Feeling Disrespected

Grapefruit League question of the day:

Just how eternal doth hope spring if you have to hand the ball to Adam Eaton every fifth day?

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There are few if any beat writers in MLB more even-tempered and fair-minded than the Inquirer's Jim Salisbury so it was more than a little noteworthy this AM that he minced no words in taking Cole Hamels to task for complaining about the contract the Phils renewed with the young southpaw. Here are a few samples from Salisbury's piece:

Cry no tears for Cole Hamels.

Hamels, frankly, sounds spoiled and out of touch when he talks of being slighted by the deal, when he hints that he'll hold it against the club in the future. What does that mean? He's going to walk when he becomes a free agent after the 2012 season?

Hamels needs to take a deep breath and do his history homework. He needs to learn from what Howard went through last year.

This contract renewal shouldn't be getting Hamels down. But if he wakes up this morning still feeling slighted, he needs to get over it quickly.

and finally,

Pretty soon, the system will favor Hamels and he will have his say.

In the meantime, he's being treated fairly this season. Go pitch.

Those are strong words for Salisbury and, frankly, Hamels deserved every one of them. As it turns out, Hamels isn't the only unhappy budding star out there this morning. The Brewer's Prince Fielder is also feeling "disrespected" by the $670,000 salary at which his team renewed him.

The whole matter of salary being tied to respect, not just to performance and in this era length of service, is the new wrinkle in professional sports. Baseball players have complained about being underpaid since, well, probably Abner Doubleday may or may not have excluded them from revenue sharing, but their arguments always centered on performance. When told in 1928 he was being paid more than the President of the United States, Babe Ruth is reported to have said "I had a better year than he did!" It was all about performance then . Now, the complaints grow louder with each passing season and emanate from younger and less experienced players each Spring who feel slighted by management not just for what they've done but for who they are.

The crux of the matter seems to hinge not on length of service or performance but on gestures. A player like Hamels, who has 1.5 years of major league service under his belt and who is still at least year away from salary arbitration, is in no position at this juncture of his career to demand bigger money but as the Phillies' top starter last season and putative number one guy in 2008 he believes in his heart the Phillies should have shown him more respect and made the appropriate gesture of paying him a few hundred thousand dollars more than they finally did. Length of service be damned, his argument goes. I'm good!!

Last year many people including this observer felt the Phillies would have been doing the right thing by increasing Ryan Howard's salary to an even one million dollars instead of the final figure of $900,000, but in his case the argument was buttressed by a few incontrovertible facts, namely, he'd followed his ROY honors with an MVP season of prodigious proportions. The additional $100,000 might have been a gesture by some accounts, but strictly speaking the facts in the case were compelling: Howard's performance kept getting bigger and better.

When he didn't get the respect he deserved, Howard pouted. Make no mistake about it, his injured quads weren't the only reason he got off to a bad start. He came to camp a little too beefy and more than a little too out-of-sorts and it took him a long time to get over it.

Hamels' performance has also improved with each passing month, not year, but he still has a lot more to prove including whether or not he can stay healthy and whether or not he can keep the ball in the park, especially Citizens Bank Park. Lest we forget, Hamels also complained somewhat bitterly last year that the Phillies didn't provide a chiropractor's services and he hinted that contributed to his health problems. Let the record show the Phillies now have a chiropractor on staff at their expense.

Salisbury is right on when he advises Hamels to "Go pitch".

Spring Bouquets

Another season like the last two and the current Phillies infield, third base notably excepted, will have to be counted among the greatest ever assembled. Speaking of legendary infields, did you know the great Tinkers to Evers to Chance combo produced a grand total of eight double plays in its signature season? Of course, in those days turning a double play on an infield ground ball was almost unheard of.

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Now that the FBI is investigating Roger Clemens to determine if, heaven forbid, he lied to Congress, one has to wonder not how much by why the Rocket is paying his legal/pr team. Recent history tells us that nearly every player who was counseled to look straight into the camera, point a finger and forcefully deny any wrongdoing did not end up well while those who sought the sporting public's forgiveness by and large received it. The best defense may be a good offense, but not necessarily in jurisprudence.

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Did you read this funny quote from Ryan Howard in a piece by Todd Zolecki in the Inquirer?

Ryan Howard crushed a three-run home run to right field in the third inning, the ball easily leaving the ballpark.

"I was looking for a fastball, and I just put a good swing on it," Howard said.

"For the record," Jimmy Rollins interrupted, "let the record reflect the size of the earrings in his ear."

"I enrolled in 'I want to be Jimmy Rollins' classes," Howard joked. "This is one of the prerequisites."

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Count me among those who agree the naming of Brett Myers as the Phils opening day starter was more a psychological ploy than an attempt to set up pitching matchups. Frankly, Myers needs all the psychology the Phils' alleged brain trust can muster. This will be his make-or-break season to finally deliver as a top of the rotation pitcher. The bet here is he will not. Myers lacks both the brains and the discipline to be a reliable number one or two.

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The results of Spring Training games aren't entirely meaningless...except for the final scores. At least that's what last year's first round pick Joe Savery hopes after he was roughed up pretty good yesterday by one of the weakest lineups in MLB. I've always held the superstitious belief that a sub-500 Grapefruit League record augured a successful regular season. Note I wrote "superstitious belief". I cannot offer any proof one way or another.

Comings And Goings

His first pitch of the day, and during batting practice no less!

