. E-mail Dave at dmurphy@phillynews.com.

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