Jackpot!

As most people have noticed from billboards or gambling addictions, the jackpot in tomorrow night’s Powerball drawing is $230 million. Needless to say, that’s a lot of money. Actually, it’s enough money to make someone like me above the law in more than one city. Which is nice.

Nevertheless, one of our favorite games to play around here is daydream about what we’d do with a ridiculous windfall of cash. Frankly, after walking over to the lawyer’s house for some proper guidance, and then retirement from my day job because I’m not doing this for my health, I don’t think much would change. Really, I mean it.

Oh sure, people say all the time that the money wouldn’t change them and that their lives would be the same with all that cash, but come on… who are they kidding? When one doesn’t have to worry about money or being a rat in the rat race, everything changes.

So what would I do after walking down the street to see the lawyer and retiring? Well, I guess I’d buy a house or two that are for sale a block over. Since I already live in the best neighborhood ever, why be extravagant with townhouses and condos in the big city or estates in the country or whatever? Who needs all those rooms when you can only be in one at a time?

OK. Maybe (maybe) I’ll buy the house next door to my in-laws in Estes Park, but other than that, we’ll leave the big real estate purchases alone.

Otherwise, I’d upgrade my laptop, make sure the kids are set and get something nice for my wife. I’d also stop wearing shoes and shirts (like Iggy Pop) on a regular basis and I’d have the good coffee that I like shipped here often.

Forget a new car because that kind of stuff really doesn’t interest me, instead I’ll get a kick-ass bike so I can prepare for a post-40 career as a masters triathlete… that is if running gets to the point where it wears me down too much.

Oh yeah, I might have a big party… you know, a catered affair with a band, pony rides for the kids and some of that good coffee.

Aside from all of that, I can’t think how anything else would change.

Six is better than five

Meanwhile, Johan Santana pitched well against the Red Sox yesterday. His line: 4 IP, 4 K's, 2 hits, no runs. For sure, the sports world is ready to explode with action in the next few weeks. Actually, the world sports scene will be packed with HUGE events until the end of the Olympics in Beijing where athletes will battle pollution worse than Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles combined.

Call them "The Iron Lung Games."

Nevertheless, the faux dramatics of the NCAA College Basketball Selection Show kicks it all off next Sunday. They stretch that tournament out for most of March so they can weed out all of those low-seeded teams that pulled off those early-round upsets. I guess that's the proper way to do things because the better teams usually win, though it seems as if interest wanes after all the upsets stop and the TV network stops that rapid-fire coverage of showing 19 games ending all at once.

The truth is the NCAA Tournament lasts too long. What is it, six games to win it all? Shoot, they could do the entire thing in a weekend like a CYO Tournament where school kids played two or three games a day to get a trophy for the school's trophy case.

Isn't that what they play for in the NCAA Tournament?

They play The Masters, the biggest golf tournament in the world, in just four days the weekend following the NCAA Tournament. Sure, basketball is a little more athletic than golf, but everything is relative. If a person's mind and body are programmed to play 18 holes of golf for four straight days, it's kind of like running 18 miles... or something. Actually, let me explain it this way: I once played 18 holes at Pine Valley and didn't even have to carry my own bag, but my feet were as sore after any of the 13 marathons I've run. Yeah, that even includes the '98 Boston Marathon where my feet got all swole to the point that I couldn't wear shoes for three days.

Oh, but the NCAA Tournament and The Masters are just the least of it in a busy-as-a-bee next 30 days. Major League Baseball kicks off its season in less than three weeks, the NHL and NBA playoffs start soon (I think), the NFL Draft is approaching and then the London and Boston Marathons, including the U.S. Olympic Trials for the women's marathon, cap it all off.

That's a lot of stuff packed into a month and it could be even more if the Flyers and 76ers make it to the playoffs. Forget about the Pennsylvania Primary on April 22 that could decide on who(m) could lead our union for the next four years and the really important stuff like taxes and that stuff - there's sports to follow. Besides, according to the ESPN.com story, sports people don't really care that Hillary Clinton will be criss-crossing our Commonwealth for the next few weeks putting to practice the theories that a.) she will say and do anything to get elected, and/or b.) she will claim many cities in Pennsylvania to be "home," further exemplifying theory A.

On the other side, Barry Obama seems pretty cool.

But frankly, even with the primary, the draft, Opening Day, the NFL and NFL playoffs, The Masters, the overhyped NCAA Tournament, Easter, Passover and St. Patrick's Day and the accompanying parade of songs by The Pogues ready to blast off, the issue that has everyone worked into a lather is the status of the Phillies' fifth starter.

You know, the guy who likely won't appear in his first game until the second week of the season.

Frankly, give me The Pogues... or even something derivative like The Dropkick Murphy's[1]. Let someone else wax on about the fifth starter.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKyLgRzOTsY]

OK. The fifth starter... forget about it. No matter what anyone says, handicaps or conventional wisdom. Adam Eaton, and all that's left of his $24.5 million salary, will continue to be the No. 5 starter until he no longer can be the No. 5 starter. No, that's not some sort of cryptic hocus-pocus. It means that as long as there is nothing physically wrong with Eaton's back, shoulder, mental or cardiovascular games, the Phillies will keep trotting him out there. They did the same thing last year even though Eaton went 10-10 with a 6.29 ERA (glass half full: he was 7-3 on the road and shoved it up the Mets' collective rears at Shea).

So unless Eaton's arm or back falls off or he's clubbed so badly that he's reduced to sitting Indian-style on the mound with one shoe on and the other in his non-glove hand and beating himself on top of his head with the cleated end and the new-look, throwback jersey defaced with Sharpie scrawl with the word "dog" between "Eaton" and "21," count on the veteran right-hander to keep taking the ball once every five days.

Or who knows... maybe Eaton will split starts with Kris Benson if he is recovered and ready to go come late April or early May. Perhaps the Phillies will go to a six-man rotation like the Red Sox did last September in preparation for the playoffs. Hey, with this Phillies club something like that could work.

Why not? Brett Myers is returning to the rotation after a year in the ‘pen followed by a career of inconsistent starting pitching; Cole Hamels has never pitched more than 183 innings in any season and has suffered an injury in every season going back to his high school days; Kyle Kendrick has turned in uglier numbers than Eaton this spring and probably would have started the 2008 season at Triple-A if he hadn't been pressed into service last year; and then there is steady, 45-year-old Jamie Moyer who has seemingly turned in 200-plus innings every year going back to the Reagan Administration.

A six-man rotation? Sure, why not. Or maybe a modified six-man rotation with certain pitchers jumping up a day based on matchups or the importance of a particular game.

