News to me

While Google newsing the Phillies this morning, I came across a San Diego Union-Tribune story on Jake Peavy. There's nothing doing with Peavy and the champs, but an unrelated section of the story has the Philly connection: A Web site that compares a player's actual worth with his salary said in the last two years Jason Werth took $2.5 million in salary from the Phillies but gave back more than $33 million worth of play.

I have a new toy to play with: www.fangraphs.com. Here's the original "Werth much more money" post. The only problem I see is that you have to click on each player's individual page to compare salary with worth. I was hoping I'd be able to click on the Phillies roster and see a list who's over- and under-paid. And it's not available for pitchers.

Of course one of the first guys I put in - anticipating the annual arbitration drama - was Ryan Howard, who over-performed last year's $10 million salary by $5 million. The Phillies won't be helped by the Yankees $180 million contract with Mark Teixeira, Scott Lauber writes.

Nick Cafardo's Sunday column: His first "Apropos of nothing" seemed directed at Christine, and his other notes also had some good nuggets:

1. Don't you miss watching baseball?; 2. Not sure losing Kevin Cash to the Yankees was insignificant; 3. Aaron Harang, Pat Burrell, Mark Teixeira, and Brian Bannister - all former Red Sox draft picks; 4. Wouldn't it be nice if one of the rich athletes or one of the high-paid executives stood up in times when teams are laying off employees and said, "I'm giving up some of my salary to save the jobs of the working people in the organization?"; 5. Hall of Fame ballots are due in Wednesday. I voted for Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Andre Dawson, and Alan Trammell.

Cafardo also continues to insist that the Phillies are in on Derek Lowe. I still can't see that happening.