The Phillies' promising bullpen situation just got unsettled to say the least as newly acquired closer Brad Lidge caught his spike on the mound and tweaked his surgically repaired knee before the first Spring Training game even took place. The organization will hold its collective breath as doctors, trainers and, of course Lidge himself, sees how things feel today and tomorrow.

There's little to be gained by panicking but something to gained by speculating. If Lidge is unable to start the season, something which was already a possibility given the surgery, the Phils may move Brett Myers back to the pen and try and sign Kyle Lohse to replace him in the starting rotation. You can be sure the front office is already making discreet inquiries, particularly since Lohse is represented by the dreaded Scott Boras. Only yesterday manager Charlie Manuel expressed surprise Lohse was still unsigned. Manuel added he didn't expect Loshe's unemployment to endure much longer. Little did he know!

Lohse is strictly a mediocrity, but in today's pitching-starved big leagues mediocrities have a definite place. Only Lohse's salary demands and unpopular agent have prevented any teams from signing him to date. Look for that to change soon, whether or not it's the Phillies who blink first.

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An article in today's Inquirer by Jim Salisbury quotes Scott Rolen as saying he would have accepted a trade back to the Phillies had an offer been made before he was swapped to Toronto. Apparently the Phils never seriously considered reacquiring Rolen for fear his injury problems have diminished his abilities and would be too risky for the three-years remaining on his contract.

Rolen also responded to the charge he could not get along with managers:

Rolen's commitment and professional approach to playing the game have never been questioned, but after two highly visible disputes with managers, it's legitimate to wonder if he has a problem getting along with people, particularly those in authority.

"Fair question," Rolen said. "I've thought about people thinking that. I'm the common denominator in both situations. I'm smart enough to see that.

End of story.

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While everyone in baseball agrees the Mets' acquisition of Johann Santana makes them a formidable playoff contender, the key off-season pitching acquisition in MLB may have been made by the Detroit Tigers when they traded for Dontrelle Willis (along with Miguel Cabrera). Willis has a decidedly mediocre season in 2007, losing fifteen while winning ten and sporting an ERA nearly 1.5 runs per nine innings above his lifetime figure.

Some scouts felt he'd lost some zip on his fastball and he struggled spotting his breaking stuff. It's also possible he'd lost something of his famous enthusiasm playing in front of 895 fans and 211 ushers and vendors every night in humid South Florida.

The move to Michigan may be just what the doctor ordered to revive his enthusiasm if not career. Along with Justin Verlander, they could be an impressive 1-2 punch. If Kenny Rogers has anything left in the tank and if Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson can bounce back the Tigers could have one tough rotation. One thing's for sure: Willis will be backed up by the most formidable lineup the game has seen for many years if not decades.

Leaving Aside The Riches

Ryan Howard is a very rich young man today following an arbitration panel's decision agreeing with the big first baseman's representatives that his true market value is $10 million not the $7 million the Phillies were offering. Were the arbitrators obligated to take into account the impact of their judgment on baseball's salary structure? No. Will their decision have a major impact on that structure? You'd better believe it. Professional sports don't operate in the realm of cost-of-living adjustments.

What does this mean for both sides? Who knows!? Will Howard be "content" to sign a series of one-year deals with the Phils until he becomes a free agent four years hence or will the two sides eventually agree to a long-term contract? Everything is speculation. (For what it's worth, I doubt Howard will be a Phillie in 2012.).

What I do expect is a better year for Howard at the plate and in the field. He arrived in camp early, a little bit trimmer and in good spirits. He said he wants to work on his defense and as the estimable Erik Grissom , author of Philliesflow.com can attest, he needs to!

Howard needs to cut down on the strikeouts and the grimaces that followed. He needs to go the other way a little more and shorten his stroke when contact, not a moonshot, is called for or dictated by how he's being pitched.

If he continues to drive in runs and brings his average up around the figures of his first two seasons, he will have a very productive year indeed. Whatever outcome, he'll be paid handsomely.

Around The Horn

Random thoughts as the February weather in Philadelphia swings wildly, feeling one day like Florida and the next like Maine....

Ryan Howard is in an historic position as his arbitration hearings get underway today. He might be the only man in the history of personal finance to get a $6.1 million raise and be pissed. Life can throw a few curves along the way, especially to big guys with big swings. He may have to adjust.

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Much has been written and filmed regarding the Phillies' organization-wide practical joke played on second year man Kyle Kendrick, who by all appearances doesn't seem to be a real worldly sort of fellow. The elaborate ruse in which Kendrick is informed by everyone including his own agent he'd been traded to a Japanese team brought chuckles from the local and national media. Most observers passed the whole thing off a harmless case of boys being boys, only there were some fairly senior guys involved in this plot.

Managers and especially Assistant General Managers should maintain some distance, however, and in this case they chose not to. Charlie Manuel is such a players' manager he might be excused, but Asst. GM Ruben Amaro had no business participating. Labor and management can maintain cordial, even friendly relations, but they operate in very different spheres. Some lines should not be crossed and practical joking in the clubhouse is one of these.

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If nothing else, Roger Clemens has had at least one effect on the other players named in the Mitchell Report. Many of them have watched Clemens' orchestrated, aggressive defense and [probably] found it unconvincing. Instead, many of them have decided to take a more direct approach and simply apologize for the use of performance enhancement drugs.

Clemens didn't win many friends with his approach. Indeed, he's lost at least one good one of long-standing in Andy Petitte. It remains to be seen whether or not Clemens' long-term prospects for forgiveness if not redemption improve as the controversy plays out.