In other words, forget about the fifth guy... who will take the No. 6 spot?

---

[1] Apparently, The Dropkick Murphys and Ted Leo are playing in Dorchester at the IBEW Local 103 this Friday night. Talk about Irish... that's more Irish than a Friday night with a bottle of Jameson and my Mick uncles and their bloodshot eyes. Everyone is welcome as long as they bring their own tin whistle, four-string and ride home.

Sit tight...

I will have something ready to go this evening.

Waiting for a call

Word on the street is that rubber-armed ex-Phillie Kyle Lohse has backed off his contract demands for the 2008 season. Actually, Lohse probably didn't do anything at all. My guess is that his uber-agent Scott Boras saw that there were no teams out there willing to offer the right-hander $10-12 million per season for the next half decade and decided to hold the human yard sale of sorts. So if you own a Major League Baseball team and have an extra $4-to-10 million sitting around and need a right-handed starter, give Boras a call. It sounds like he will be able to help you out.

Boras shouldn't sit around to wait for a call from one of the Phillies' GMs, however. At least, it seems, he shouldn't wait for the phone to ring if his price for his client Lohse remains in the $4-to-10 million range for a season of pitching. After all, we're three weeks into spring training already and teams are starting to get things set up for when they head north at the end of the month. Yep, if Lohse wants to pitch this season he should call Crazy Eddie to represent him instead of Boras.

Everything must go!

At least that's the way it looks from assistant GM Mike Arbuckle's POV.

"I will say at those numbers we're probably not interested," Arbuckle told The Courier Post. "Let me change that. At those numbers, I know we're not interested."

Zing!

Last season Lohse made $4.2 million, which isn't too bad for a remarkably average pitcher - statistically speaking. That's not to say the guy isn't without his intangibles, namely, his ability to start and relieve and not complain. Guys like that are hard not to like. But Lohse went 9-12 last season with a 4.62 ERA that was ever-so slightly below the league average. Plus, he's never had a season where he didn't allow more than a hit per inning.

So, should the Phillies shell out $4-to-10 million for one season of average pitching from a right-hander?

Eh...

Who knows, maybe Kris Benson will come around.

If Lohse isn't your team's cup of tea, there are a handful of free agent pitchers out there that still haven't landed with a team. Maybe they're just waiting for spring training to end? Whatever the reason, Jeff Weaver, the post-season hero for the Cardinals during their World Series run in 2006 is available. He is, of course, a nine-year veteran, former first-round pick and has been to the playoffs with three different teams... that's not so bad is it?

Well, there is the matter of Weaver's 6.20 ERA for Seattle last season. That's a 6.20 ERA in Seattle's pitcher-friendly ballpark, no less. Make that a 6.20 ERA AND 11.66 hits per nine innings.

Yeah, yikes.

Speaking of yikes, portly old port-sider David Wells is available, too. Though Wells wasn't that bad for the Padres and Dodgers last season, or the Padres and Red Sox the season before that, Wells turns 45 in May. As it stands now, the Phillies have already cornered the market on 45-year-old lefties.

Clearly the Phillies don't need any help with their high-powered offense, but if they did there are some names out there that are just as intriguing as the pitchers. For instance, one hitter out there has 762 career homers and nearly 2,000 RBIs in 22 seasons, but then he also has been indicted by a grand jury for perjury and might have to spend the pennant race in the slammer.

A guy like that might not be worth the risk.

Another guy who might not be worth the risk either is local boy done good, Mike Piazza. Though he has slugged more homers than any catcher in the history of the game and owns a .308 lifetime batting average in 16 seasons, Piazza, at 39, is probably finished.

Is Ryan Klesko finished? Not yet 37 and with just 122 games played over the past two seasons, Klesko is coming off shoulder surgery. However, the 16-year vet has always been a decent hitter and seems as if he could do pretty well for himself and a ballclub as a part-time first baseman and left-handed bat off the bench. At this stage of his career, Klesko doesn't have any power, but it's hard not to like guys that can hit and get on base.

But if only he had some power and played third base...

Fully engaged?

Today is another Super Tuesday of sorts in the Presidential primary races. It gets the all-encompassing "super" moniker simply because of the implications the races in Vermont, Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. For the Republicans it means that shoo-in nominee John McCain will collect the necessary delegates to put him over the top. On the Democrats side, a four-state sweep by Barack Obama could push Hillary Clinton's Presidential bid to the brink. However, if Clinton wins the two delegate-rich states in Texas and Ohio, be ready for a full-court press by both candidates before the Pennsylvania primary on April 22.

Here comes the understatement of the week: There is a lot at stake today.

But that fact has been known for a very long time. In fact, media reports indicate that the 2008 bid for the White House has galvanized voters of all ages in ways that have not been seen in a very long time. People are engaged in the process, they are listening to the speeches out on the campaign trail, dial up the relevant news on the Internet, and have turned out to the polls in record numbers.

Everyone is engaged, especially 20-something year-old voters, who, according to reports, have turned off the ridiculous YouTube videos and dived into the national discourse. Better yet, those folks are asking questions and confronting conventional wisdom... these are all very good things. Frankly, it should make all citizens, regardless of political philosophy, to see so many people engaged.

It is an exciting time in our history.

But according to an ESPN.com story by Jeff Pearlman, there is one subset of folks whose precarious bubble has not been pierced to allow reality inside. That group?

Major League Baseball players.

According to Pearlman's story, there are little fraternity houses in every ballpark around the country where Maxim magazine, the lack of fuel efficiency of one's Hummer, and the run-of-the-mill superficiality of the bling-bling culture have not been offset by a true historical moment. Yes, according to Pearlman, baseball players are as dumb as ever.

Chronicling his visit with the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals and the lack of political discourse therein, Pearlman charted the top 10 topics of discussion. They were:

Indeed, a top 10 list of spring training topics discussed by ballplayers would look something like this:

1.Baseball 2. Free sunglasses 3. Breasts 4-5. Jesus/golf (tie) 6. Dinner options 7. The Kyle Kendrick YouTube video 8. Britney Spears 9. Strip clubs 10. More Jesus/golf (tie)

Not every player is so switched off, though. One who was not shy about discussing his disdain for his teammates' apathy was reliever C.J. Wilson, a left-hander who has been described as a Taoist and adheres to the Ian MacKaye-inspired "Straight Edge" philosophy of personal politics. When asked who amongst his teammates is as interested in the Presidential races as he, Wilson glumly answered, "No one."

"It's frustrating," Wilson told Pearlman. "I'd say there are two reasons. One, there's a general lack of education among us. But two - and most important - you're talking about a population that makes a ton of money, so the ups and downs of the economy don't impact whether we're getting paid. Therefore, we often don't care."

