Method to the madness

During Charlie Manuel’s first spring training as manager of the Phillies, players raved about the change in atmosphere around the clubhouse. For the first time since Terry Francona managed the team, the ballplayers felt relaxed and able to do their jobs without a screaming and spittle-filled tirade from the man in charge. Manuel was just what the Phillies needed, the players said. In an era where the average salary for a baseball player was a little more than $2 million, there was no need for extra motivation.

A screaming manager or coach not only is the personification of bush league and a throwback to ridiculous archetype, but also is just silly. When Larry Bowa was finally let go and replaced with Manuel, everyone was happy.

Yes, Manuel was a good man who fostered an environment in which ballplayers could easily go about their jobs without the annoyance of reprisal. Manuel figured a relaxed ballplayer was a good ballplayer.

But Manuel was never a push over. From Jim Thome to Randy Wolf to Jimmy Rollins and all down the line, players who knew better said that Charlie was a nice and classy as could be, but…

“Don’t cross him,” players warned.

In other words, don’t mistake Manuel’s kindness for weakness.

In the years since that first spring the Phillies have been stamped with the Seal of Charlie. Unmistakably, the Phillies are Manuel’s team. The bash-and-bop style of Phillies’ offense reflects Manuel’s nature as a minor-league and Japanese League star and is reminiscent of his teams in Cleveland. There, with Thome, Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle in the middle of the order and Roberto Alomar, Omar Vizquel and Kenny Lofton setting the table, the Indians went to the playoffs six times in seven years and to the World Series twice in three seasons.

The Phillies clearly aren’t good as those Cleveland teams, but the formula is the same.

Charlie is the same, too. Don’t cross him.

Jimmy Rollins, the diva-like reigning NL MVP, learned as much on two different occasions this season. Once when Rollins failed to hustle down the first-base line on an easy pop fly that dropped in for an error, and another time when the shortstop showed up late for a game at Shea Stadium, Manuel yanked him from the lineup and put him on the bench.

To Charlie, an MVP trophy doesn’t mean a player stops being accountable.

Accountability isn’t just about hustling and showing up on time, either. Ask starting pitcher Brett Myers about that.

Saturday night, Myers made the mistake of shouting, “This is my [bleeping] game,” toward Manuel as he ambled out to the mound to make the pitching change. Despite his teammates’ calls for him to knock it off, Myers continued shouting at Manuel until he made a hasty retreat toward the back of the dugout.

Though Myers has been good since returning from his month-long exile to the minors the get his pitching back in order and he had held the Pittsburgh Pirates to a run and five hits through 7 2/3 innings and 92 pitches to that point in the game, the pitcher didn’t think the fact that the Pirates had three straight lefties coming up nor that he had given up three hard hit balls that inning meant much.

But that all changed when the pitcher turned around after continuing his tirade in the dugout only to find Charlie bearing down on him, screaming and pawing at the insolent pitcher’s left shoulder. When the argument spilled to the runway leading back to the clubhouse, Charlie finally had to be pulled away lest the heated exchange turn physical.

That would have been something.

Some speculated in jest that Myers would have had an advantage if it come to fisticuffs since he was trained as a boxer before turning to baseball as a teenager. Perhaps. But boxer or not, Myers clearly doesn’t have Manuel’s toughness – mental or physical. For one, Manuel has had cancer, a heart attack and bypass surgery. When he returned to work for the Indians after cancer surgery, he kept a colostomy bag under his jacket.

That’s tough. The crazy came from his playing days when Manuel brawled with manager Billy Martin as a rookie with the Twins. Later, while playing in Japan, Manuel famously fought the East German hockey team (all of them), and was beaned in the face with a pitch and played despite the fact that he couldn’t eat solid food.

So a precious little boxer from Florida who once allegedly fought his wife on a crowded Boston street can’t really be a match for the much older manager, can he?

Yeah, Myers may have thought it was his game, but the Phillies are very clearly Charlie’s team.

After the game when things cooled down a bit, Myers apologized and admitted he was wrong for showing up his manager.

“I’m a competitor,” Myers said. “I like competing and I wanted to stay in and finish the game. But sometimes your emotions get the best of you and you might do something irrational out there. He thought I did. That’s part of the game. It’s all patched up now, though. We’re buddies.”

Since rejoining the Phillies after his demotion to the minors, Myers is 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA in four starts. His two wins are against Washington and Pittsburgh – combined those teams are 97-138 this season.

“I missed a month without being here with the team and I wanted to try to prove myself again that I can pitch in the big leagues - and I wanted to stay out there as long as I could,” Myers said. “He made the decision and that's his decision.”

Manuel didn’t take blame or apologize afterwards. Actually, it seemed as if he kind of enjoyed the confrontation, noting that it was just a matter of two guys having a disagreement.

“He's fine,” Manuel said as if Myers’ ego was injured more than anything else. “He just wanted to stay in the game and I like that. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, if he didn't want to stay in the game, I'd probably be mad.”

He certainly wasn’t mad about taking Myers out of the game though – just as he wasn’t upset about disciplining Rollins.

“I'll tell you something: his confidence got back. That's why I took him out of the game. I wasn't going to let him lose the game. He was leaving on a high note, and there's four left-handed hitters standing there,” Manuel said. “I wasn't going to give him a chance to get hit. He already pitched a good game and did a good job.”

Is there a method to Charlie’s madness? Probably not. After all, he was the ballplayer described in the essential book about Japanese baseball called You Gotta Have Wa as, “a big, red-haired character from West Virginia with a talent for producing anarchy out of order.”

The ironic thing is that it has been the exact opposite in Philadelphia. There might not be a method to the madness, but it certainly is effective.

Nothing to see here except for everything

By the time the Olympics end, chances are the story of the American murdered at the Drum Tower on will be lost beneath an avalanche of stories about Michael Phelps, Dara Torres, Tyson Gay and the rest of the probable heroes of the Beijing Games. But that's a shame. Todd and Barbara Bachman, both 62, parents of the wife of volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon, were stabbed by a Chinese national on Saturday. Todd Bachman died and his wife sustained what were described as life-threatening injuries. Their daughter, Elizabeth Bachman McCutcheon, an Olympian volleyball player in the 2004 Games in Athens, witnessed the entire tragedy, which included the alleged murderer's leap to his death from 130-feet from the tower.

Reports are that the man was wearing a red shirt and laid on the ground, face down, for two hours before he was removed from the scene.

More strangely, American writers were on the scene covering the murder in great detail before sending the stories back to their papers and onto the World Wide Web. But reports are that the Chinese government made no mention that anything happened on the state-run news broadcasts.

As far as the Chinese government was concerned, nothing happened.

For us, Phil Sheridan and Marcus Hayes delivered riveting accounts of the scene and circumstance of the tragedy. In a time of anguish and despair, Marcus and Phil stepped up.

Read the accounts:

Phil Sheridan: Fatal China stabbing raises questions

Marcus Hayes: Thunderous Silence

*** Meanwhile, back to the relative tranquility of the United States...

Back in 1984 in the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C., I stepped onto an elevator with Robin Roberts. We chatted about the Olympics, which was topical since the L.A. Games were approaching and since he was working for USA Baseball as a consultant. The next time I had a chance to talk to Roberts was tonight just as the Phillies were starting the game against the Pirates.

Twenty-four years between chats is too long.

Anyway, aside from the talk about the 1950 baseball season and his ability to pitch nine innings seemingly every time he took the mound, I asked Roberts about that 1984 Olympic team.

"Man, we had some good players," he said.

They sure did. Mark McGwire, Will Clark, Barry Larkin, B.J. Surhoff and a catcher from Philadelphia named John Marzano took the silver in the first year baseball was re-introduced to the Olympics.

Strangely, the next time I talked to Roberts about Olympic baseball was before the last time the sport will be a part of the Olympic program.