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J-Roll has arrived in camp, which means the atmosphere is just a little brighter and no doubt chirpy. Everyone is waiting for Jimmy to respond to Carlos Beltran, but the highly likeable and talkative reigning MVP isn't likely to oblige. The bet here is Jimmy is going to enjoy seeing Beltran undergo the sort of treatment he received a year ago when he uttered his "We're the team to beat" line. What's sauce for the goose....

Neither The Staff Nor Stuff Of Legends

The Phillies are not currently the team to beat in the NL East, at least not as currently constituted. Not even close. Their pitching staff is far too mediocre for them to be considered a playoff team and the names being bandied about as possible additions will do nothing to change that picture.

Kyle Lohse, a long-shot to be added, is a sub-500 career pitcher who gives up more than 4.5 runs per nine innings. Even my modest math skills tell me he is going to lose more than he is going to win. It's a testament to how thin the pickings are that he is still on the radar screen. Kris Benson is even greater testament to the bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings still looking for work. Another career sub-500 pitcher, he carries the added liability that he has had serious health problems. The fellows being counted on to hold down the middle of the starting rotation include the oldest man in baseball, still active division, a youngster who wasn't being counted on last season at all but who filled in on a long-term emergency basis, and quite well, and another career sub-500 pitcher who may or may not have had shoulder miseries last year but certainly had performance ones. Oh, and the other starters are an ace who still hasn't proved he is healthy enough to go a full season without a breakdown along the way, and a fiery former closer who was a former starter who has reluctantly returned to the rotation. Neither the staff nor stuff of legends.

The bullpen isn't much better, with the closer a fellow who has had both psychological (confidence) and physical ailments and a setup man who has had major physical ailments for as long as anyone around here can remember.

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The Colorado Rockies keep signing their young stars to either long-term contracts or lucrative raises and there hasn't been any of the tension the Phillies are experiencing with Ryan Howard. Only time will tell if they were shrewd in signing these players but one has to be impressed with how all parties have handled negotiations.

The Phils' recent history with regard to signing core players has been mixed both in terms of the negotiations and the results. Pat Burrell, of course, is the most infamous recent case. A mere year after signing his long-term deal everyone in town regretted the decision, perhaps including Burrell. Lately, the few noises he's made about his tenure in Philadelphia have been surprisingly positive for a player about whom no one is neutral.

Jim Thome, gone two years now, is still costing the Phils money. He was the biggest free agent signing in Phillies history and lasted only a few years. Mike Lieberthal's deal quietly dragged down the budget until it expired a year ago. Chase Utley is only in the second year of his long-term deal and given how he has performed one wonders how much more money he would command if he were in negotiations today. Jimmy Rollins, believe it or not, is entering the third year of his four year deal (with an option for a fifth year). Given Rollins' recent history and value to the club, his $40 million contract (which computed out to $46 million in the end) was and remains a veritable bargain. If J-Roll were coming up for a renewal after last season, he would command a far larger piece of the pie to sign him and keep him happy. Another season like last year's MVP campaign and the Phils will almost surely be forced to extend his contract. Howard is arguably the face of the franchise if by that we mean the best-known player to fans around the country. Utley is the player many would choose if building a team. Rollins, however, remains the heart and soul of the franchise. He's fun to watch and listen to and he's a terrific all-around player.

Good Riddance

Spare us the tough love tributes. Good riddance to Bobby Knight. For all of the mothers' sons who felt his brand of abuse made men of them, there were plenty of others who saw him for the boor he was and always will be. And that latter list doesn't even begin to include the writers, telecasters, officials and others who felt his everlasting, invective-laced scorn and contempt.

One writer said things would be far less interesting than they were the day before he quit. What is that ancient Chinese curse about living in interesting times? Others cited his rotten timing and wondered, baring extenuating circumstances such as illness or family crisis, what kind of man who dressed himself in the flag at every turn just ups and quits in the middle of a commitment to his team, his school and his coaching fraternity?

Oh, sure, he marched to his own drummer so little things like contracts and commitments are beneath his brand of individualism, but if you've had a chance to watch any of the lowlight reels on the net today in which Knight tees off on one victim or another, beeps peppering his diatribes every other sentence, you will see a guy who is full of himself, vindictive and is enjoying himself immensely at other people's expense.

In the end, his sudden departure brings us to the biggest surprise of all. Ask not whether we will have Bobby to kick around anymore; more to the point, what unsuspecting dog is about to become his new whipping boy?

Words We Love To Read

Some recent quotes and snippets from articles we found amusing:

An ESPN report commenting on the possible Orioles-Mariners trade in which O's hurler Erik Bedard and M's outfielder Adam Jones are the principals:

Jones, 22, is regarded by scouts and executives with other teams as a rising star. "He's going to be a monster," said an AL talent evaluator. "If you put he [sic] and Nick Markakis in the same outfield, that is the start of something."

Yes, indeed, without Bedard in the rotation it sure will be the start of something for the O's: a lot more balls heading toward Mssrs. Markakis and Jones.

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Mark King of the World Bill Conlin down in the "Unimpressed Column" regarding the Mets signing of Johan Santana:

The pressure is all on the Mets. And when all the zeros are finally in place, the 28-year-old Venezuelan's enormous contract and the Himalayan expectations wrapped around it will subject Johan to more fan and media scrutiny than any pitcher in the history of a city, the Sour Apple, that has made a lot of grown pitchers cry. Hideki Irabu, Jeff Weaver and Kevin Brown come immediately to mind.Santana has pitched his entire big-league career in Minnesota, where pressure is getting shut out in an ice-fishing tournament.