"It's not that complex," Wilson says. "Baseball players think about baseball."

That's true. Baseball players get paid a lot of money to play a game and there are always dozens of players just waiting to get a chance to bump off another from the lineup. Understandably, there is a lot of pressure involved in keeping such a high-profile and high-paying job.

Yet at the same time there is a ridiculous amount of downtime for professional athletes. Games don't last all that long and there is only so much time that a player can devote to workouts and treatments and whatever other job-related tasks. As a result, Pearlman's list is pretty apt, though he seems to have missed on the ballplayers' devotion to gambling, card playing and crossword puzzles as favorite pastimes.

At the same time, maybe Pearlman picked the wrong clubhouse? The Phillies have a few players switched on to issues, if not elective politics. Chase Utley is a budding conservationist and has lent his name to environmental and animal-rights initiatives. Meanwhile, Jimmy Rollins, the team's player representative, is quietly aware of history regarding civil rights and baseball.

Jamie Moyer runs his Moyer Foundation, which created and funds Camp Erin, the largest national network of bereavement camps for children and teens; Camp Mariposa, for children affected by addiction in their families; The Gregory Fund, for early cancer-detection research; and The Moyer Foundation Endowment for Excellence in Pediatric Palliative Care for Seattle's Children's Hospital.

Additionally, Moyer's father-in-law, Digger Phelps, worked for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and also served as an observer in the 1993 elections in Cambodia.

Those things are little more involved than simply following along with the process. Still, baseball players have - and various athletes in general - have picked up the label as being nothing more than "dumb jocks." Some have chided golfer Tiger Woods for refusing to take a stand on various racial and political issues. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan famously failed to endorse African-American democratic senatorial candidate Harvey Gantt in his early 1990s race against arch-conservative Jesse Helms in North Carolina, because, as Jordan stated at the time, "Republicans buy sneakers, too[1]."

That's hardly as inspiring as Ali's, "I ain't got no quarrel with no Viet Cong," but perhaps Jordan and Woods have to protect their corporate interests first? If that's the case, how does one define ex-cyclist, turned marathoner, Lance Armstrong, who has been nothing if outspoken in endorsing political candidates and calling out others for their failure to work for improved cancer research and better health care?

what about Greg Oden, the top pick in last summer's NBA draft? Out with an injury for the entirety of the season, Oden has spent his time following the campaigns and musing about them on his blog. In a recent interview with The Washington Post's, Michael Wilbon, Oden admitted some of his naiveté about politics, but said he is committed to being fully engaged in the process.

"I can't even imagine that now, knowing enough to govern a city or a state," Oden told Wilbon. "I'm just at the point where I'm watching CNN more than I ever have, listening to the candidates. I'm not the most educated guy in the world on the issues, but I'm getting there."

During various campaign stops, Oden has had a telephone conversation with Obama and introduced First Lady Laura Bush at a campaign event. He admitted that both events were quite nerve-wracking.

Nevertheless, Oden has come out with an endorsement for Obama on his blog and says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

"I can't say I know every single one of his policies by heart," Oden told Wilbon, "but I've done enough homework to know what I like about him. I really feel more strongly about young people voting, about making an educated decision. I'm not trying to tell people what to do or who to vote for, just to educate themselves and participate. What could be the harm in that?"

None. None at all. Perhaps all this engagement could have some sort of influence on our democracy and maybe even get a few more folks involved.

*** Also by Pearlman: Nomar is a creep.

---

[1] To be fair, Jordan contributed money to Gantt's campaign and has also been a contributor to Bill Bradley's and Obama's run for the White House. Plus, people have the right to shut-up, too.

Follow the money

Cole Hamels is on the right path. Understanding that it's going to take a lot more effort and diligence off the field to be able to take the ball every five days, the Phillies' ace lefty did a total makeover to his training regime a few years ago. It wasn't just the pedantic stuff like cleaning up his diet and getting plenty of rest, either. Nope, Hamels researched and consulted people close to him and determined that in order to be the best baseball pitcher, he was going to have do things that athletes do.

That meant beer was out, which, as Hamels said a few years ago: "It's really the worst thing for you."

In a sport that clings to its old mores and traditions like grim death, beer is still a clubhouse staple in a lot of cities. Even the storied St. Louis Cardinals are nearly synonymous with the Busch family and Budweiser. But according to Chris Carmichael, the fitness guru and longtime trainer for Lance Armstrong, Hamels is definitely onto something.

Says Carmichael:

"The dehydrating impact of alcohol trumps the benefits from the carbohydrate, and it's also important to realize that alcohol itself is primarily metabolized to fatty acids rather than to usable carbohydrate energy. Yes, it originated as carbohydrate-grains, grapes, corn, whatever-but now it's alcohol and your body treats it differently. There's actually not much usable carbohydrate energy in beer or wine."

More notably, Hamels was the catalyst behind the Phillies relenting and hiring a cadre of chiropractors around the league so that players can visit for adjustments or active release treatments, which is a combination of deep-tissue massage, stretching and manipulation to alleviate problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Again, chiropractic treatments are nothing new for athletes in other sports - it's old news, in fact. But in baseball, unless it's a cortisone shot followed by a paper cup filled with beer, it's innovation.

Nevertheless, Hamels is the pitcher of the new generation. Soon, guys like him will be the norm instead of just a handful of open-minded baseball players.

So yeah, in terms of putting together a long, successful baseball career, Hamels (still just 24-years old) is doing all of the right things.

It's just that he really hasn't done much yet to be considered any contract offer "a low blow."

That's how Hamels described his current contract with the Phillies which was renewed yesterday when he and the team did not come to terms. Though he made $400,000 last season, Hamels characterized the $500,000 renewal as disappointing.

"They do want to keep you happy, and that will affect down the line with certain things that come up because you can't just all of a sudden throw everything out at (a player) at the last second and think that's really going to make him happy, because he's still got check marks for what they didn't do in the years before.
"I felt like it wasn't necessarily equal compensation for what I do and for what I can do," Hamels said.

Clearly the team's best pitcher, Hamels won a team-best 15 games last season, went to the All-Star Game and finished sixth in the Cy Young Award balloting. More importantly, Hamels is the pitcher the Phillies tabbed to start the first post-season game in 14 years for the franchise last October. Clearly, in regard to his pitching, the Phillies like Hamels very much.

" I'm a little surprised. It's about respect, and when people don't show that to you, you're caught off guard. I thought it was a low blow.
"I felt it wasn't necessarily equal compensation for what I do and for what I can do. I have to follow the ladder of other guys, some who play every day, and I know I'm not in that category, but you want to feel like you're getting equally compensated for what you do on the field compared to other people that are in the same league."