Talk about the circle of life...

Regardless, seeing Roberts wasvery fun. I even wrote about it.

Baseball fans should treasure guys like Roberts for as long as they can.

*** Coming tomorrow in full, blow-by-blow detail:

Charlie vs. Myers.

Don't mess with Charlie.

Plus, Kobe, LaBron and Darfur.

Beijing 2008: Logging on and tuning out

Some have presumed that the reason why the Olympics have lost some of its luster isn't because it's a professional sporting event as opposed to one showcasing the top amateur athletes. After all, even in the old days there was hardly such a thing as a true "amateur athlete." During the Cold War the Soviet Union and the East German teams were loaded with pros. Behind the Iron Curtain elaborate sports schools complete with special training and special "vitamins" weren't just part of the sporting culture, they were accepted training practices.

Meanwhile the specter of the Soviet monster was the perfect foil for the U.S. and international athletics. It was very difficult not to look at that menacing and simplistic "CCCP" on the front of a jersey and not be scared shitless. Everyone knew what it meant, which was, "get ready - this might hurt."

Coming from the United States it's difficult to understand if that splashy and decorative, "USA" had the same affect. Oh sure, anyone can admit that the "U-S-A!" chant was obnoxious and annoying, but was it fearsome? Did strike worry into the opposition?

Who knows? Americans were always taught that "CCCP" was pure evil, while the Soviets saw the amateurs from America as weak.

It's kind of funny - in an ironic way - that t-shirts or trinkets with "CCCP" on them are now viewed as "kitsch" or vintage throwbacks to the old days.

Sigh.

But the dissolution of the classic Cold War didn't ruin the Olympics, either. Neither did the inclusion of non-traditional and fringe sports to the games like beach volleyball or BMX, events that took center stage in past television broadcasts. Instead it was NBC's decision to focus less on the actual competition and more on the human-interest dramas. Apparently, NBC felt that sports - even Olympic competition - was not enough.

Not only that, NBC decided that the sports they did telecast would not be in real time. Worse, they chopped up the recordings of the events, edited out the nuance and details, and presented them as it would an episode of "Friends."

For someone who remembered watching Sugar Ray Leonard and Bruce Jenner in Montreal in '76, the Miracle on Ice in '80 and the avalanche of American victories during the Soviet boycott of the Los Angeles games in 1984, the made-for-TV vignettes forced down viewers' throats was insulting.

Worse, it was a turnoff. Literally.

But for the Olympics starting today in Beijing, NBC won't have the built-in excuse of time zones inconducive to American-viewing audiences. For the 2000 games in Sydney and the 2004 games in Athens, it was rare for fans in the U.S. to see a live event. Worse, Michael Johnson's epic run in the 200-meters in Atlanta wasn't even shown live.

But for the Beijing Olympics NBC can go live all the time. One reason is that the time difference is convenient. When it's 7 p.m. in Beijing, it is 7 a.m. in Philadelphia. Sure, people have to go to work in the morning, but a die-hard sports fan can easily get up to watch the competition.

Better yet, more so than any other time in history technology will play an instrumental role. The proliferation of the Internet makes it impossible and even stupid to stage made-for-TV events. Apparently NBC knows this because it will stream events live on its web site. Plus, along with the growth of Internet, cable television has grown since the last Olympics. As a result, NBC will show 23 ½ hours of Olympic coverage a day on its various networks ranging from MSNBC to CNBC to Universal HD to Panavision.

Plus, NBC has to know that its reputation and culpability are on the line if they don't give American viewers an honest, un-filtered presentation. A bad showing could push sports fans to the Internet in droves. Everything else will be on NBCOlympics.com - not that new high def TV you just bought.

Who could have predicted Twitter in 2004?

Nevertheless, by the time NBC got around to broadcasting the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night, all of the debris, smoke from the fireworks and debris had been swept away, the people had all gone home and the Olympic Stadium, called the Bird's Nest, was being prepared to host its first events.

Aside: And no, when NBC showed President Bush talking to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, they were not talking about the drum number as Bob Costas suggested. It was probably something more like Putin's decision to invade former Soviet republic, Georgia, on Friday.

Nice try, Bob.

But according to The New York Times, seven events will give medals on Saturday, but NBC will only broadcast two of them live. This begs the question:

How can an American broadcasting corporation be almost as restrictive as the Chinese government?

Maybe it's time to get a satellite dish in order to get the Canadian Broadcasting Company's unbiased, live and unpretentious coverage?

OK, nobody really gives a crap about Bob Costas or NBC. (In best Jim McKay voice) We, as sports fans, want the unparalleled human drama that is only captured in the Olympics. Once every four years athletes have a chance to capture immortality. Imagine having to wait that long for the World Series or the Super Bowl.

Moreover, just rooting for your home country isn't enough. In a global society where more American products are made in China than around the corner, we root for the hometown heroes.

They say all politics is local. So too are international athletics.

Certainly those of us who write about sports in Philadelphia have plenty of topics. Here are the local folks to keep an eye on:

Kobe Bryant - Yeah most people have heard of the Lower Merion High grad who also is the diva of the NBA. After flopping with his Lakers in the NBA Finals against the Celtics, Bryant and LeBron James are in charge of returning the gold medal to the U.S. in basketball. Most pundits have picked Team Nike USA to win it in Beijing, but if they don't expect plenty of criticism for the very precious Kobe.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - The Lithuanian basketball star made his fame when he torched the U.S. during the 2004 Athens Olympics. This time around he was the flag bearer for his home country. But aside from playing collegiately at the University of Maryland, Sarunas played his high school hoops for Solanco High in Lancaster County. Back then he was secondary offensive option for a prep team that featured short-lived Temple star, Johnny Miller.

Needless to say, it looks as if Sarunas has done OK for himself.

Jen Rhines ­- Coached by her husband and fellow Villanova All-American Terrence Mahon, Rhines has defied the distance runner evolution. After competing in the marathon in Athens in 2004 and the 10,000 in Sydney in 2000, she is running in the 5,000-meters in Beijing. Chances are Rhines will struggle to make the finals in a deep event, but berths on Olympic teams in three different events is pretty amazing.

Brian Sell - The true cult hero in the running world. Though Sell didn't even break 10-minutes for two-miles in high school, ran collegiately for Division III Messiah College near Harrisburg before transferring to little know D-I St. Francis in Loretto, Pa., he kept on running. As a result he improved year after year as the marquee runner for the Michigan-based Hansons-Brooks project.

And as Sell, from Woodbury, Pa., continued to improve by routinely ticking off upwards to 160-mile weeks, he got married to a girl from Lancaster County, had a daughter, bought a house, put off dental school and continued to work at Home Depot.

How many Olympians do that?

Sell isn't expected to crack the podium in the marathon in Beijing. In fact, he's not expected to be the top American finisher in the event either. Ryan Hall is America's hope for gold. But Sell is looking for a top 10 finish after logging those 160-mile weeks in nasty conditions in anticipation for the heat and humidity of August in China.

"I'm hoping for the worst conditions possible," Sell told Runner's World. "It could be a big equalizer."

Amanda Beard - She's not local, but why not?

Michael Phelps - The new Golden Boy is kind of local. He's from North Baltimore, which is closer to a lot of places considered part of the Philadelphia viewing area than Philly.