Hold on, Bill. Rich and famous athletes in Venezuela are loath to call attention to themselves under any circumstances and one sure-fire way to do so would be to incur the wrath of President [for life if he gets his way] Hugo Chavez who would probably claim ice fishing is just an imperialist cover for oil exploration. You can be sure Santana would have thought twice before registering for any ice-fishing tournaments.

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Golf's Ian Poulter is in a very deep water hazard for allegedly stating he was the only golfer capable of challenging Tiger Woods for supremacy. Needless to say, a humbled yet outraged Poulter invoked the usual defense, claiming he was misquoted. But here's the rub according to a piece on ESPN:

Poulter, who said he had not seen a copy of the full article, added that the interview took place three months ago, and he had not heard from the magazine since.

Please explain to me how anyone would have the temerity to cry foul about being misquoted without reading the entire article first? That's chutzpah!

The Team To Beat Is....?

Despite the bad news up the turnpike the sun came up this morning in Philadelphia, or at least it would have if not for the rain.

The Johan Santana signing certainly isn't good news for Phillies fans but it isn't the end of the world either. The most surprising detail was how little the Mets surrendered to acquire his services, but that is a topic Twins' bloggers can lament on their time.

Does the trade make the Mets the team to beat in the NL East? Probably. But before we start imagining ticker-tape parades down Broadway, let's not forget New York still has plenty of question marks. Pedro is 38 years old. Billy Wagner is in decline. So is Carlos Delgado. Jose Reyes, once the most exciting and dangerous player in the Mets lineup if not the entire league, utterly collapsed in the second half of 2007. The rest of the Mets starting rotation is not the second coming of the the Orioles' starting foursome in 1979. So let's not start tearing our hair out yet.

If Santana is on his game, and his second half in 2007 wasn't so fabulous either, he replaces Tom Glavine in the rotation and can be expected to add roughly six or seven more wins. Yes, that would have put the Mets over the top last season despite their legendary collapse at the end and begs the larger question in these parts as to whether or not the Phillies have improved themselves in the off-season as well.

The Pedro Feliz signing has impressed at least one Phillie, Jimmy Rollins, who apparently can vividly recall being robbed of a few extra base hits by Feliz. Memories of earlier signings at third base -- David Bell in particular -- are still fresh wounds in these parts. Can Feliz deliver at the plate? Very hard to say, of course. But he is an upgrade over last year's rotation at the hot corner.

Shane Victorino is a better centerfielder than Aaron Rowand and, frankly, plays as hard and with the same reckless abandon. Until last year, Rowand didn't exactly tear things up at the plate, so there is no reason to expect the changeover diminishes the Phils. Jason Werth and Geoff Jenkins should more than adequately handle right field.

The key is pitching and the keys to pitching are Brad Lidge, Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick. If Lidge recovers his confidence at his new address, Myers matures into the kind of person let alone pitcher we've been waiting for, and Kendrick can continue to develop into the kind of ground-ball pitcher who can thrive in Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies chances are good, Johan Santana notwithstanding.

Nonpareil

Is there anyone out there who can be compared to Tiger Woods?

In his first start of the season Tiger left the rest of a good field gasping for air after the first few rounds, prompting Justin Leonard to say "There's two tournaments going on. I'm going to try to win the tournament that Tiger's not playing." Then Tiger went on to easily win the tournament, announcing he felt stronger and better than ever.

It's as if the Mets began the first week of the season by collectively tossing three no-hitters, belting fifteen home runs and throwing in a triple play for good measure.

The called Wayne Gretzky "The Great One", a moniker that seems pitifully understated in describing Woods.

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It wouldn't come as a surprise if the Phillies-Ryan Howard contract squabble grew more acrimonious over the next few weeks as each side digs in its heels. The Phils' alleged brain trust is already underplaying their differences, a sure sign the gulf between them is even greater than $3 million.

Every commentary on the subject mentions the Albert Pujols factor, as in, how much was King Albert paid, for how long and at what point in his career. Frankly, I'd rather have Pujols on my team if I were building one, but that's besides the point. Howard was the leading power hitter in the NL in the last few seasons and big boppers have always commanded big salaries. The Phillies don't have much of a choice if they want to lock up Howard for the long-term and keep him happy in the short one.

On the other hand, Howard's reading on the disrespectomter rises with each passing season, as in, he feels disrespected. When either the subject of his contract or long-termstatus as a Phillie comes up, there has been more of an edge to him since last year's contract negotiations.

Like it or not, management has to understand he is the face of the franchise, the one player most identified around the country as a Phillie.

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Mike Lieberthal retired. Quietly, without ever calling much attention to himself, Lieby set most of the franchise records for his position. He played wounded for half of his career, which is a shame. Looking at his lifetime stats, it is surprising to realize he batted .274 over his thirteen seasons. One always had the sense he came through sporadically at best, about one in four times.

The biggest knock on Lieberthal in the last few seasons he spent in Philadelphia is that he never seemed to take command of the team as its longest-tenured player, nor did he ever seem to take charge of the pitching staff, especially during a game.

In the end, his was a quiet career...perhaps too quiet given the position he played.

They Just Don't Get It.

Ryan Howard and the Phillies clearly do not see eye-to-eye on money. Prior to the start of last season Howard was reportedly upset the Phillies failed to offer him a salary in excess of one million dollars following his winning the MVP award. Instead, they offered him $900,000, a figure that represented an enormous raise while tying him (with Albert Pujols) for the highest salary every paid to a player with less than two years major league experience. Still, many thought, including this observer, the Phillies could have upped the price to the magic number if only to keep their big guy happy. Gestures, alas, are not the Phillies' strong suit.