Oh, but that's not how it works, young fella. Not in baseball, anyway. Or at least, not usually. Sure, there are a few players who received large contracts based on future potential as opposed to accomplishment, but teams have a way of closing up the check book after getting burned. Could it be that Hamels is being penalized for other bad deals?

Or could it be that Hamels is a victim of the Phillies' team-record $106 million payroll? Considering the Phillies are still paying Jim Thome for the next two seasons, perhaps there isn't much left over for the lefty ace?

Or could it be that Hamels is drawing a very fair salary for someone with his Major League service? At similar points of their careers, Hamels is making more than Chien-Ming Wang, Dontrelle Willis and Scott Kazmir. Plus, with another big season in '08, Hamels could do really well next winter if he becomes eligible for arbitration as a "Super Two" player.

But the idea that Hamels can make it through an entire season without some kind of setback doesn't seem realistic. Oh sure, he's as fit and strong as any pitcher on the team, but history is difficult to argue with. After all, Hamels has never made through an entire season without an injury or a stint on the disabled list. Even last year when he led the team with 15 wins, Hamels only made it to the mound for 28 starts.

Better yet, in his first four pro seasons Hamels pitched just 201 innings in 36 starts. In 2006, with a two-week disabled-list stint mixed in, the lefty went 181 innings. Last year he pitched 183 and missed a chunk of the later portion of the season with tendonitis.

In other words it's show-and-prove time for Hamels. If he wants the money he thinks he deserves, he has to go out there and pitch for it. And it's not just 25 to 28 starts or 180 innings for 15 or 16 wins. Instead, Hamels has to figure out how to go all 162. If he does that, he won't get low-balled any more. ... even though he's signed up with the Phillies until 2012.

So far, though, Hamels is on the right path.

Billy, don't lose that number

Generally, there is rarely a dull moment when Billy Wagner is on your team. For a group that gets more mileage out of other people's words than their actions, Wagner sometimes is a writers' dream. But at the same time he can also be a nightmare. Sometimes the hot air that blasts from his pie hole has nothing to do with anything, but because Wagner is still one of the better closers in the game for a big-market club, even the craziest stuff he says generates headlines.

It was that way in Philadelphia, too. Sometimes, when there was nothing going on and there were no stories to be found anywhere, all a reporter had to do was grab a big stick and give ol' Billy a couple of pokes and wait to see how long it took for him to growl.

Sometimes it didn't even take a poke with a stick. For instance, take last week's exhibition game against Michigan -- that where Wags threatened to start a bean ball battle with a college team because some undergrad kid had the audacity to attempt a bunt at a time that didn't jibe with his delicate interpretation of some ancient baseball protocol.

"If he got that bunt down, I would have drilled the next guy," Wagner said. "Play to win against Villanova."

Wagner continued: "It's hot and I'm just trying to work on some pitches, and they're bunting like it's the College World Series. Go do that against Villanova."

The thing is the game against the Mets was as big as the College World Series to Michigan as well as all the other college teams playing one-shot exhibition games against big leaguers in spring training. A few days ago when Florida State came to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. to play the Phillies, it looked as if the kids' eyes were going to bug out of their heads because they were so excited. Better yet, Phillies' Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt went into the FSU clubhouse to talk to the team for a half hour before the Phils opened up their clubhouse so that the Seminoles could wander in and chat up the big leaguers.

But, you know, Wagner gets chapped by a bunt by a college kid.

Hey, it's one thing to threaten a bean-ball battle against the Phillies in '08 after they ate the Mets' lunch in '07. After the way the Mets strutted scoffed about the Phillies' chances last season it's understandable that the humble pie didn't go down so smoothly.

But a college kid busting his rear in an attempt to impress a big-league scout or coach... come on. Maybe Wagner doesn't remember being a Li'l Napoleon back at tiny Ferrum College where he played Division III baseball. I wonder if Wagner would have fired his big fastball at the Major Leaguers or if he would have deferred to them on a hot day because they're just trying to work on their swings?

My guess is Billy would have reared back to try to throw his heater through his catcher instead of saving it for Shenandoah University, but that's me.

Meanwhile, a post on the New York Times' BATS blog reported that the legendary Sandy Koufax showed up in Port St. Lucie at the request of Wagner to help the ex-Phillies closer how to throw a curveball.

Sandy Koufax... Pretty cool, huh?

This is interesting for a couple of reasons. One is that Sandy Koufax might have thrown the best curve in the history of the game during his comet-like big-league career for the Dodgers. He was also a lefty, like Wagner, so they have that in common. Plus, like Wagner, Koufax could really bring the heat.

In other words, it seems as if the Hall of Famer and Wagner could have a good understanding of one another. Yet for some reason I can't help remembering back when Wagner was pitching for the Phillies and didn't want to let the word out that he threw a pretty nasty slider to go with his high-90s fastball. So wrapped up in the faux machismo of being feared for his heat, Wagner never wanted to talk about how he used his slider on two-strikes counts in order to pile up the strikeouts. People would begin to think that Li'l Bill was losing a mph or two off that notorious fastball if word got out that his real strikeout pitch was a slider.

Worse, when pushed to talk about it Wagner wasn't showed a former CSNer where the sun never shined - literally. Of course he (rightfully) thought that the CSNer was being mischievous with a CSN.com-er, but, you know, that's a different story. The fact is we got to see a lot of Billy Wagner that day when he was asked about throwing a slider.

But now he is working on a curve to go with his fastball and slider, and The New York Times and Sandy Koufax are involved, too.

Fava beans and a nice chianti

Snow flurries are fluttering around here in The Lanc and it's cold again. Perhaps going from perfect, sun-soaked 60-degree mornings in Florida to blustery winter evenings in Pennsylvania is a lot like jet lag. Oh well, Mother Nature is perfect in her demented little way, so whatever... it's just weather.

Anyway, it would have been nice to spend a few more days in the Tampa Bay area, specifically to head up to Dunedin to check in on the Blue Jays and their new third baseman. Apparently, he used to play for the Phillies or something like that. Also working out with the Jays this spring are fellow McCaskey High alums, John Parrish and Matt Watson. Parrish, a lefty pitcher and a wintertime signing for the Jays after spending the last few seasons with the Orioles and Mariners, could figure into the Toronto bullpen in 2008.

Watson is a non-roster invitee for Toronto after spending last season playing in Japan. Prior to the stint in Japan, he played in the Expos, Mets and A's organizations with 34 big-league games under his belt.

So far this spring, Watson has gotten into two Grapefruit League games and is 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Parrish hasn't appeared in any games yet, but he's expected to pitch against the Devil Rays this afternoon.