Other subjects of interest:

• China - The Olympics are the biggest thing that happened to this mysterious country since Richard Nixon visited. It also sounds as if it's just as important as all of the U.S. companies moving its manufacturing centers there.
• Pollution/environmental issues - A few athletes, like Haile Gebreselasie, have backed out of the games because of health concerns. Reports are the Chinese government is pulling out all the stops to lower the smog and pollution rate, but how much is sure to be an issue.
• Politics - Naïve types like to say that the Olympics are not about politics, but athletics. Yeah, right. If that was the case there would be no parade of nations - just the top athletes regardless of their nationality. Nevertheless, be prepared to hear about Darfur, Tibet and various other human rights issues... it's about time.
• Censorship - Marcus Hayes from the Daily News told me in an e-mail that he couldn't access his web site from the media center in Beijing. Americans and journalists traveling to China for the games expect restrictions on civil liberties, but how much they stand for will be an interesting sub plot.
• Doping - yeah.
• Corporatization - Coke, Nike, General Electric, NBC, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, and Visa. Try this out: on the U.S. basketball team, 11 players are sponsored by Nike, one is with adidas. Nike is also the official sponsor of Team USA... and probably the entire games. That is if Coke lets them.

So now the choice is ours. Do we log on and tune out or just allow the pretty high-def hues on tape delay from NBC wash over us?

Olympic preview for East-Coast types

It's coming... sit tight.

All Brett, all the time Part II

I generally don't believe in conspiracy theories. That goes for conspiracies within government as well as sports. For one thing, the organization and planning of the degree needed for such intricate subterfuge is often beyond the types that work in these businesses. Plus, keeping secrets is way too difficult. From what I know about writing about politics and sports over the years is that those people leak like sieves. The worst-kept secret is that there are no secrets. As a result, it makes the art of deception and conspiracy rather difficult.

However, when I heard that Brett Favre - the most famous man on the planet if you believe the breathless dispatches from ESPN -- had been traded to the New York Jets, well, I started looking behind the grassy knoll.

An attention hound quarterback with decades of fawning by the largest sports media outlet in the world headed to the largest media market in the country... nah, there can't be anything behind it, could there?

Brett Favre in New York? Mere coincidence.

To be fair, accounts coming out of Wisconsin or Mississippi or 34,000-feet above the earth or wherever the hell Brett Favre is these days, indicate that he really didn't want to get traded to the Jets. After all, the Jets were 4-12 last season, which is four games worse than what Favre's Packers were during a dreadful 2006, but identical to the 4-12 2005 season Favre masterminded in 2005.

Hey, it's not like the Jets are getting Doug Williams or Trent Dilfer [1]to replace Chad Pennington, who nearly guided the surprising '06 team into the AFC Championship. And they certainly are not getting a Bart Starr in the twilight years in Favre. Make it more like Johnny Unitas going to the Chargers for one last go-around or Willie Mays with the Mets, flailing away on the turf at Shea during the '73 post-season.

Sure, the New York media will give the big star some love when he arrives. New York loves a media event and a star, after all. But in New York (to paraphrase Lou Reed) there are no stars in the sky - they are all on the ground.

Maybe that's why Favre reportedly preferred a trade to Tampa Bay? Sunny skies, warm weather, and plenty of things to do outdoors during the winter instead of sitting inside and watching the old quarterback flail around on the turf while attempting to turn the clock back.

***

Back in the old days when Sports Illustrated was the king of all sports media, they used to put out a special Olympic preview in the weeks before the games opened. Aside from the feature stories and the look into the American athletes' chances in Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, etc., etc., the magazine predicted the winners of the gold, silver and bronze in every event.

It was pretty cool, I thought. Sometimes they were even accurate with the predictions.

Wouldn't you know it that Sports Illustrated still makes its predictions? Here they are.

After a quick glance, here's what caught my eye:

• Bernard Lagat taking the silver in the 1,500, but off the podium in the 5,000.
• Kenyan Martin Lel atop the field in the Marathon. Strangely, of the 14 nations to take gold in the marathon, Kenya is not one of them. Incidentally, Lel and countryman Robert Cheuriyot are the best, big-race marathoners in the world, but I still say don't sleep on Ryan Hall.
• No American women in the distance events. Not even Deena Kastor, who took the bronze in the marathon in sweltering heat and humidity at the Athens games.
• Tyson Gay over Usain Bolt in the 100.
• Usain Bolt over everyone in the 200.
• Jeremy Wariner over LaShawn Merritt in the 400.

Aside from Ryan Hall, Brian Sell, Dathan Ritzenhein and the other distance guys, it will be interesting to see how NBC covers Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang as he attempts to beat world-record holder Dayron Robles in the 110-meter hurdles. NBC went all out in reporting on Australian Cathy Freeman during the Sydney games, which is understandable. But along with women's marathoner Zhou Chunxiu, Liu Xiang is the biggest threat to win gold for the host country.

***

Finally, Philadelphia Will Do's Dan McQuade is chronicling the Olympics in blog form for Vanity Fair (yeah, freaking Vanity Fair!). Here's his first post.

For the record, Dan is Luke Skywalker to my Obi Wan... well, probably not, but I'm going to say it anyway.

---

[1] QBs just like Brett Favre in that they have won exactly one Super Bowl.

All Brett, all the time

I have a theory. No, it's not the one where I offered that everyone, at one point or another, has dined on a loogie at a restaurant. This new theory is totally different and much less solid than my other theory. This one has to do with Brett Favre and ESPN, which based on the recent wall-to-wall coverage of all things Favre and the Packers, is almost like eating a loogie in a TV viewing sense.

Anyway, my theory is since the Olympics are set to begin and NBC has decided to devote 23 ½ hours of its programming per day to Olympics coverage, the so-called World Wide Leader is going to the dance without a date... so to speak. ESPN/ABC cannot show the Olympics - they can only attend and cover it like everyone else. So to turn away heads from the biggest sporting event in the world this year, ESPN has barraged the sports-viewing public with "All Brett, All the Time."

No, I don't think it's anything as sinister as choosing to report a less important story. After all, the Olympics haven't even started yet. However, a lot of newspapers have sent teams of writers to China to cover one of the more mystifying and intriguing set of Games in a long time. From what I recall, there was no such intrigue regarding the Olympics in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney or Athens.

China, to those of us in the West, is still mysterious. That's especially the case when one takes in account the political, social, environmental and human rights concerns. For Americans it's kind of odd that we actually have someone to look down upon in those regards, but there China is, anchoring an entire continent with its sprawling landscape that is becoming more and more developed by the day.

Think oil prices are high now? Wait until the Chinese citizens in the outer provinces put down the bikes and get cars.

So with the writers heading for the Far East, the MLB season entering the so-called dog days and the football season still a month away, why wouldn't ESPN try a little misdirection? It's as if they are screaming, "Hey, don't look at the biggest sporting event in the world - you know, the one where we are not the rights' holders. Look over here - to Wisconsin, U.S.A. That's where the real story is. Come watch."

And like the Chinese government, ESPN adds, "If you choose not to, we will make you."

OK, it's just a theory. There are more holes in this argument than Swiss cheese, but it's out there nonetheless.

Speaking of out there, my friend and all-around swell guy (and ex-Phillies writer), Marcus Hayes, is in China for the Olympics. He arrived Tuesday at 2 p.m., which was 2 a.m. Tuesday morning here on the East Coast... or 2 a.m. tomorrow -- time zones always mess me up. Chances are he's pretty jet lagged.

Nevertheless, Marcus will be updating a blog (do people even use that word anymore... seems outdated to me) for the Daily News and I suggest everyone read it.

OR ELSE!

Seriously, it might be the second or third place I go when I make my rounds through the Internets every morning. Meanwhile, I had hoped to do one of those Slate.com-esque e-mail exchange columns with Marcus and the Inquirer's Phil Sheridan, but it seems as if they are going to be too busy.

Instead I'll just tune in to the 23 ½ hours of daily coverage and write about it here.

In the meantime, Marcus reported that he made it to Beijing after a 14-hour flight. In response to an e-mail where I told him I was envious that he got to go to the Olympics and I get to go to Citizens Bank Park, our hero wrote, "You wouldn't be so envious if you just spent 4 hours sitting across from a smelly Latvian with 4 spiked hairs."

See, Beijing isn't all that different than Philadelphia.

He also reported that he cannot read his own site because it has been blocked by the Chinese government.

