Different Strokes

We are constantly reminded just how mortal ballplayers are when they speak up following a trade.

David Bell regretted he could not help the Phillies reach the post-season during his four years here. He left town knowing he had made a number of lifelong friendships among his former teammates. “It's [being traded] always a surprise. You know there's always a chance, that it's part of the game. I'm disappointed to be leaving my teammates and disappointed because we didn't win. That's why I came here - to be part of a winning team. I'm disappointed mostly that we didn't make the playoffs while I was here, but I made a lot of great friends for life here.”

Rheal Cormier enjoyed his five years in Philadelphia and also lamented the team did not reach the post-season during his tenure here. “I had a good time here. I just wish the best for the players here, the young players like Chase [Utley] and Ryan [Howard] that they're going to build around."

Cory Lidle saw things a little differently. "I'm the kind of player that goes to the field every day expecting to win, and unfortunately over the last few years I haven't had a clubhouse that expected to win with me. So, we'd go to the field on the days I'm pitching, it's almost a coin flip as to know if the guys behind me are going to be there to play 100 percent."

"The expectations are going to be a lot different [in New York]. That's why I'm most excited about it. Sometimes I felt I got caught up kind of going into the clubhouse nonchalantly sometimes, because all of the other guys in the clubhouse didn't go there with one goal in mind. Sometimes there was mixed signals. Sometimes it seemed like winning was all that mattered and sometimes it didn't seem like winning mattered at all."

Oddly, two years earlier, after Lidle had been acquired by the Phillies at mid-season, he had this to say about returning to the club in 2005: "I knew Philadelphia was the place I wanted to be. What I found in this game is that it's hard to find 25 guys that get along as well as the 25 guys do on this team. That's big to me. I've been on teams that were supposed to be good and didn't get anything done because there was no chemistry. I like what I see here. It's something I want to be a part of. We have the caliber to get to the playoffs, and hopefully go all the way."

In between those comments and his blast yesterday, Lidle took a leave of absence from the Phillies last season for personal reasons right in the middle of the chase for the Wild Card. No explanations were ever offered publicly and, as far as I can determine, no recriminations took place. The other 24 guys on the roster respected his privacy and accepted him back. It is highly unlikely, however, that he made many friends for life, especially after his comments yesterday.