*** This spring, Major League Baseball required the first and third-base coaches to wear batting helmets when on the field. This decree comes as a reaction to the death of minor-league coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was hit by a line drive below the ear while coaching first base. Needless to say, a handful of coaches aren't too jazzed about the new mandate, but have complied in almost all cases.

All except for one guy, of course.

"That's not for me," new Dodgers' third-base coach Larry Bowa told MLB.com.

"My question is, how can I be in the league 40 years and the league says who wears a helmet and who doesn't? One guy got killed and I'm sorry it happened. But bats break and they can be a deadly weapon. Do something about bats.

"Umpires get hit with line drives. I've probably seen 50 of them get hit. If coaches have to wear helmets, umpires should. I'll sign a waiver. And there should be a grandfather clause. These are very cumbersome. They talk about delay of game, and when the helmet falls off, you'll have to stop the game. It should be an option. I know I'm talking for a lot of guys who won't say anything. I'll write a check for 162 games if I have to to not wear it."

Bowa makes salient points. However, after seeing Bowa in action for four years as manager of the Phillies, perhaps simply wearing a helmet isn't the best call.

No, Bowa might be better off out there with one of those masks they put on Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.

Next time: Billy Wagner and C.J. Wilson.

All work and no play...

Let me preface this by harkoning back to last night's jag of a post fueled by another full day at the ballpark and a veggie burger/side salad combo thang served at one of the many chain establishments that have sprouted up throughout Clearwater proper. If you like chain places, Clearwater is the spot because the strip malls filled with big-box stores have sprouted where once were palmettos and reeds of tall marsh grass. Now, instead of swamps, it's Target, Borders, Costco, Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, etc., etc. If you thought the Philadelphia suburbs (and now exurbs) were over-developed, you ought to check out the Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. in Clearwater. Either the folks really want to be homogenized by chain stores or they get really, really peeved if they have to drive the SUV more than three minutes to get a venti mochachino or an industrial sized vat ‘o mayonnaise from the Costco, BJs, Sam's Club or whatever else folks go to.

Remember, you need a membership to go to those places. It's that exclusive.

Anyway, the easy and relaxed part about spring training is the baseball. The guys playing and coaching are truly having a blast playing ball, getting into shape (yeah, a few of the guys look a little paunchy), and pushing away the stress before the games start to count. It almost seems as if the teams should get together during the afternoon and choose up sides.

Yes, the atmosphere is that informal.

But there is a misconception that the scribes covering the ballclub for the seven weeks of spring training are having the same type of relaxation and fun. In fact, I know for a fact that more than a few of the writers were taunted (taunted!) with the ol' rolling of the eyes and the, "It must be nice to go watch baseball in Florida and write about it for seven weeks..."

First of all, unironic sarcasm is a character flaw. My suggestion for folks that engage in such banter are the books of Deepak Chopra.[1] Mellow out, dudes.

Secondly, it's not all fun and games for the scribes toiling away in Florida. Actually, it's no vacation at all - hell; it's hardly even a picnic. For the writers, the day starts before the sun comes up and it ends long after the sun goes down. Sure, writing about baseball is hardly the same thing as digging ditches, but by the end of flexing all of those brain waves, the scribes are too tired to spend any time at the beach or the Target. Sometimes they are even way too tired to stumble back to the hotel, crawl into the whirlpool and crack open a bottle of Chablis. Most of the time the guys fall asleep in front of the TV with a half-eaten hot pocket stuck to their dirty Motorhead t-shirts.

No, nobody should live like that.

Perhaps most importantly, the writers back up and move away from friends and family for two months. While life goes on back in Philly, the fellas are trying to chase down Ryan Howard to glean sometime of emotion from him regarding his new salary.

Oh, but on occasion there is a chance to unwind. For instance, take what went the other night...

After the Phillies-FSU game was mercifully rained out and all of the stories about Brett Myers-over-Cole Hamels-as-the-Opening-Day-starter stories had been filed, it was nearly 11 p.m. Famished after another 12-hour day, the writers wanted to go out for something to eat but quickly realized every place was closed. It was a Tuesday night, after all, and in the straight world folks don't keep baseball hours. That's especially the case at the Sand Dollar - a favorite spot amongst the baseball-types for its all-you-can-eat grouper buffet.

Knowing that the joint was closed, the gang somehow coaxed the new guy, David Murphy of the Daily News, to go back to his room at the Holiday Inn Express for his piece. When Murphy returned, the rest of the guys talked the newest member of the baseball-writing group into forcing the place to stay open after closing so the guys could attack the buffet and eat everything in sight.

Thanks to Murphy and his pearl-handled berretta, a good time was had by all.

Of course, that was until the Clearwater P.D. showed up and put the kibosh on the evening. Though the rest of the scribes got off with just a written warning from the police, Murphy is still awaiting arraignment in the Pinellas County Jail. Word is his bail was set at $50,000 bond and until he raises the dough, the only meals he's going to get are the three squares paid for by the taxpayers of Pinellas County.

Fortunately, the kid smuggled in his Blackberry from which he has been able to file his dispatches about the ballclub for the paper as well as updates for his blog, "High Cheese," about life in the hoosegow.

We're all hoping Murphy gets out soon, but in the meantime it seems as if the clink is the best place for him.

Anyways, the writers got up early on Friday morning to catch the morning "B" game at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. That's where Myers will begin his spring action in attempt to prepare himself for his big, Opening Day start back in Philly against the nine from Washington, D.C. on March 31.

Me? Well, as I type this sentence I'm about 32,000-feet over the deep, America south jetting back to snowy Philadelphia and then home to The Lanc. Yeah, a few more days in Florida to chronicle the comings and goings of the Phillies would have been kind of interesting, but I miss my two boys and with any luck I should be back home before bedtime.

---

[1] That, folks, was ironic sarcasm. See how different it is from unironic sarcasm?

Ode to spring

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The best part about spring training is the informality of it. The strict protocol and rules of the regular season are pushed aside explicitly for the regular season, but while in Clearwater for seven weeks in preparation for when the games really count, the Phillies have been pretty good about keeping it light and getting their work in. Frankly, the best part about baseball is spring training. In the laidback atmosphere here in Florida, the players' and coaches' love of the game oozes like lava down the side of a volcano. For a change - at least when there are no cases for the arbitration panel to hear - baseball looks like a game. The corporatization of a simple ballgame takes a backseat until the scene moves north to the big, taxpayer subsidized stadiums.