This winter, Howard, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time, and the Phillies are far apart on money again, Howard reportedly seeking $10 million and the team countering with $7 million. If the two sides even discussed a long-term deal, no one is acknowledging the conversation took place. Meanwhile, the Phillies have previously signed some of their other core players to long-term deals of varying lengths. Speculation is rampant in these parts that should the negotiations proceed to the arbitration panel Howard will win his case. After all, he won the ROY and MVP in successive seasons and followed those with 48 home runs and 136 rbi's in his third year. No one in baseball has hit more long balls and driven in more runs during that stretch, and if you think the paying public doesn't come to see long balls, what are the origins of the fuss over steroids about?

If the arbiters do side with Howard he may very well be content to sign a series of one year deals after that until he reaches free agency. If things get that far, he's gone for sure. For their part, the Phillies seem content to offer Howard short-term money that puts him at or near the top of his category each time negotiations get underway but not more. They just don't get it. This is the guy people come to see. Yes, we love the way Chase plays the game. Sure, Jimmy is the spark plug. But no one wants to be standing in line at the mens' room when Howard comes to bat. After all, how many chances do we earthlings get to watch moon shots?

But the Phillies just don't seem to get it. They don't have to pay Howard the [admittedly crazy] money he deserves and until now they've shown absolutely no willingness to do so. Howard felt disrespected during last season's negotiations and he doesn't feel any better about his treatment during this one. Some guys put those things behind them. Howard won't. By my estimation, the Phillies have about one or two more weeks before the poison the atmosphere forever. They just don't get it and shortly they won't be given another chance to figure things out.

Not A Difficult Choice

It is more than obvious to long-time readers of this space that I am something of a moralist, not of the holier-than-thou persuasion, mind you, but a moralist nonetheless. That said, the investigations into steroid use and testimony denying or admitting usage are beginning to get out of hand. Today the FBI announced it would investigate whether Miguel Tejada lied to authorities when he insisted he had not used performance-enhancement drugs.

Frankly, the FBI has bigger fish to fry, much bigger fish. We live in an age of diminishing resources including many human ones and like it or not we are forced to choose where best to apply our efforts and those resources. I'd rather have the Federales out chasing the really bad guys, domestic and foreign, than trying to determine whether an aging shortstop lied or not about using steroids. It's not as though the Feds don't have enough work to do on more matters critical to national security and domestic peace of mind.

It's Hardly As Though We Hardly Knew Ya'

Well, so much for baseball heaven. When he was rescued by, er I mean traded to, the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the 2002 season, Scott Rolen announced on leaving Philadelphia that his new zip code was located squarely within the borders of baseball heaven whereas his previous address was decidedly south of that region. A native of Indiana, Rolen grew up a Cardinals fan. Now, he would be their starting third baseman. It didn't get any better than that, Scott allowed, at least at the time.

During the intervening years Rolen lost a World Series, won a World Series, won several Gold Glove awards, suffered a few injuries along with a well-publicized falling out with his manager, the self-anointed genius Tony LaRussa. Oh, and he made a ton of money; let's not forget that. Surely, Scott thought upon heading for the city under the Gateway Arch, any place would be an improvement over one that boasted both Larry Bowa and Dallas Green.

Apparently not. Heaven, it turned out, wasn't all it was cracked up to be and after suffering what he thought were one too many indignities, Rolen let the Cardinals know he was ready to move on once more. The news that he will be swapped for Troy Glaus of Toronto, pending both players pass physicals and the Commissioner's Office OK's the financial details of the the deal, comes as a little bit of a surprise only insofar as the destination. I assumed Rolen had a no-trade clause in his current contract and it surprises me to learn he'd consider going to the Blue Jays, who appear to have little chance of overtaking the Red Sox and Yankees in their division, if not holding off the up-and-coming Rays of Tampa Bay. Maybe the idea of occasionally DH'ing appealed to Rolen, who isn't getting any younger and whose shoulder ailments have cost him a fair amount of playing time the last few seasons. Or maybe he decided that baseball heaven no longer included the National League at all; the All-Star games certainly would suggest that was the case.

No matter. In the end, Rolen comes off as a guy who wears out his welcome, which is what some of us though nearly six years ago when he complained bitterly that the Phillies just didn't care enouigh about winning and, by extension, about him.

Out with a whimper.

The Other Elections

The Hall of Fame voters corrected a long-standing injustice by electing Goose Gossage yesterday. Generally, commentators attributed the nine year snub in giving Gossage his due to lingering prejudices on the part of many voters against relief pitchers. Nonsense. Hoyt Wilhelm, Dennis Eckersly and Bruce Suter are already members. Moreover, it has been commonly acknowledged for many years now that teams cannot succeed without a quality closer. Resistence to Gossage had more to do with the "relatively low" obvious number -- saves -- than the story behind them -- number of innings pitched. He is a very worthy member of the Hall.

Roger Clemens, on the other hand, may be more than worthy based on the numbers, but he has serious problems looming with the voters when he becomes eligible thanks less to the appearance of his name in the Mitchell report and more to his subsequent handling of the revelations therein. Alleged steroid users' recent history of vigorous denials have been, shall we say, less than satisfactory, and Clemens' defense has been as aggressively orchestrated as any we've ever witnessed. A common thread to several players' howls of protest is that they either didn't know what they were being injected with or insisted the substances were benign. In Clemens' case it's quite possible he was being injected with vitamin B-12, but it's far more difficult to fathom why he was being given lidocaine in his buttocks. We'll leave that discussion to the medical experts, who no doubt are chuckling among themselves. By far the most incomprehensible part of Clemens' current strategy is to announce well in advance -- heck, he isn't even officially retired yet -- that he could care less about future Hall of Fame voting where he is concerned. Ah, yes, the press, cast as villain once again.

