Prospectin'

I still have Disney World on my brain. One of the nicest rides we had this weekend was on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We really had fun on that one - plus, there was no line so we pretty much walked right on.

The train is in Frontierland, which sets the mood for Baseball America releasing its list of top 100 prospects. I'm pleased with the SoxandPhils representation. I get just as proud with the organizational success of our teams as their on-field accomplishments.

The Phillies Domonic Brown (15) tops the SoxandPhils contingency, followed by the Red Sox quartet of Ryan Westmoreland (21), Casey Kelly (24), Josh Reddick (75) and Lars Anderson (87).

The Phillies also have Phillippe Aumont (93) on the list.

What's more impressive is that they had a decent showing on the list when each team has dealt away prospects in recent years. Former SoxandPhils farmhands include former future Phils Kyle Drabek (25), Michael Taylor (29), Jason Knapp (64) and Travis d’Arnaud (81), and former future Sox Nick Hagadone (44).

Not on the list is Brad Wilkerson, although he was ranked in 2001 (35) and 2002 (63) when he was an up-and-coming Expo. He was in Red Sox camp last year, but retired after two games in the minors. Now, he's with the Phillies. Christine thinks this line explains the move: Wilkerson is "a close friend of Phillies backup catcher Brian Schneider."

In my Baseball Mogul game, team happiness matters, and sometimes you have to acquire a player's friend to make him happy and improve team chemistry. We hope Brian Schneider is happy now.

[Photo credit: CoasterGallery.com]

The day after

I may be the more rational fan (except for my hatred of the Yankees), but Christine is the better baseball fan.

Case in point: Finishing dinner tonight, less than 24 hours after her team finished an exhilarating comeback win to finish off a playoff series, she looked sad and said, "I know they can't start the series tonight, but couldn't they play an exhibition or something?"

I told her to pop in a DVD of the 2008 NLCS to get her psyched up for Dodgers-Phillies II. The grudge match. Hell in a cell. This time it's personal. I'll let you pick your own tagline for the series.

Meanwhile, here's a list of some of the annoying story lines that will be shoved down our throats:

1) Joe Torre is hoping to return to the World Series against his former team.

2) Possible showdown between teams inspired by the memories of Harry Kalas and Nick Adenhart.

3) Possible all Los Angeles series, or all I-95 series should the Phillies face the Empire.

4) Jim Thome, once the man in Philly, is now a pinch hitter for the Dodgers. Other former Phils in the series include Randy Wolf and Vicente Padilla.

5) Dodgers castoffs Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Pedro Martinez phlourish for the Phils.

6) Former Charlie Manuel pupil Manny Ramirez will try again to beat him in the NLCS.

*One story line Christine won't get tired of is: Mets fans' heads explode as World Series could feature their two favorite teams.

More agita for Mets fans: There's been some talk about a Phillies dynasty. This tidbit from Jayson Stark suggests they may already be one:

Of all the National League teams that have won a World Series over the past century-plus, these Phillies are only the fifth, believe it or not, to come back and win a postseason series the following year.

They're the first since the 1995-96 Braves. Before them came the 1975-76 Reds. And before those two, you have to travel back to the baseball stone age -- to the 1921-22 Giants and the 1907-08 Cubs.

And that's all, friends. So when people talk about how hard it is to repeat, you can stop them right there. Repeat? It's hard enough to win one stinking series the next time around.

Red Sox: They won the World Series today as Josh Beckett dominated the Diamondbacks in Game 5. Yep, for me, all I've got left is Baseball Mogul. I did a better job today than Theo Epstein, who is faced with another challenging off-season. It may include saying goodbye to some of the soldiers of 2004. There are only four of them left, and there's speculation that any or all of Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek could be gone next year, leaving only Kevin Youkilis.

Reading this, I had a strange feeling that Youk may be gone too. Theo loves him, but I could see some bold trade centered around the Greek God of Walks. I dunno, just have a strange feeling.

Chris Coste

The other day I was playing Baseball Mogul. I was in the middle of the second year controlling the Phillies (2009) when a message popped up that Chris Coste was retiring.

I ran to tell Christine the news. As soon as the words came out, I realized that it wouldn't be the most bizarre scenario in real life, so I made sure to quickly add "in my game" to my report.

Well, then news hit that Coste - who seemed destined for a return trip to the minors or worse - will likely beat out newly acquired Ronny Paulino for the backup catcher job. I never understood why they got Paulino - Coste is a capable backup until Lou Marson is ready - so I'm not upset about these prospects. But I can't help but wonder, why did they get Paulino?

Baseball's crazy past and scary future

For the first time since the Phillies won the World Series, a gift-giving occasion passed without me getting Christine any championship garb or trinket. I wonder if that trend will hold true for her birthday next weekend.