Aside from getting in the work (who doesn't love watching players do their strides on the warning track while the game is still in progress), players experiment and try things they would never do in a real game. For instance, if Ryan Howard would have come to the plate with runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth inning of a regular-season game, he never would have taken the bat off his shoulder. He would have taken four pitches wide and outside and then trotted to first.

But in Clearwater against the Pirates on Thursday afternoon with runners on second and third and two outs, Howard got a fastball right down the pipe. Needless to say, the big fella knocked it over the berm ringing the ballpark beyond the outfield fence and into a pond just shy of the chain link fence separating the grounds of the park from southbound lanes of US-19.

Chances are the ball turned into a meal for an alligator.

The best part about the homer was that Howard talked to the scribes about it just a few innings later. No one had to wait until the end of the game because the clubhouse opens up for media access a few innings into the game so that the ballplayers can take care of the reporters before taking off for the day. Frankly, it's an odd thing being in the clubhouse while a game is in progress, just as it's a peculiar thing to watch the final innings of a game from foul territory in left field.

Do that during the regular season and it's off to the roundhouse.

Anyway, the proverbial book goes out the window at spring training. Instead it's a straight ahead, backyard game. Pitchers challenge hitters and hitters swing (or don't) at pitches they normally would not. That's because it's not about the stat numbers on the page, but instead it's about being able to play baseball.

And who can't appreciate that?

*** The Phillies will play a regular Grapefruit League game against the Pirates at Bradenton's McKechnie Field at 1 p.m. in front of paying customers featuring a majority of the players on the spring roster. However, the more interesting matchup will be the "B" game played at Pirate City located at 27^th Street in Bradenton, which is where newly-named Opening Day starter Brett Myers will make his 2008 spring debut. Lefty reliever J.C. Romero is also scheduled to pitch in the "B" game.

Two players that will not make the trip to Bradenton are catcher Carlos Ruiz and shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Both players were given the day off, which, for Rollins means an early morning workout and then some relaxation at home for the rest of the day.

Rollins, needless to say, is pretty excited about the rare day off.

On another note, at his locker in the veterans' corner of the clubhouse in Bright House Field, Rollins proudly displayed the championship belt awarded to him as the team captain in the weekly bowling matchup against a team led by Ryan Howard and featuring bowlers Brett Myers and Shane Victorino. Apparently Rollins' team is such a juggernaut that Howard and his club were pleased that they pushed the best-of-3 series to the limit.

Afterwards, when asked whether the problem was the management as opposed to the bowling, Howard complained that the Philadelphia media was calling for his head.

"You lose one game and the Philly media tries to get you fired!" he yelled.

Hey, you can't fire the bowlers.

Fish story

The sun is shining brightly here in Clearwater, Fla., a city where one can purchase illegal fireworks and a big bottle of Boone's Farms Chablis with a twist-off cap at the Target on the Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. It should be noted that folks tell me that the Chablis goes nicely with the grouper they like to eat with damn-near everything around these parts. You got your grouper sandwich...

You got your grouper kabob...

Grouper fritters...

Sautéed grouper...

Buffalo-style grouper...

Blackened grouper...

Grouper Mediterranean...

Also around these parts, the Phillies opened the Grapefruit League season with a resounding 8-1 victory over the new-look Cincinnati Reds yesterday at Bright House Field. The big story of the game, of course, was the Phils' pitching, mostly because scoring eight runs ain't no thang for the club's offense. The truth is, the Phillies are going to bash the hell out of the ball this summer, but we'll dive into that in a bit.

Back to the pitching...

As noted extensively and exclusively (for the first time since the last time), cagey vet Jamie Moyer was stellar in his three-inning stint. His lack of velocity on his fastball was in mid-season form and, as the lefty noted, his curve and change are a step or so ahead of the hitters at this point in the spring.

"I got away with a lot of pitches. The first strikeout to (Ryan) Freel was a real bad pitch, but those guys are just getting started as hitters. I would never get away with that during the regular season," Moyer opined. "I don't like to make pitches like that, but when you do it forces you to figure out what's going on. I think, if anything, that's what I take out of it. It took me two innings to figure out the minor things and now I'll have something to work on for my next bullpen moving ahead."

Mentioned, though not delved into too deeply, was the fact that Rule 5 pick-up Travis Blackley also tossed three shutout innings in relief of Moyer. Certainly the outing bodes well for the left-handed Australian in his quest (yes, a quest!) to make the ballclub. If Blackley doesn't make the club he has to be offered back to the Giants, and only if the Giants don't want him back can the Phillies slip him down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

It's the same type of deal the Phillies had with Shane Victorino two years ago when the Dodgers didn't take him back.

Anyway, Blackley says he likes what he's seen from his Phillies' teammates so far and really hopes he can fill a role on the pitching staff.

"I'd prefer to start. I've always started, but I just want to pitch at that level," Blackley said. "I'm just down to throw. If it happens to be a bullpen spot, sweet, I'll take it. If it doesn't work out here, I'm throwing for other teams as well."

Grouper parmesan...

Grouper chowder...

Grouper casserole...

Grouper au gratin...

Pan-seared grouper with curry cous cous...

As for the offense, all the big off-season acquisitions smacked doubles. Infielders Eric Bruntlett and Pedro Feliz went 2-for-2, while Geoff Jenkins went 1-for-3.

The theory floating around is that the Phillies should count on big years from Jenkins and Feliz because they can comfortably slide into the team's lineup without any pressure to carry the load. For the Brewers, Jenkins was counted on to slug 30-plus homers and to be the team's main run producer for years, but with the Phillies he will likely bat sixth in the lineup comfortably behind Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell.

Out of San Francisco, Feliz no longer has to protect Barry Bonds in the batting order. Instead, he'll fit into the battom-third of the order and could be a 30-homer threat at cozy, Citizens Bank Park.

Anyway, here's the lineup for this afternoon's epic tilt against the Pirates here at Bright House Field:

11 - Rollins, ss 99 - Taguchi, cf 26 - Utley, 2b 6 - Howard, 1b 7 - Feliz, 3b 10 - Jenkins, rf 28 - Werth, lf 19 - Dobbs, dh 51 - Ruiz, c

Pitchers: Kyle Kendrick; Joe Savery; Josh Outman; Francisco Rosario; Lincoln Holdzkom.

Moyer in midseason form

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.

All told, Moyer allowed just one looping single with three whiffs in three innings in Wednesday afternoon's Grapefruit League opener against the Reds. Additionally, he threw 31 pitches -- 22 for strikes -- as well as six first-pitch strikes to the 10 hitters he faced.

After watching his 22nd season debut the first thought is this:

Slow down old-timer... save some of that for September.