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A quick glance at the next few years' lists of players eligible for the Hall of Fame contains very few sure bets. Only Ricky Henderson in 2009 and Roberto Alomar in 2010 are likely to get lots of support and Alomar is going to have his detractors for his personal habits involving ejections of substances rather than injections. All of this means this year's biggest loser, Jim Rice, could make it over the top next year, his last before being relegated to the Veterans' committee. More than a few pitchers who faced Rice in his prime acknowledged they dreaded seeing him come to the plate. As a long time Orioles' and AL fan, I recall a similar horror when I saw him in the on-deck circle or striding to the plate. But the other side of the coin is that he couldn't field a lick and did a fair imitation of Pat Burrell (or is it the other way around?) on the base paths. Does hitting alone make him a Hall of Famer? Not really, but when a Bill Mazeroski can get in based largely on his fielding and one home run, Rice is at least as deserving.

Speaking of the Veterans' committee, their rejection of Marvin Miller was the worst example of ingratitude in recent memory. I've yet to read one explanation of why the veterans, who literally owed their personal financial fortunes to Miller, deemed him unworthy of inclusion in their exclusive club.

Still The Best & Still Not

Refreshed from a three-week layoff, I began the new year optimistically recalling Roger Angell's explanation of why baseball captures the hearts of so many fans. In no other game, Angell wrote, can we observe the vicissitudes of our favorite players' sporting lives on a daily basis, one hundred and sixty-two times a year in the case of baseball. While our own lives may plod on with little or no perceptible change, the fortunes of our diamond heroes ebb and flow constantly as they hit, or don't, catch or miss or throw strikes and balls. This vicarious sharing of other peoples' ever-changing lives brings pleasure to our [mostly] humdrum existence.

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The local newspapers are filled with stories noting the quarter century mark in this city's championship drought. Little did I know when I took up residence here in 1978-79 that the those championship years of 1980 (the Phillies) and 1983 (the Sixers) were the exceptions rather than the rules. There have been near misses for all four major teams but no cigars. Should the Phillies acquire more pitching, they remain the best bet to break the streak. The Eagles have too many holes to fill. The Flyers are rebuilding and could be contenders in a few seasons if they get more help on defense. The Sixers do not appear on the radar screen at this point.

The Mitchell Report

Heroes and knaves. All-Stars and also-rans. The Mitchell report named names and pointed enough fingers at just about everyone in baseball when laying blame for the steroid cloud that has hung over the game for more than a decade now.

The list everyone was waiting for included guys who threw the ball and guys who sent it back the other way...a long way in some cases. It also included players who will be forgotten in future years if they haven't been already. And you can be sure there were many other players who somehow escaped the dragnet and were not named. Indeed, it was the report's dependence on too few informants that diminished its potency when it came to identifying the players who had used various substances to enhance their performance.

The report doesn't end with the guys on the field. The Commissioner's office and ownership come in for plenty of criticism, too, as do the retinues of clubhouse figures that are part of the game. The Lords of baseball simply wanted the problem to go away. The Players Union simply refused to accept testing. The only group spared that deserved to be mentioned were the press, who simply looked the other way when players departed in October looking like Olyve Oil and returned in March and April looking like Popeye. This latter group winked a lot, but said nothing until the cat was out of the bag years later. The press overwhelmingly went along for the ride, too afraid to speak up or too constrained by their legal departments, who asked for evidence beyond what the eye could see. The single most repeated excuse I've seen retrospectively invoked by the press is that the height of the Steroids Era came on the heals of baseball's dark period of strikes, suspension of the season and the World Series and the scribes and commentators were loathe to prolong the agony just when fans were beginning to return and embrace the game. A few honest reporters simply said they were reluctant to spoil the fun when Sosa and MacGwire were chasing the Babe and Barry was chasing them and Henry Aaron.

Will the game recover? Yes, indeed. Fans continue to flock to stadiums throughout the land in record numbers especially when the poster boy for all that is enhanced, Barry Bonds, chased and broke Henry Aaron's legitimate mark. Will the record books be amended, asterisks added? That is doubtful. At what point do we start discounting Bonds' tainted home runs, at number 428 or maybe 502? Will the owners and players agree to a drug policy that is both strict and enforceable? That will probably be the one sure outcome though here again much tweaking needs to be done.

It was a sordid period in baseball's history and we can be sure most people who play and manage the game want to put it behind them. Inevitably stories have already begun to appear reminding us of the cheaters of the past. Spitballs, greenies, even alcohol are cited as are shenanigans ranging from stealing signs to grounds' crews tampering with the dirt in front of the plate or along the foul lines. This "they-did-it" defense is as pathetic in baseball as it is in a courtroom. What "distinguishes"the Steroids Era from earlier periods was how widespread it was and how clear and dramatic its impact were on performance by legions of players, not merely the marquee names. Brady Anderson, take a bow!

The recent suspensions of players caught using banned substances suggests not everyone is ready to move on but a tough, uncompromising policy against performance-enhancement drugs is all anyone can ever expect. That and the willingness to apply it without compromise.

