CLEARWATER, Fla. – The sun is high up in the sky just beating down on everything beneath it. The thermometer on the scoreboard reads 76, but with the sun unblocked by the clouds it feels 20-degrees warmer.
It’s freaking hot for us dudes who prefer the cooler climes of the Northeast in mid-March. Some of us like to ease into the hot weather. Some of us need to run to the drug store to get stronger sun screen.
But unlike in Philadelphia, there is nothing happening with the WFC Phillies. All is quiet here at Bright House Field. It’s so quiet, in fact, that players actually played duck-duck goose during the morning stretch before heading back into the clubhouse to watch the country music video countdown on TV before Sunday’s Grapefruit League game against Cincinnati.
Looked like Keith Urban or Taylor Swift was No. 1.
Who is better and what's the difference? Seriously, these are the big questions to ponder surrounding the Phillies these days.
Nevertheless, it was quite difficult to find topics to small-talk about these days. Ryan Madson only grunted a few “yeahs” and “I don’t know about thats” when asked ambiguously about the vagaries of Grapefruit League action.
Yes, welcome to the dog days here at Camp Sleepy Time ‘09.
From the looks of things from the press box here at Bright House Networks Field, it appears as if Jamie Moyer is in 2001/2003, mid-season form. His command was of his patented "gnats' butt from 100 yards" variety and his velocity... well, it was right where it always is.
Better yet, Moyer dropped in a stellar hook on a 1-2 pitch to catch the Reds' Edwin Encarnacion looking to leadoff the second.