Anyway, I told Marcus that it would not surprise me if he went to China and an international incident occurred. Marcus Hayes in China just screams "international incident."

Better yet, remember Christopher Walken's character in The Deer Hunter? You know, he went to Vietnam and never made it back because he went AWOL from a hospital in Saigon in order to play Russian roulette for money... for some reason I foresee a similar fate for Marcus.

OK, back to the Brett Barrage, which is kind of like Russian Roulette but only brain cells are in danger.

Read: Marcus Hayes' Olympic Proportions site

Joining a crowded table

I don't know a whole lot about Shawn Andrews, the offensive lineman for the Eagles who made news for the past few weeks because he had not yet showed up at training camp in Bethlehem. My knowledge of football players is pretty much limited to the fleeting vignettes that flicker across the TV screen. But Andrews is one of the guys that stands out. Athletes usually aren't too comfortable in front of TV cameras and aren't too keen on talking to the media in general. Some guys engage in the process and come out looking pretty well, but for the most part watching a ballplayer talk to the press is like watching a root canal.

Andrews, however, seems to enjoy it. He's fun, interesting and engaging. He does impressions, cracks jokes and has fun. Andrews is also pretty good - at least good enough to be an All-Pro - so it makes the press want to talk to him even more. He even has a nickname, "The Big Kid," which never goes unnoticed.

The Eagles media guide reads:

One of the NFL's most dominating and athletic offensive linemen on the field, Andrews is also one of the most unique and jovial personalities in the locker room and community, claiming to be "a big kid" who enjoys life to the fullest.

He sounds like my kind of guy. He works hard at his sport, and has fun with it. In other words, he gets it.

So when the story came out yesterday that Andrews had missed all of training camp (so far) because he was dealing with depression, well, my heart skipped a beat. Apparently the fun-loving, All-Pro offensive lineman from Arkansas has something in common with a goofy, writing/running freak from Lancaster, Pa.

Then again, there are a lot of people out there like Shawn Andrews and me. In fact, the statistics indicate that approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from depression/anxiety.

We're just adding another one to the ranks.

I don't know much about what Andrews is going through, but it sounds all too familiar. It's called atypical depression (the categorization of the illness) for a reason. Atypical is the operative word. On most days one can be a highly-functioning and stellar worker who jokes and laughs about nearly everything. He can be the life of the party all of the time.

But the next day it sometimes seems that the only way to get relief from the pain is by a f---ing bullet to the head.

That's the part that's the most perplexing - how does one rationalize the illness? By all accounts Andrews probably lives a charmed life. I know I do. I have a great wife, two intelligent and healthy young boys, a job that can be pretty fun, and a (reasonably) sharp mind geared toward writing and telling stories. I own a house, two cars, a reasonable financial portfolio, fitness that belies my age and all the trappings of the middle-class American life. Certainly there is nothing to really worry about.

Yet every day the biggest fight is to get out of bed. Other days it's a battle to perform the most basic daily tasks. Sometimes it takes every bit of strength to stop crying or overcoming a deep, seemingly profound sadness.

Andrews displayed some sadness last season when an injury could have cost him some games. That makes sense because sometimes depressed people need a daily activity to keep themselves together. The idea that he could miss a few practices or games was very difficult for Andrews and completely understandable in retrospect.

Reports are Andrews is taking medication and is getting professional help. Chances are Andrews is taking Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft. Been there, done that. And chances are he's fighting the side-effects of these drugs that may or may not include gripping headaches, lethargy and fatigue. Been there and done that, too.

At least in my instance the biggest task about being prescribed drugs is getting off them. That's where the professional help comes in and that seems to be the biggest reason why Andrews is still in Arkansas. People in Philadelphia seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the hometown athletes (maybe they're depressed) and the idea that someone might see him walking into a doctor's office was too much for Andrews to bear.

Plus, the Eagles were so supportive of coach Andy Reid when his sons were arrested last year. I'm sure they will be just as understanding with an employee suffering from a mental illness...

Right?

Look, depression doesn't make sense. At least it doesn't make sense if you have it. But what really doesn't make sense is the apparent fines levied from the Eagles. Andrews could have torn his MCI or snapped his tibia like a wishbone and no one would have batted an eye.

But depression? A football player?

I have had plenty of nagging running injuries that have required me to visit with doctors, chiropractors and other specialists. I have also taken anti-imflammatories, done yoga and lifted weights in order to get healthy so I could go out and run some more. But never (ever) has an athletic injury caused me to think I was going to die. Never has a muscle spasm made me hyperventilate in a movie theatre because my heart-rate was racing so fast that I thought it was going to burst out of my chest.

And never, ever has a so-called sports-related injury ever made me hide in my room with all the lights out because I felt like I was going to have a heart attack...

Yeah, I think I missed work that day. I can remember thinking that a broken leg (or worse) would have been better.

If Andrews is anything like me, he's had the illness his entire life. He's also probably gone through times much worse than the one he's dealing with now, as well. Sometimes there are periods of melancholy or darkness that so inexplicable and unfathomable that it's otherworldly. It's as if you can watch yourself from the outside and wonder, "Who in the hell is that? What is his problem?"

Wish I knew.

It seems as if that outside-looking in moment is the only bit of clarity involved with depression, but even then there are no answers.

As Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote oh-so accurately in her book Prozac Nation, depression is unseen by the naked eye, like cancer, but then, BOOM! It has you:

Some catastrophic moments invite clarity, explode in split moments: You smash your hand through a windowpane and then there is blood and shattered glass stained with blood with red all over the place; you fall out of a window and break some bones and scrape some skin. Stitches and casts and bandages and antiseptic solve and salve the wounds. But depression is not a sudden disaster. It's more like cancer: At first its tumorous mass is not even noticeable to the careful eye and then one day - wham! - there is a huge, deadly seven-pound lump lodged in your stomach or your shoulder blade, and this thing that your own body has produced is trying to kill you. Depression is a lot like that: Slowly, over the years, the data will accumulate in your heart and mind, a computer program for total negativity will build into your system, making life feel more and more unbearable. But you won't even notice it coming on, thinking that it is somehow normal, something about getting older, about turning eight or twelve or fifteen, and then one day you realize that your entire life is just awful, not worth living, a horror and a black blot on the white terrain of human existence. One morning you wake up afraid you are going to live.

In my case, I was not frightened in the least bit at the thought that I might live because I was certain, quite certain, that I was already dead. In the course of life there is sadness and pain and sorrow, all of which, in the right time and season, are normal - unpleasant, but normal. Depression is an altogether different zone because it involves a complete absence: absence of affect, absence of feeling, absence of response, absence of interest. The pain you feel in the course of a major clinical depression is an attempt on nature's part (nature, after all, abhors a vacuum) to fill up the empty space. But for all intents and purposes, the deeply depressed are just the walking, waking dead.

And the scariest part is that if you ask anyone in the throes of depression how he got there, to pin down the turning point, he'll never know. There's a classic moment in The Sun Also Rises when someone asks Mike Campbell how he went bankrupt, and all he can say in response is, "Gradually and then suddenly." When someone asks how I lost my mind, that is all I can say too.

Look, there are a lot of people in bad shape with depression, many of them in a much worse situation than Andrews and me. But make no mistake - the last thing people with the illness want is sympathy or undue attention. They just want to (somehow) get better. Besides, there are too many of us out there for it to be so stigmatized.

Better with age

WASHINGTON - The opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing are less than a week to away. That means for one more week we will read the standard patter of the potential of doping scandals as well as the political situation and pollution in China, and, of course, the crackdown on foreign journalists' usage of the Internet. But once the torch is lit and athletes (at least those that actually choose to go to China for the ceremonies) stroll into the stadium for the parade of nations, the focus will shift from the realities of modern-day China and its problems to the feel-good athlete profiles that have defined NBC's coverage of the Olympics.