Comings And Goings

Let's not give the Phillies' alleged brain trust too much credit for letting Aaron Rowand depart...they were never really in the running for his services anyway. On the other hand, let's give them some credit for making it clear early on they weren't going to meet Rowand's demands for a long-term contract.

The case for keeping Rowand could be boiled down to three factors: he was a positive presence in the clubhouse and capably filled a right-handed spot in the lineup and in the field. The case for letting him walk was far more substantial: (1) he had a career year in 2007 in a hitters' park and was unlikely to repeat it; (2) he is a vastly overrated outfielder whose greatest attribute is his reckless abandon; (3) he has the type of body that will wear down rapidly at his age, especially given number 2.

A three year contract would have been a stretch. Five years would have been another stupid move by management. Somehow, they figured that out in this case before it was too late.

Good luck to Rowand, a genuine team player. By the way, it's worth noting that he didn't hold out for a contract from a contender. The Giants are going nowhere, on merit and especially in their division. Rowand is going to sacrifice that body of his for the good of his estate planning.

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The Orioles made out like bandits in trading Miguel Tejada to the Astros. Not only did they receive five players, three of whom might turn into very decent major leaguers, they also rid themselves of a discontented, aging veteran who is definitely in decline. How extraordinarily uncharacteristic of the O's Peter Angelos, who apparently in another uncharacteristic move (at least for now) is actually giving new GM Andy McPhail some real authority. Now, if he'd let McPhail listen to offers from every major league club for Erik Bedard including teams within his own AL Eastern division, we'd know for sure the Orioles have finally reckoned with the reality that they are a lousy team that must begin the long rebuilding process NOW! The Orioles should emulate some of the Marlins' characteristics, at least the ones in which they look around the majors, identify the players or prospects they want, then call the GM's for said players' teams and say, "Any interest in Brian Roberts? Bedard?"

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As long as Johann Santana does not sign with the Mets or Braves, I could care less which team he lands on. Don't get me wrong, I have written previously that the wealthy clubs in MLB are making a mockery of competitive balance, but that state of affairs is not going to change any time soon. If he were to sign with Boston, the AL East race would, barring injuries, be over before it begins. If he were to sign with the Yankees, the race would tighten dramatically. Despite making noises about deadlines, the Yankees are desperate to avoid having him land on the same pitching staff with Josh Beckett.

Meanwhile, Detroit's offense is frightening to behold. Speed, power, bat control. They have it all in their lineup. If they can get their bullpen healthy and get another decent year out of Kenny Rogers, they will run away from the AL Central.

Going Going.....Where?

You can't fire the players, or so the old saw goes. Consequently, the playing fields, corner offices and film rooms of professional sports franchises are littered with the remains of managers, coaches and general managers.

Philadelphia has seen more than its share of carcasses. One more was added to the rolls with the recent canning of Billy King, surely the most dapper but least competent GM's in our championship-starved city in many years. The future of Andy Reid, King's sartorial opposite, whose position heretofore seemed secure, has also been the subject of speculation as the Eagles appear destined to finish out of the playoffs. And the Phillies' Pat Gillick has indicated on more than a few occasions this coming season will be his last. Only the Flyers' Paul Holmgren seems certain to be around for the foreseeable future, his brief tenure thus far marked by a dramatic turnaround of his charges' fortunes.

These guys clearly make a difference...for better or worse. King turned out to be an extremely poor judge of talent and a lousy poker player at the trading table. When his dismissal was announced many people wondered about the timing, the consensus being it came too late. Andy Reid, stoic, stubborn and plodding, has always been fairly inscrutable to the local citizenry but when his teams were perennially winning and making the playoffs if not Super Bowl, those little foibles could be and were forgiven. But with his current team lurching from crisis to crisis each Sunday, the people grilling sausages in the parking lot want to see some passion to match their own. Forget it, fans. The man is not capable of such displays, which is one of the many reasons he can't manage a clock and make good decisions in the crucible of crunch time. You see, Andy still thinks there's plenty of time and nothing to worry about in those situations as well as his own circumstances.

Then there is Pat Gillick. Unlike his famous shortstop, who went out on a limb last Winter and declared his teammates the ones to beat in the NL East, Gillick, if anything, has been known to let it slip that he doesn't think his guys can win any titles. They always seem to be a year or two away according to him. Well, we are entering Gillick's third year at the helm, conceivably his last, and as things stand the Phillies are further from reaching the playoffs than they were last year when they slipped in thanks to their late charge and the Mets' colossal collapse.

Gillick's major failure has been his inability to see the big picture. Rather than put his club in a position to fill its needs with some sort of master plan, instead Gillick has made what for all appearances seem to be a series of disastrous decisions not only in terms of the value received but in terms of the money and prospects spent. His two worst decisions both involved the pitching staff and both came out of nowhere. The ill-advised acquisition of Freddy Garcia should replace Von Hayes in the annals of bad trades by this organization, and while Adam Eaton was perhaps worth some sort of risk, he wasn't worth the price Gillick agreed to. And while we are talking about pitching, the Abreu/Lidle trade netted the Phillies absolutely nothing as did the many trades with Texas. After more than two years the Phillies have absolutely nothing to show for all of those maneuvers.

Lest we forget, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels were all products of an earlier administration. So, too, was Pat Burrell, who remains a Phillie despite obvious attempts to move him. Meanwhile, the outfield has been potentially weakened with the trade of Michael Bourn and the departure of Aaron Rowand and third base remains the Black Hole first described by commenter extraordinaire George Southrey.

