Blame it on Curt

Brett Myers has had a good career for the Phillies, although it hasn't quite met the expectations for a guy drafted 12th overall in a pretty decent first-round 1999 draft class that included Josh Beckett, Josh Hamilton, Ben Sheets and Barry Zito.

Phil Sheridan took a long look Sunday at the Phillies tenure of Brett Myers, which is most likely over at season's end. He looks at the good, bad and puzzling times of young Brett, who is an enigmatic cross between the ultimate team player and a lightning rod for off-field problems.

"Dramas have followed me my whole life. I'm the guy who messes around and throws a peanut at someone and it hits them in the eye. When I was a kid, I broke my wrist riding my bike over a little wooden ramp. A hundred other kids rode over it, but I'm the guy that flips and breaks his wrist. I'm the guy that falls out of the Escalade."

And that's nowhere near the most interesting quote in this epic feature. We loved his first quote after being drafted and can't believe we haven't heard it before. Can we get a Desi Relaford shout-out?

"I want to meet Pat Burrell, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling and Desi Relaford," the 18-year-old pitcher said that day. "I want to play with them now. Just put me in the big show!"

We also didn't remember this quote that inserts an intriguing SoxandPhils what-if:

As a low-level minor-leaguer in 2000, he angered upper management something fierce when he spat, "Who's going to teach me how to pitch now, Omar Daal?" in reaction to Schilling's being traded to Arizona.

So, if Curt weren't traded, would he have made Myers realize his potential as a top-flight starter? Would the Phillies have won one or more World Series before 2008? And, following that path, would that mean Curt wouldn't wind up on the Red Sox, and I would be a lot more cranky about another year looking up at the Yankees?

{I'm more intrigued by the idea of who would drive the other one crazy first: Curt and his preaching, or Brett and his recklessness.}

I dunno, but for a pitcher who sometimes seems one or two shy of a six-pack, Myers has given us plenty to consider. But, as Ruben Amaro said, should the next few weeks be the end of Brett Myers' Phillies career, neither side can complain.

"Brett's had his ups and downs, obviously, but at the same time he's done a lot to help the organization. He adjusted and went to the bullpen when we asked him to. He went back to the rotation when we asked him to. He went to the minors when he struggled. He's made some sacrifices. At the same time, we've treated him well with a multiyear deal. But there's no doubt he's shown a lot of flexibility."

For me, I'll just miss his curveball - one of the prettiest I've ever seen.

Today's news: It looks like Brad Penny is going to the Giants. Good riddance. ... There was a report that the Phillies would be adding to their collection of former Red Sox (Pedro Martinez, Matt Stairs, Jamie Moyer and J.C. Romero) by trading for Nomar Garciappara, who they tried to sign in the offseason. David Murphy, and no other local beat writer has even mentioned it.