In the years since Jim McKay and ABC's stately and iconic presiding over the games, NBC, with Bob Costas at the helm, has turned fierce athletic competition into a Hallmark card come to life. Sometimes they will even show a sporting event in real time without interruption, but only in the wee hours when the viewing audience is its smallest or when they can squeeze it in between that day's saccharine sweet profile in which a pampered jock overcomes something to champion the human spirit.

Or something like that

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how NBC piles on to the Dara Torres story, which has already been told deftly by the national writing press, especially The New York Times. In fact, Torres was clearly the media darling during last month's swimming Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, where she set an American record and qualified for two different U.S. teams in Beijing.

The finer points of Torres' story have already been told, such as the 41-year-old swimmer first competed in the Olympics at the 1984 games in Los Angeles. She won nine medals in the '84, 1988, 1992 and 2000 Olympics before deciding to retire after a haul of five medals in Sydney.

But at an age well advanced in comparison to her teammates and competitors, Torres heads into next week's Olympics in the best shape of her career. Yes, her elaborate and detailed training regimen was documented in The Times story as was her outspokenness and innovative stance against performance-enhancing drugs. Despite the fact that Torres was one of the first athletes to volunteer (yes volunteer!) for the toughest urine and blood doping tests, it didn't stop skepticism from the idiot fringe of the mainstream sporting press.

"I went to USADA and talked to the CEO there and said, ‘Hey, people are talking about me. They can't believe I'm doing this. I'm an open book. DNA test me, blood test me, urine test me, do whatever you want. I want to show people I'm clean,'" Torres said on a recent episode of the "Today" show.

Yes, what sportswriters actually know about training, doping and athletics could fill a thimble...

"I just take it as a compliment," Torres said of the baseless and reckless doping charges.

So with her life already an open book, Torres and fellow swimmer Michael Phelps could be the Wheaties box jocks of 2008 - that is if the Wheaties box still meant something. Bruce Jenner is long gone, folks.

Phelps, of course, could eclipse the Olympic greatness of Mark Spitz during the Beijing games. At 23, the Baltimore native won eight medals in Athens at the 2004 Olympics and will go for nine in China. But Phelps' talent and achievement is so far out there that it might be impossible for him to capture the imagination of typical American sports' fans addicted to the mundane routines of stick and ball games.

Torres, on the other hand, is interesting because of her age. Better yet she is a relic from the good-old days of the Olympics back when the U.S.A. was fighting to fight the Cold War in sports with the aim to beat the medal totals of the U.S.S.R. At the same time, Torres has been the catalyst behind a battery of tests, research and analysis regarding age and elite-level athletics.

Based on the returns noted in The Times (amongst others), age really is not a factor in determining ability in sports. Torres, of course, is a prime example. At just a smidge under six-feet tall, Torres competed in the Sydney Olympics at 160 pounds. But at 41 she's headed for Beijing at a lean and mean 149 pounds of chiseled muscle thanks to workouts that stress flexibility, strength and recovery.

A high level of fitness and an insatiable competitiveness appears to be the key to athletic longevity.

"In some ways, I'm like all the other swimmers (going to the Olympics) because I still feel the passion for what I do," Torres said. "In some ways I'm like none of them, because I've lived their lives twice."

Torres is just one example. In Beijing French cyclist Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli will compete in her seventh straight Olympics - just two months shy of her 50^th birthday.  Kenyan distance runner Paul Tergat recently turned 39 and has a resume that rivals the greatest runners of all time. In 2003 he set the world record in the marathon when he was 35 and ran his fastest 10k on the roads when he was 37.

Hockey player Chris Chelios, at 46, has shown no signs of slowing down (or retiring) after 25 years and three Stanley Cups in the NHL to go with four appearances in the Olympics for the U.S.

Chelios' secret? He's part of Don Wildman's "Malibu Mob," a consortium of athletes and celebrities/fitness freaks who workout together with the aim of pushing each other well beyond their limits.

Closer to home there is Jamie Moyer, the 45-year-old lefty starting pitcher for the Phillies who won his 10^th game of the season last Wednesday night in Washington. In doing so, Moyer joined Phil Niekro, Jack Quinn and the immortal Satchel Paige as the only pitchers in baseball history to win at least 10 games at the age of 45.

"I didn't play against any of them," Moyer deadpanned after the game before changing the subject and explaining that he is just "here to do my job."

"You start getting caught up in things like that and you might start losing some focus on things you need to do," Moyer said about contemplating his place in baseball history. "I think there's plenty of time for me to look back at the end of the season or at the end of my career and say, ‘You know what? That was cool,' or ‘I remember that,' or ‘I remember that game.' But for me, having the opportunity to have the longevity that I have is the most special thing for me. To continue my career and to play and to contribute with a team, I think that is first and foremost. If you are around long enough, those things are going to start to happen."

Better yet, Moyer leads the Phillies' pitchers with his 10 wins and heads into another free-agent winter with the desire to keep playing. Generally, Moyer gives the pat, "as long as I'm still having fun and I'm contributing, I'll keep playing," when asked about his retirement plans, but based on a conversation last Tuesday regarding Torres, age and competitiveness, the fire still burns hot for the Phillies' lefty.

"Look, I feel great and I'm pitching well and I love playing so I have no plans to stop," he said. "But I could come in here tomorrow and the desire could be completely gone."

Clearly that's not the case. Moyer prepares and competes at 45 no differently than he did when he was a green rookie coming up with the Cubs in 1986. However, if there is something behind Moyer's motivation to continue to pitch (and to pitch well) it seems to be the slights he took from baseball people back when he was struggling in the early 1990s. No, Moyer didn't cite it as a motivating cause, but then again he didn't have to.

"Fourteen years ago I was told to retire," Moyer said with a smirk.

Moyer was unfamiliar with Torres's story when asked, but quickly became interested in the finer details. Particularly, Moyer agreed with Torres' idea that consistent workouts, a solid fitness foundation and smart recovery were the key to athletic longevity. Then he pondered the reasons why some players give up the game long before they could.

"Some players get injured and others just lose the desire," he said. "Then some, for one reason or other, are told to quit because they reach a certain age or time spent in the game. Some just accept it without asking why."

Moyer, to paraphrase a famous quote, asks "why not?" He expects to turn in his customary 200-innings and double-digits win total somewhere during the 2009 season. Certainly his age will play a factor in whether the Phillies move to re-sign him this winter, but equally important - if not more important - is the fact that Moyer has not missed a start for injury since 2000, has been on the disabled list just once dating back to 1997 and just three times during his professional career, which began in 1984.

Better yet, young pitchers Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick go to Moyer as a Jedi would seek out Yoda.

Besides, Yoda had a pretty good record, too.

If today is the day...

... you choose to take up reading, let this epic from The Philadelphia Inquirer be the first thing you feast your eyes on. Better yet, if this is the day you decide to quit reading or sew your eyes shut, there's no better way to go out than with Bob Ford.

It's true.

*** Do we have a dozen yet?

Trading deadline come and gone...

... and I'm tired. Here's the last offering from Washington on the Phillies' (non) moves. I'm done and will get back to my normal dose of stylings as soon as possible. Carry on.

Oh yeah... at low Class-A Lakewood, Adam Eaton had a rough night in his first minor-league start. Against the West Virginia Power, Eaton was tattooed for five hits and four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Afterwards, the exiled Phillie told the Asbury Park Press that he felt good.

"I felt good. The ball was coming out pretty nice. I was very happy with the way I threw," said Eaton, apparently not fazed by being tagged for five hits, including three doubles and a home run by the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate.

Ouch.

Meanwhile, at high Class-A Clearwater, starter Joe Savery was also roughed up a bit. In just one inning of work, the 2007 first-round draft pick gave up eight runs on eight hits and four walks to fall to 5-9 as his ERA climbed to 4.46.