The Phillies under Gillick do not have a discernible plan. No one can point at them and say, for example, they are taking the approach of a Billy Beane and his Moneyball or Daniel Dowd in Colorado who has slowly built the organization from the ground up. We are forever hearing some variation on the same theme from Gillick, that there isn't anyone out there who can help or who is affordable. The only themes running throughout his administration are that he likes players from his former teams, either ones he drafted or acquired, and he likes to rummage through the rubbish piles in hope of uncovering a hidden gem. It's a wish-and-a-prayer sort of administration and the results speak for themselves. Were it not for the great offensive core at the heart of this team, all players from the largely discredited Ed Wade period, the Phillies under Pat Gillick would resemble the Sixers more than the Flyers.

The Company You Keep & The Company You Don't

The happiest fellows on the 2008 Hall of Fame ballot must surely be Goose Gossage, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly, Jim Rice and Bert Blyleven. What do all of these returning candidates have in common? The likelihood that no newcomers on the ballot will draw votes from them.

Among the newcomers, only Tim Raines seems certain to receive serious consideration from the voters. Among the returning candidates, Mark MacGwire is unlikely to receive much support. This paucity of sure-fire winners will likely mean that Gossage at the very least will finally get the support he deserves. Jim Rice will appear on the ballot for the fourteenth time. He remains a long shot to get the necessary votes, having slipped a little last year.

Will the voters fail to elect anyone? Not likely.

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With the news that former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn was one of five people elected to the Hall by the Veterans Committee it is worth remembering the time he voided the deals made by long-time nemesis and adversary Charlie Finley. Finley, always crying poor, had begun the wholesale dismantling of his highly successful Oakland teams by working out deals to sell Vida Blue to the Yankees for $1.5 million and Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $2 million. Kuhn vetoed the sales. (Remember, we are talking 1976 dollars here.)

At the time Kuhn said ''Public confidence in the integrity of club operations and in baseball would be greatly undermined should such assignments not be restrained." Years late he added, ''If we let Finley's deals go through, how were we going to stop the weaker clubs from selling off players to the stronger ones, and what would become of competitive balance?''

The Florida Marlins have been dismantling their team piece by piece for years, selling or trading veterans who were about to command serious money just before the players were going to collect, but yesterday's blockbuster trade of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit puts an end to their wheeling and dealing. The Marlins literally have no veterans left to trade. With the exception of Hanley Ramirez, they have no bonafide stars remaining on their roster and Ramirez is years away from a big payday. There are a lot of middling veterans in baseball making more money per annum than the entire Marlins' roster. Bug Selig and his brethren could care less. Perhaps their silence is a conspiracy to allow the Marlins to hit rock bottom before moving the franchise, probably to Las Vegas.

The Marlins are the strangest franchise in baseball. They've won two World Series in their brief history yet no one goes to see them. They had the worst attendance in MLB last year and are always at or near the bottom. If ever a locale cried out for a domed stadium it is hot, humid and rainy Miami, but the Marlins continue to play in an outdoor football stadium and cannot convince the 18 voters in greater Miami who do come see them in person to persuade several hundred thousand others to fund a new pleasure palace.

Pity the poor Marlin players who perform in front of tens of thousands of empty seats every night. Their best hope is that the Marlins' ownership will either sell the franchise or move it.

How To Proceed?

Apart from the usual pig-in-a-poke signings of fringe players, the Phillies haven't done much since the Brad Lidge deal. If rumors are to be believed they have a few irons in the fire, but no names loom on the horizon that seem likely to make a big impact. Randy Wolf has apparently signed with San Diego, underscoring his preference for the West Coast and a pitcher-friendly ballpark, and Kyle Lohse, a career win-a-start/lose-a-start hurler, won't appreciably change the Phillies' fortunes. Neither will the planned platoons in right field and third base.

For numerous reasons, marquee free agents rarely appear on local radar. Pitchers shudder in horror at the prospect of toiling in Citizens Bank Park. Position players seem more interested in playing for perennial contenders than perennial wannabes. Despite their first albeit brief appearance in the post-season in fourteen years, the Phils are still viewed by some as long-shots to make it to the post-season owing to a lack of quality pitching. Lest we forget, only a collapse of legendary proportions got them to the first round of the playoffs this past October.

Management here is also something of an obstacle to filling the team's most pressing needs. Many commentators are quick to point out, with some justification, that the cumbersome number of partners who own the Phillies make for messy decision-making. Despite appearances that Dave Montgomery is the man with day-to-day authority, it cannot help that the purse strings run through several pockets. Even recent revelations that some of those pockets are truly deep does not change the picture. For whatever reasons, the Phillies' current ownership group is not willing to break the bank to bring home a winner. Perhaps the shrewd businessmen among them still believe in making a profit, but the reality is that the greatest profit today comes when a franchise is sold rather than from year-to-year revenues from television deals, licensing agreements and gate receipts. How better to increase the profit than to put a winning team on the field!

Still, the Phillies don't seem likely to reach that goal by acquisitions. A quick look at their roster and the stars within suggests the best route to the Promised Land for this franchise remains through the draft and scouting. Rollins, Hamels, Utley, Howard and Ruiz are all products of the Phillies farm system, much-maligned as it is. Maybe the best route to success is to save those tens of millions of dollars required to sign an Aaron Rowand and spend them on scouts and player development. Beating the bushes internationally is becoming increasingly important and by all appearances the Phillies have, in anything, cut back in their efforts abroad if not home. If they ever hope to get to the next level, they'd better start now by finding the future stars of the club in the high schools and colleges throughout the land and on the playing fields of Taiwan, Caracas, and everywhere in between.