But then again, there's an adage amongst old marathoners that states, "if you have it, there's no sense in saving it." ***

Anyway, here's a story from today on Moyer and the Grapefruit League opener against the Reds in Clearwater. Here's another on the team's top prospect, Carlos Carrasco, who was robbed with his entire family in their home in Venezuela by two armed, unmasked men.

Hamels: It's casual

Good morning from the windy, chilly and overcast Gulf Coast, folk(s). We'll get into it in a bit as soon as we take care of some important business, and finding some coffee here at the park. How can they not have coffee - it's just some hot water poured over some ground up beans. Sheesh!

In the meantime, left-hander ace-in-the-waiting Cole Hamels talked to reporters about NOT getting the Opening Day start on March 31 against the Nats at the Bank. Guess what? He's cool with it. Better yet, he kind of likes going second.

"I actually don’t mind him being first," Hamels said. "I kind of like it."

Clicky click here to listen to what he told the reporters.

I even wrote about it right here.

That's one down

The Phillies' first game of the spring came off without a hitch on Tuesday night here in Clearwater. Actually, it was one of those nights when the outcome was never in doubt... the players would never get out of the clubhouse. Actually, the only debate was whether the rain was going to continue to fall perfectly vertical or sweep in sideways.

Interestingly, the cooler temps and the pounding rain came right on the heels of some 80-degree heat, which I clearly wasn't ready for based on the aftermath of the morning workout (I'll spare the details).

Anyway, I'll dive in more in-depth tomorrow when an actual baseball game is played. In the meantime, here's the latest opus on Brett Myers being named the Opening Day starter for 2008. There is some school of thought out there that Myers got the nod over All-Star Cole Hamels as a reward for being a good soldier last season. As we all remember, Myers valiantly moved to the bullpen first as a set-up man for Tom Gordon and then as a closer after working as a starter for his first three starts of '07.

Anyway, according to the Chamber of Commerce, Clearwater, Fla. is known to be a city of extremes. Actually, I just made that up. I doubt any chamber of commerce would drop that moniker on its town. However, based on the weather today and what is expected for the rest of the week, we're going to be all over the map.

Still, while watching the rain pelt the ballfield, windows and landscape before pooling up wherever it could, I thought out loud, "Yeah, that's so much better than snow."

But snow melts and rain dries and so we'll get back at it bright and early tomorrow morning.

Who turned on the heat?

For the first time in recent memory, my suitcase and I showed up at the same place at the same time. Let's hope that's a sign of good things to come here in the land of comfortable footwear and early-bird specials[1]. Anyway, I'm sleepy and need some rest before waking up early to find coffee and a suitable trail to carve out 15-to-20[2], so I'm not going to wax on about the latest developments regarding the Phillies and the pitching staff. I'm also not going to delve into the fact that Daniel Day-Lewis' most recent Academy Award is probably the best actor since Brando, nor the fact that the Coen Bros. have achieved a body of work that puts them in the same pantheon as Bergman, Fellini and Hitchcock - or at least the level just below that.

Speaking of the Academy Awards, why do the hosts and presenters always tell us, the viewer, how many people are watching worldwide? How do they know? And if they know how many people are watching the Academy Awards worldwide, don't they also know how many people turned on the TV and fell asleep, or how many people turned it on but left the room to take a phone call or something?

I really don't think they know what they're talking about.

OK. Jim Cramer is shouting at me from the television, my head hurts and it's time to unwind. I need my rest if I'm going to sport those comfortable shoes and find the best tofu special at 4 p.m.

---

[1] These are two really good things.[2] Miles not minutes.

You're all winners!

This is going to be the last baseball-related post for the next few days. Next week this space will hold nothing but the scene and the scenesters from Clearwater so it's good to diversify. You know... goof on other goofiness for a while. In the meantime, I'm going to go see There Will Be Blood [1] before my wife's annual Academy Awards extravaganza at the house on Sunday night. From what I'm told this year's menu will include a new red lentil soup recipe as well as baked brie with raspberries and almonds[2].

Once again my suggestion to serve a six-foot hoagie with a pony keg was ignored.

Anyway, this effort is hardly going to be an effort at all. In fact, it's essentially going to be recycled from last February when the Phillies announced their Wall of Fame ballot. This year the club added Doug Glanville, Greg Gross, Jim Fregosi and Lancaster Countian Gene Garber to the ballot, though it seems unlikely that anyone from that group will gain election for enshrinement, in which the criterion is:

Phillies players with five or more years of service are eligible. Managers and coaches need four or more years of service.

In addition to a player's statistical record, consideration is given to longevity, ability, contributions to the Phillies and baseball, character and special achievements.

This year the 15 players on the ballot are:

Pitchers: Larry Christenson, Jim Konstanty, Gene Garber, Rick Wise Catcher: Darren Daulton Infielders: John Kruk, Fred Luderus, Juan Samuel Outfielders: Lenny Dykstra, Von Hayes, Greg Gross, Doug Glanville Manager: Gene Mauch, Jim Fregosi Coaches: Mike Ryan

Out of the 15 eligible, I cast my three vote(s) for Jim Konstanty, Darren Daulton and Gene Mauch.

Konstanty gets the vote simply for the 1950 season. During that year, as a relief pitcher, Konstanty appeared in a then Major League-record 74 games and was National League's MVP. When the Phillies got to their first World Series since 1915, Konstanty took the ball and started Game 1for his first start in approximately four seasons.

Ultimately Konstanty only won 51 games and saved 54 in 6½ seasons for the Phillies, but he was one of the pioneers in the game as a true relief specialist, yet was also versatile and strong enough to pile up more than a 100 innings.

Don't tell me the Phillies wouldn't like to have a relief pitcher to toss 70 or so innings this season.

I don't think I have to get too into why Daulton should be enshrined. Simply, he may have been one of the most important players - for his time - the franchise ever had. Importance of a player, of course, belies simple things such as numbers on a stat page and in that regard Daulton is both simple and complex. He led the league in both RBIs and knee operations... then moved to the outfield after two decades of squatting.

Better yet, he was the straw that stirred the drink in '93. Go ahead... ask anybody.

Mauch, on the other hand, was regarded as one of the best baseball minds as well as the most star-crossed. He has managed more seasons without reaching the World Series than anyone else. Worse, Mauch had come so excruciatingly close to getting there so many times only to fall through a trap door.

There was 1964, which people around here remember, but then in 1982 he guided the California Angels to 2-0 lead in the best of five series only to drop the final three games to the Milwaukee Brewers. That was the first time that had ever happened.

In 1986, Mauch's Angels were one pitch away from beating the Boston Red Sox in five games of the best-of-seven ALCS before Donnie Moore served up the famous home run to Dave Henderson. The Red Sox went on to win Game 5 and then games 6 and 7 to further extend Mauch's curse.