Double ouch.

Also down on the pharm (like that "ph"? Clever, huh?), Kris Benson turned in a solid outing for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night. Benson gave up five hits and one run over seven innings in a 2-1 loss to Norfolk. It was the second straight start in which Benson pitched seven innings.

Phillies assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said Benson isn't quite ready to join the big-league team yet, but could find himself at Citizens Bank Park by the end of the season.

Phillies nearly traded for a starter

At least that's what general manager Pat Gillick told the scribes before Thursday night's game against the Nationals here in The District. Read all about it right here.

Keep moving ...

There's nothing to see here. Your 2008 Phillies look the same today as they did yesterday.

Less than 60 minutes and counting

WASHINGTON - There is less than an hour to go before the trading deadline (this sentence was written at 3:04 p.m.) so consider this the last update before the clock strikes. After 4 p.m. the 2008 Phillies and the entire landscape of the great, National Past Time could look dramatically different.

Or not.

Anyway, there is nothing new to report here. Apparently a Manny Ramirez trade to the Marlins is DOA, though the Ken Griffey Jr. trade to the White Sox is quite intriguing. For one thing, the White Sox now have a member of the 500 Home Run Club (Jim Thome) and the even more elite, 600 Home Run Club (Griffey).

But all is quiet on the Phillies front. At least all is quiet for now. The first team bus arrived at the park around 3 p.m. and all the usual suspects were aboard. So for the time being, general manager Pat Gillick is standing pat.

Otherwise, I had a nice leisurely morning and afternoon here in The District. After a humid and sultry morning jaunt through a wooded trail (I saw another deer[1]), I rolled through Florida Ave. and the U Street corridor to the Adams-Morgan section of town where I finally got to eat at The Amsterdam Falafel Shop.

Mmmmm, mmmm.

Now I have never been to Amsterdam or Holland, but folks who know better say the Adams-Morgan Amsterdam Falafel Shop is as authentic as it gets. In fact, one giveaway to the authenticity of the TAMF (not sure people call it this, but you know, I'll put it out there) is that they serve brownies and make it a point to inform the consumer that they are not "enhanced."

Enhanced is my word. On the menu they were called "virgin" brownies.

Yeah.

Anyway, the menu is very basic at The Amsterdam Falafel Shop in Adams-Morgan, located just a half block from the famous Madam's Organ - the place Playboy magazine named the best bar in the United States. In fact, they serve just falafel (two sizes), Dutch baked fries (two sizes) and un-enhanced brownies (square shaped).

Each sandwich is made to order and each diner can add any of the 18 different sauces and toppings from the garnish bar.

It's definitely a treat, man. Plus, they usually stay open late (but not past midnight on a Sunday as I learned last month) so if you find yourself in the area and get a hankering for authentic Dutch falafel, by all means, drop in.

After lunch, I drove to the ballpark via Capitol Hill where it looked as if there was a lot of governing going on... a lot of gentrification, too. It seems to me that The District has at least one Starbucks for every household. Interestingly, neighborhoods that were once talked about in hushed, scared tones are now filled with people walking around in madras shorts and business suits with a chai latte in hand.

OK, time for the clubhouse. By the time I get back we'll know if the Phillies have any new players or not.

---

[1] Why is it that whenever I see deer, elk or coyotes during runs while in Colorado I just shrug it off as no big deal, yet when I cross paths with a deer in Washington or Lancaster I get freaked out? Historically, there have been a lot of deer in the Northeast and their habitat (obviously) is shrinking, however, when I see one I run away... fast. I run away completely scared to death and afraid even to look over my shoulder for fear that it might be chasing me. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country I try to get as close as possible to those unfamiliar wild animals. Passing an elk in town in Colorado is like seeing a stray cat... what gives?

Manny and the deadline

WASHINGTON – Charlie Manuel says he can handle it. If presented with a chance to manage a player who might be a bit of a discipline problem, Charlie doesn’t see it as an issue. “I like talent,” Charlie said.

Of course the subject of the talent was potentially ex-Red Sox superstar Manny Ramirez, a player Charlie managed in the minors and coached in the big leagues with the Indians. In the past, Ramirez said he wouldn’t mind being reunited with his old hitting guru.

Manuel says he doesn’t think the Phillies need to add a hitter, but if they did he has one guy in mind.

“Manny Ramirez would be the hitter,” he said. “My time with Manny was very special," Manuel said. "He was a kid then. He's grown up a lot. Well, he's gotten older. I feel like I know him to a certain degree.”

But that would mean Ramirez is heading to Philadelphia, which doesn’t seem to be the case.

According to the banter making the rounds in the press box at Exxon (Nationals) Park, the Red Sox, Pirates and Marlins were ironing out a deal that would send Jason Bay from Pittsburgh to Boston and Manny from Boston to the Marlins. In fact, newspapers in Florida are reporting that a tentative deal has been struck.

That means no Manny for Charlie. But could it tip the balance in the NL East to the upstart Marlins who stand just 1½ games behind the Phillies?

Maybe.

“One player can make a lot of difference,” Manuel said, “if you get the right player.”

If a deal does occur and the Marlins get Ramirez, or if the Mets pull off a deal before the deadline, what does that mean for the Phillies? Will they try to keep pace?

“You don't like to react to someone else,” general manager Pat Gillick said. “I've always said you like to do what you think is proper for your club. If the Mets or Marlins improve their club, they improve their club. We'll hopefully try to improve our club, but we're not reacting.”

The GM might not be reacting, but the Phillies fans definitely will.

On another note, how did the relationship between the Red Sox and Ramirez get so bad? Why is Manny saying things like, “the Red Sox don’t deserve me…” They are paying him $20 million! How is that disrespectful.

Maybe they want him to run the bases?

Still counting down to the deadline

WASHINGTON – Let me start with a message to all of the residents of the District of Columbia: I support your fight for proper representation on Capitol Hill. I’m right there with you, Washington, D.C.

There, I’m glad I got that off my chest.

Anyway, it’s still hot and steamy down here (again, it’s a swamp) and there is plenty of hustle and bustle. In fact, there’s so much going on that the last Phillies’ bus from the hotel did not arrive at the ballpark until 4:50 p.m.

Anyone want to guess who was on it?

Meanwhile, a few of the Phillies are hoping that they aren’t on a bus to the airport to send them to a new team in another city. It’s very interesting – there isn’t a single guy on the Phillies (at least the guys I talked to) that wants to be traded. A few have even joked about hiding in their lockers or making a break for the backdoor when Thursday’s 4 p.m. deadline creeps closer.

The guys on the Phillies really like playing here.

And based on the rumors and all the talk around the ballclub, it seems as if all of them will continue to play for the Phillies beyond the trading deadline. The latest hot talk involves Braves’ lefty Will Ohman, but the exchange pieces include minor leaguers…

Well, not all of them are minor leaguers now.

So the song and dance continues here in The District, though it’s pretty clear the Phillies will not pull off a deal like the one the Yankees and Tigers figured out on Wednesday afternoon. In that one, the Yanks got the catcher they needed in Pudge Rodriguez and the Tigers got to take Kyle Farnsworth off the Yankees’ hands.

Nope, Manny Ramirez is not coming to Philadelphia.

Besides, if given his druthers, manager Charlie Manuel says he wants a big-time starter.

“And I mean a really big-time starter,” Charlie said before Wednesday’s game.

Charlie noted that the Phillies aren’t too different than other teams in that regard -- everybody wants a big-time starter. Short of that, however, Charlie says he’ll take “a good bullpen piece.”

“The stronger we make our bullpen the less often we have to depend on our starters to go deep into a game,” he said.

Hey, why not get both? A starter and a bullpen piece… while they’re at it, how about a power-hitting third baseman, too?

OK… we’ll have more on the developments here in the 51st state as it warrants. Stay close to your computers, folks.

