Some of the Phillies starting pitchers need more work on the logic than their stuff.
Randy Wolf had another shaky outing last week, allowing six runs in just over four innings. Afterwards, Wolf told reporters he had his best command of the Spring. Yikes!
Brett Myers had another lousy outing over the weekend but with a logic known only to himself declared he was pleased with his fastball. The line score read: 11 hits, six runs, 3 1/3 innings pitched. Myers now sports an ERA of 9.56. But, oh that fastball!
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Poor Marlon Byrd. He has had a fantastic Spring and appears to be a cinch to head north with the club. Moreover, with Kenny Lofton still nursing a hamstring, Byrd looked like a good bet to begin the season as the starting centerfielder. So what happens? He dives back into first base to avoid a pickoff and dislocates a finger. As of yesterday, the finger was merely dislocated not broken, and no ligament damage seems to have occurred; but Marlon could be out as many as two weeks. Whatever the final diagnosis, it makes sense for him to sit until fully recovered. Jim Thome injured a finger last spring, tried to play through it, and never fully healed. But Byrd and the Phils must be disappointed.
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Indications are David Bell will be in the starting lineup come opening day. That leaves our old friend Placido Polanco without a spot. I’ll spare readers my usual litany of Polanco’s virtues and simply predict he will get a lot of playing time before too long.
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