Yet for the Phillies, Mauch turned a laughingstock into a contender by winning 646 games in a little more than eight seasons. From 1962 to 1967, Mauch's Phillies finished .500 or better in every season, which was a rarity for the franchise.

There it is... go vote online at the Phillies' web site.

In the meantime, here are my Oscar picks [3]based on no knowledge whatsoever:

Supporting actress: Cate Blanchett, I'M NOT THERE Supporting actor: Javier Bardem, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Actress: Ellen Page, JUNO Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, THERE WILL BE BLOOD Director: The Coen Bros., NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Best picture: There Will Be Blood

---

[1] Again. [2] Yeah, we're doing alright. [3] Yes, I know there is no way to judge art or acting unless all of the actors play the same part. I also know that the Academy Awards are inherently a big pile of BS.

Priced out?

Somewhere the brass for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees quietly noted the landmark $10 million payout to Phillies' slugger Ryan Howard and stashed away the information for later. After all, depending upon what type of season Howard puts together in 2008 it's not out of the realm of possibility that the slugger could wind up with one of those teams in 2009 and/or beyond. Seriously, after the arbitration panel ruled on Thursday that Howard has earned a $10 million salary for 2009 after just two full big-league seasons, the big question is this:

How much longer will the Phillies be able to afford him?

Think about it - the Phillies and Howard will more than likely be back in the same position again next year, only this time the slugger won't be asking for a measly $10 million per season.

At least that's the way the trends skew. Howard not only has set precedents in terms of salary for a player with his limited Major League experience, but he's also operating in unchartered territory when it comes to prolific power statistics. In fact, his 105 home runs and 285 RBIs during the past two seasons could be the greatest debut power years (non-alleged steroid division) ever. Forget the first full two seasons, there aren't too many players in baseball history that have hit 105 homers in two consecutive seasons.

So where does that leave the Phillies now that Howard and his camp swayed arbitrators to break precedent? And what happens if the big fella clubs 60 homers and 150 RBIs for a playoff team in '08? Can the Phillies afford not to work out a long-term deal with Howard just so they can avoid record payouts in arbitration year after year until 2011?

Or, did Howard price himself out of Philadelphia? Though Howard won in arbitration, like a majority of the fandom thought was appropriate, have the fans really lost? After all, there is chatter out there that Team Howard is seeking a long-term deal in the A-Rod strata. Surely the Phillies can't be pleased with that development and where it could be the negotiations for here and beyond.

"This is too fresh in our minds right now to even start dealing with that kind of stuff," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters in Clearwater, Fla., Thursday. "I think what we're focused on now is, one, it's over with. And two, we have to go play baseball now."

Howard wasn't sure, either.

"I'm not Miss Cleo, I can't predict the future," he said.

Oh, but even the omniscient Miss Cleo cannot gaze into a crystal ball and figure out this riddle. Because what she sees can't bode well for the Phillies - a team that has a recent history of allowing some high-priced talent to deal with other clubs. Sure, the Phillies were creative when they signed Pete Rose in 1979, they had Mike Schmidt when he was the highest-paid player in the game, and they signed Lance Parrish for (relative) big money when the other owners had been judged to have colluded against free agent players. But the Phillies have never dealt with something like Ryan Howard.

Not many teams have.

But the Phillies and Howard will be back to do it all again next year. Again they will row out into unchartered - and deep - waters with their greatest slugger ever. Only next year there's a good chance that Howard won't be alone when asking for a record payout.

Pitcher Cole Hamels could be there, too.

Who knows what will happen in another year. Maybe the Phillies will empty out their pockets and dig into the sofa cushions and find a $200 million check sitting around. Plus, there will likely be a lot of fans willing to shell out plenty of money for tickets to watch the Howard and his Phillies' teammates attempt to repeat as NL East champs in 2008.

A bake sale ain't getting this one done, folks.

Still, the important question remains:

Could Howard envision playing the rest of his career with the Phillies?

"It would be nice," he said. "It's one of those things we'll have to wait and see what happens."

It's sure to be eventful, that's for sure.

Cha-ching!

Howard, Phillies meet at hotel... leave through different exits

Actually, I don't know if that's true because I don't get to Clearwater until Monday (should I take my spear-fishing gear?), but the representatives of the Phillies and slugger Ryan Howard met at St. Petersburg's tony Vinoy Hotel & Resort to present their respective cases in today's arbitration hearing. According to reports on CSN, the hearing lasted for approximately five hours after which the groups were besieged by a gaggle of reporters that had been casing the joint all morning. Upon greeting the arbitration parties, the reporters reportedly asked if the hearing had been contentious.

Now I don't know much about anything, but considering the Phillies offered Howard $7 million to play baseball for one season, I'm not sure how contentious the hearings could be.

What are they going to say:

"Your honor, Howard is such a slouch and such a poor player that we only want to pay him the equivalent of the gross domestic product of several of the smaller countries in Europe."

Nevertheless, whatever the final decision it seems as if Howard is going to make out all right.

Back later...

The clown show is swamped today with work and kids and other types of silliness. However, it will return with a full slate of goofiness tomorrow. Get ready.

In the meantime, here are a few thoughts:

* When did they replace Jane Pauley on "The Today Show?"

* Speaking of "The Today Show," did Brett Myers really spit on national television? Really? That type of behavior is so unlike him.

* Also, "The Today Show" will never, ever be mentioned on this little corner of the Internets ever again. Better yet, because the slicksters from NBC decided to descend upon Clearwater, Florida to visit with a handful of Phillies' players this morning (no, no video for you - go to every other blog to watch it), perhaps it's time to revoke the voting privileges of the local chapter the secret society known as the "BBWAA." As explained before, the sect is as detrimental to our nation's sovereignty as Skull & Bones, the Elks, the Masons, the Rotarians, the Stonecutters and the executive board of Wal-Mart.

And to think there are some that whine publically when they are not offered membership with this group.

Finally... the Tour of California wrapped up its second stage today in Sacramento. Judging from the groundswell clogging my e-mail in box as well as my fax machine, it's obvious that the event hasn't captured the imagination of the rest of the country. Regardless, I'll admit that I have tuned in for the nightly coverage on VERSUS, but really have no idea what is going on other than Mario Cipollini is riding again.

But I'll be honest - I tune in simply to listen to Phil Liggett. In fact, if there was a channel in which Phil Liggett read from the telephone book for 24-hours straight, I'd dial it up.

Also, there is a "Let Levi Ride" petition out there. Check it out... it don't cost nuthin'.