Counting down to the deadline

WASHINGTON – We’re back here in The District and man is it ever steamy. It’s just flat-out hot and humid, which kind of makes sense seeing as they built the city on top of a swamp. Generally, swamps are warm. I try to avoid them.

But I don’t try to avoid Washington, D.C. Despite the unpleasant weather and the oppressive humidity, it’s far and away the best city in the NL East. There is just so much to do and so much going on that it isn’t hard to believe that folks stay away from Nationals’ games in droves.

Word around the campfire is that a few members of the Phillies traveling party took in the Spy Museum this afternoon.

I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Spy Museum… I haven’t been there yet. A few months ago, my four-year old and I hit the National Museum of Natural History, followed by lunch at Old Ebbitt’s and then a full afternoon in the National Air & Space Museum.

It was a nice touristy afternoon for this self-described native that we’re sure to repeat as soon as possible.

Anyway, here’s a fun fact about our nation’s history: Back when the Continental Congress was figuring out where to locate the permanent capital, a little down in Pennsylvania called Wright’s Ferry decided to lobby for the gig. Figuring its location along the banks of the mighty Susquehanna River that separates York and Lancaster counties was perfectly located and easy for delegates from the other colonies, Wright’s Ferry challenged for the privilege to be capital.

First things first… Wright’s Ferry had to do something about its name. It needed something catchy or something that befit a burgeoning nation. Therefore, in 1789 Wright’s Ferry changed its name to Columbia.

Perfect, huh? With a name like Columbia, how could the little town on the western edge of Lancaster County go wrong?

Location? Check.

Infrastructure? Check.

People of influence on its side like George Washington? Check.

Name? Done, done, done and done.

Nevertheless, southern states Maryland and Virginia carved out a rectangle of unwanted swamp land along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers not too far from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Next thing the folks in Columbia, Pa. knew the District of Columbia had edged it out by one vote and the rest is history.

Some influence that George Washington had, huh?

Anyway, since it had the name and the location, Columbia attempted to become the capital of Pennsylvania. Again, it had the location, the name but maybe not the influential supporters. Instead, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania went with the more centrally located Harrisburg to be the seat of its government.

Since then, Columbia became most well known for burning down the bridge connecting it to Wrightsville in York County (called the Wright's Ferry bridge - picture above) to ward off the approaching Confederate Army in 1864. As a result of this act, the Confederates and Union armies got together in Gettysburg for one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.

And perhaps once again, Columbia missed out on centuries worth of historical fame.

*** Otherwise, all is quiet here in The District as the trading deadline looms. Oh sure, the rumors are flying around like crazy with all sorts of interesting names. Suffice it to say, those names belong to left-handed relief pitchers.

But rumors are the domain of the weak-willed who cannot find the truth. If we can be called anything it must be that we are seekers of truth here at the little web site that could (be ignored).

Therefore, we will arrogantly tell you, the reader, to go elsewhere to learn about Ron Mahay, John Grabow, Brian Tallet, Jesse Carlson, Jack Taschner, Brian Fuentes, George Sherrill or anyone else.

I’m not saying anything.

But I will say that Shane Victorino had a good time joking about his chances of sticking with the Phillies past the July 31 trading deadline. As the digital clock in the clubhouse here at the soon-to-be named Exxon (Nationals) Park rolled over to 5 p.m., Victorno shouted that he had 47 hours to go until the deadline.

The clock is ticking.

Eaton out

Adam Eaton and the Phillies decided that the best course of action for the struggling right-hander was a stint in the minor leagues. Read all about it here complete with a mention of Columbo. That guy could solve everything...

And oh yeah, the worst kept secret with the Phillies came out yesterday. Well, it kind of came out.

Hey, everybody!

Yesterday I saw a bunch of the Braves folks circled around the TV watching the pregame stuff on FOX but wasn't sure what was going on. Later, I was tipped off that Braves' reliever Will Ohman read the lineup as Will Ferrell doing Harry Caray. Take a look:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMwhzdEkVN8&hl=en&fs=1]

Guess what? Ohman wasn't so bad. Not as good as Deitch or Zolecki, but not bad nonetheless.

All it takes is one

There is really no smooth way to do a curtain call. Even the guys who hit the really big home runs all the time look dorky when they tip their cap to the screaming fans who want them to take a step out of the dugout and give a smart little wave or salute. First of all, it's really difficult to hear in those dugouts. Imagine being locked in a hermetically sealed room with no windows or cell phone reception - that's exactly what it's like to sit in a big-league dugout. The difference is a guy in the dugout can see 45,000 people in the stands ringed around the diamond freaking out. He can see everyone screaming, but can't make out any of the sounds.

"You can't hear anything," said Phillies pinch hitting savant, Greg Dobbs. "It's just a bunch of noise."

So surrounded by all that noise that he couldn't hear, Dobbs' teammates pushed him out of the dugout so he could give a little wave or a salute to the screaming crowd. But instead, Dobbs stood there for a second like a deer in the headlights trying to make sense of his surroundings. But once he saw that the game had paused for a moment and the wave of noise cascading down from the top tiers of the bowl had washed over him, Dobbs gave a big wave before ducking back into the home dugout.

That was it. A brief moment that last a second or two will be something Dobbs remembers for the rest of his life.

"It's very humbling," he said.

Dobbs got the curtain call - yes, ballplayers get curtain calls - after slugging a three-run pinch-hit home run in the fifth inning that capped off an inexplicable seven-run frame against the Atlanta Braves and proved to be the game-winning hit in the Phillies' 10-9 comeback victory.

Better yet, Dobbs' shot was his 20^th pinch hit of the season, which tied the club record set by a guy named Doc Miller in 1913. With 59 games remaining in the season, there's a strong chance that Dobbs will have the record all to himself very soon.

But here's the wacky part about Dobbs and his pinch-hitting prowess... he's better when he gets just one chance a game than he is when he starts a game and gets four chances. At least that's what the stat sheet says. An under-the-radar waiver pickup from Seattle prior to the 2007 season, Dobbs is hitting .362 (34-for-94) as a pinch hitter since joining the Phillies, including a lusty .435 (20-for-46) in that role this season.

Meanwhile, Dobbs is hitting just .264 (95-for-360) in non-pinch hitting situations. That means Dobbs has turned the so-called toughest job in baseball into child's play.

The secret to his success?

Practice, practice, practice. And then some more practice.

"I have a tendency to over-prepare," Dobbs admitted. "I take a lot of flak from my teammates because sometimes I go to the (batting) cage (as early as) the fourth inning."

Manager Charlie Manuel says that the foundation for Dobbs' pinch-hitting prowess was laid when he was an up-and-comer with the Mariners. Tired of yo-yoing back and forth between Seattle and Triple-A, Dobbs found himself a mentor who explained the finer points of the art of pinch hitting.

"He was around a guy named Dave Hansen. When Dobbs was in Seattle he used to sit with Hansen on the bench and some of the things they talked about rubbed off on him," Manuel recalled. "He's always ready and always concentrating on each at-bat, and I think that helps him."

Like Dobbs, Hansen was a part-time third baseman and full-time pinch hitter. During his career with the Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres, Hansen set a big-league record in 2000 with seven pinch-hit homers. In 15 Major League seasons and one in Japan, Hansen had 139 pinch hits and practiced a Zen approach to the roll, calling it a "state of mind."

"He was kind enough to take me under his wing and I paid attention to what he told me and took a lot of notes," Dobbs said.

Actually, Hansen mostly taught Dobbs about preparation, concentration and developing routines. If he's not starting at third base, Dobbs watches the first few innings in the dugout before heading off to the indoor batting cage. Once he gets loose and warmed up, Dobbs focuses his attention on the opposing team's pitchers to the point where he doesn't notice anything going on around him.

Sometimes he doesn't even hear Manuel tell him to grab a bat and get into the game.

"About a week ago I tried to rush him up there before they had a chance to warm up a lefty, and I kept telling him to get up there and hit," Manuel said about Dobbs. "After the game he told me that when I told him to get up there he started to thinking about how he was going to prepare for him and attack him. Actually, he said he didn't hear when I told him to get the hell up there and hit. He stays ready and he's prepared."

"It happens a lot," Dobbs said. "I'm so focused on the pitcher and preparing myself for that at-bat that I don't hear him yelling at me, telling me something."

Otherwise, Dobbs says his approach is to remain calm. Pinch hitting can seem like a high-wire trapeze act where the player is suddenly thrust into a pressure-packed situation where the outcome of the game is often hanging in the balance. When he can rein in his adrenaline, Dobbs says he breaks the task down to its essence.

All he wants to do is get on base, he says.

On Saturday he ended up circling the bases.

"I wanted to keep the inning going," Dobbs explained. "I had to find any way - a walk, a hit, a hit-by-pitch - to get one base."

In the meantime, Dobbs is not going to work on his curtain-call techniques. You won't catch him walking into the house or a different room and suddenly wave to the folks sitting there. Nor will anyone find him waving to passersby on the street or the produce aisle in the grocery store as if it was a great accomplishment to pick out the ripest piece of fruit.

Instead, count on Dobbs remaining focused and prepared to take his one hack per game.

Charlie calls team meeting; Rollins shows up on time (barely)

Is it critical mass time for Charlie Manuel and the Phillies? Who knows... but it certainly seems that way. One day after Jimmy Rollins was benched for repeated tardiness before the game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium AND the Phillies fell out of first place for the first time since June 1, the skipper called a closed-door meeting at 4 p.m. before the game at Citizens Bank Park against the Atlanta Braves.

Yep, nothing like a good 'ol team meeting to turn around things.

Nevertheless, the second-place Phillies met in the clubhouse for 20 minutes where Manuel reported that he was the only one who spoke. A believer that too many meetings do more harm than good and are a general waste of time, Manuel decided one was needed now in order to help the club shake its doldrums where it has lost four out of its last five games.

In fact, the proverbial closed-door meeting in baseball is slowly becoming an anachronism. They are a rare event these days even on the most discordus and woeful ballclubs. Nevertheless, there usually one closed-door meeting a year with the Phillies over the past decade.

Thursday afternoon was the day.

"It's up to us not to stay there," Manuel said about being in second place. "We can control our own destiny. But if we're going to win our division we need to play better."

He's certainly correct on that point.

Meanwhile, Rollins reportedly rolled in around 3:49 to 3:56 p.m. this afternoon. Normally, reporting a little before 4 would give Rollins enough time to be in uniform for the mandatory team stretch at 4:15 p.m. Today, though, he made it with a few minutes to spare before Charlie's pep talk.

Rollins is slated to start at shortstop and leadoff against the Braves this evening.

We'll have more from the ballpark a little later.

Meanwhile, here's what Charlie told the scribes before Friday's game and after the meeting:

Few things you wanted to say to the guys?

"I just wanted to talk to them. That's all I got to say about it."

A reminder?

"No, I just had some things to say."

Disappointed at all in what Jimmy said after yesterday's game?

"I didn't see what he had to say, I didn't read the papers. Figured it might be a good day for me not to even pick up the papers."

Jimmy was saying that he didn't think he let the team down.

"I have no comment on that. Like I told you guys yesterday, that's between Jimmy and I."

You said yesterday that the team needs an extra kick. Are you worried that might get out of control?

"I'm not worried at all. I know this -- I don't know who's gonna win the division, but I know we can. And I know it's kind of...the way our schedule sets and the fact that we play everybody in our division mostly in the next two months, we got a real good chance. We definitely control our own destiny. If we don't get it done, it's not because we couldn't of did it."

"I think there's something missing on our team. It's that little extra -- that little extra kick we had, that resilient effort. That going all the way. For instance, the road trip was a good example of it. When we beat Miami the first night, had a real good game, then all of a sudden we lose the next two. Did the same thing in New York -- come back the first night there, then we end up losing the next two games. Yesterday, Moyer pitched a good game. Sunday in Miami, Hamels pitched a super game. When we come out 1-2, 1-2, we're not winning the series. We need to get, I said yesterday, that shine back. Wore off a chandelier. We need to get that back. We need to re-paint it, or dip it or something."

Jimmy's year last year had that shine. How important is getting him right?

"I think he can get right. I think that he's that type of player and he has that swing. I think it's just a matter of time. I think lately, he's definitely been swinging better."

Are you comfortable with the leadership you have in your clubhouse right now?

"We talk about leadership a lot. Sometimes a player being a leader is fine, but when that don't happen, I guess that's when the manager is supposed to be the leader. That's kind of how I look at it."

"I've always at myself, if I'm the manager, then I'm the guy that's supposed to be the leader. Any time you got leaders on your team, and they're good, and things like that, that's a bonus. That's better. That definitely can be better. That makes everything a lot better."

Would you prefer someone to kind of emerge into that role?

"When we're playing good, I think that comes up. I think that's all part of playing good. Right now, we haven't been playing good baseball. Are we a good team right now? Probably not. But we've showed that we can be a good team. At one time this year, we were a good team."

So you don't necessarily buy into that theory that every team has one guy that runs the clubhouse?

"There's guys that can do that. That's a big plus for the manager. When it comes right down to it, if your team, if you don't have leadership on there, then that's the manager's job."

When you make a move like you did yesterday, do you worry at all?

"Any kind of decision I make, I do what I think is right. I try to take time to think things over, instead of just react. I want to make sure that I get things right. But when I do something, it's because I thought it was right. I told you guys before, whether you know it or not, I don't look back. I look ahead. That's what I did, and that's what I thought was right. I think I'm a consistent person, and I think that I treat people right, and I think that's one of my better things. I definitely communicate with the players. I'm honest and I'm straight and I do what I think is right. As a manager and a leader, that's what you're supposed to do."

Did you consult with anyone yesterday?

"Actually, I wasn't even directly talking about yesterday. I'm saying, 'In general...' "

Did you yesterday?

"Yeah, I did. But I wasn't looking for advice."

What does this team need to do to get back to being a good team?

"The only thing we gotta do is come out and play good. Win a couple games, start winning and everything's gonna be fine. They say in baseball, 'We gotta turn it on.' Well, first of all, I look at it, 'From Day One, you shoulda turned it on.' When the season started, you turn it on. You play all the way through 'til you get eliminated in October or September or whenever."

You said you got a real good team at one point, but now, at this point in the season, you're seven games over .500.

"We're not good right now. We're inconsistent, and that leads to not being good. If we start winning, everybody'll look up and say, 'Hey, look at that team. Look how they can hit, look how they can pitch,' or something like that. That's baseball."

"There's holes, but can we win? I look at who's in our division, and it's pretty close. Other teams have holes, too. They got holes, but I think we can win."

At one point, you said something's missing and at another point you said you've been inconsistent. What can you do to make your team more consistent?

"You can just talk in practice, relax, turn 'em loose and let 'em play."

Does the talk help you guys hit better?

"At times, it can. It comes to the point where you talk and hell, it can't hurt nothing. Believe me, meetings are something that you don't necessarily need all the time. Really, that gets old, too."

Pep talk? Anger? What was your mood?

"I just wanted to talk to 'em, I just wanted to get some things kinda right, let it go."

"I was the only one that talked."

You guys were knocked into second place. Is that another reason for the talk?

"Well, we're a game out, and we've been there before, of course, and at the same time...we can control our own destiny. We have to play better. If we're gonna win our division, we're gonna have to play better than what we've been playing. I think everybody in that room knows that. We tald about winning our division and going to the World Series, then we got to play the best in this division. I say that all the time, it's nothing new."