But Christine did go baseball for my Valentine's Day gift, getting me the latest version of Baseball Mogul, my favorite sports simulation game. This year, for some strange reason, the game is endorsed by former Red Sox great Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

This isn't just a name-on-the-box run-of-the-mill sports endorsement. No, no, no, that wouldn't do for the Spaceman. The game comes with a separate DVD containing three ... three ... hours of interviews with Lee. Christine was quite amused when she saw that the interviews got the game a T for Teen rating because of sex and drug references. We still don't understand the point of the interview, but I'll watch every minute of it.

The first 10 minutes or so provides no insight. It's Bill Lee talking to the camera while a guy talks to him off-screen. The guy (I'm pretty sure he's a Canadian) doesn't know that Pete Rose is banned from major league ballparks, that Fidel Castro is out of power or that Ronald Reagan is dead. So far, I've learned that Bill Lee liked the drugs his dad got to treat pneumonia and is very fond of Cuba. I'm sure I'll share more as I watch in the coming days.

Since we're talking about crazy Red Sox pitchers from long ago, Nick Cafardo says Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd wants a chance to make a comeback. He wants to emulate his idol, Satchel Paige, and pitch into his 60s. He says his shoulder is stronger than ever:

I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes. Give me 15 minutes and I'll show I can still pitch. That's all I want.

If the Pirates took a chance with those guys from India, why not give Oil Can a looksie? He's only three years older than Jamie Moyer.

Speaking of whom ... you know how when you got in trouble as a kid, it was always worse when your parents sat in quiet disappointment than if they just yelled and screamed at you? I bet that's the equivalent of being taken to the woodshed by baseball's elder statesman, who chimed in on Alex Rodriguez:

"It's about respecting the game," Moyer said. "I'd be disappointed in anybody in that situation. "When people have had an impact on your life, you want to feel for them. But how can I feel for him? To me, if you're doing it, you know it's illegal. I commend him for coming out and saying it, but why didn't he say it seven years ago?"

Asked if his sons, now teenagers, were disappointed in Rodriguez, Moyer said: "I'm sure they are. We've talked a little about it. It's also a lesson. One day he's a Hall of Famer, and in a 24-hour period he's not because of a poor decision. That's a shame."

Scary thought: Nick Cafardo's Sunday column muses how baseball is getting "creepy" again. I thought it was going to be another steroids theme, and parts were, but it was an encompassing look at all the storm clouds appearing between players and owners, with the implication that the resolve not to let the 1994 strike recur could be forgotten. Creepy, indeed.

[Cover shot: Strategy First]

Helu `ekahi! (Hawaiian for No. 1, first rate)

Neither Brandon Webb nor Cole Hamels were dominant today, but the two aces matched up in a tense duel that was tied at two when each left after seven innings.

The Phillies survived a crazy 7th. With the Diamondbacks clinging to a 2-1 lead, Webb and Stephen Drew led off with singles. Conor Jackson attempted a bunt, but it was hit too hard - right at Pedro Feliz who tagged third, but couldn't turn the double play. Then came the real oddity. Orlando Hudson singled to right, and Geoff Jenkins fired home, freezing Drew on third. Hudson didn't see that the runners ahead of him had stopped and kept running toward second, which Jackson occupied. Coste looked Drew back to third then threw to Howard, who ran up the line to tag Hudson. Score that 1B, 9-2-3. Mark Reynolds struck out to end the threat.

"If the Phillies don't win this game after giving up no runs in that ugly inning, they might be done for the season," I said to Christine.

The Phils might have been on the same wavelength, scratching across the tying run in the 7th on an RBI double by Jimmy Rollins. In the 8th, they remembered they're an elite offensive unit. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard greeted reliever Chad Qualls with singles before Pat Burrell gave Clint Hurdle a lesson in what it means to be an All-Star, hitting a three-run homer. Pedro Feliz added a solo shot. Although Brad Lidge gave one up in a messy 9th for the All-Star closer, the Phillies held on 6-3. It actually felt like the kind of Phillies game we have grown accustomed to in recent years.

Observations from the stands: The park was filled with grass skirts, leis and the sounds of ukuleles as the Phillies celebrated Shane Victorino's Hawaiian heritage. We worried that the soothing music would put the team to sleep - and they don't like to be woken up. ... Danny K sang Tiny Bubbles before the game. ... The opera company Savoy, led by Dan Rothermel, sang the anthem. It was serviceable, but they looked like they were dressed for a prom on a very hot day at the park. ... In the 1st, Ryan Howard dropped an easy foul ball. Hamels hung his head, seemingly in disgust. He struck out the batter on the next pitch. ... Kudos to whomever caught Chad Tracy's homer in the 2nd for not caving into the boos and throwing the ball back. 1) It's a stupid tradition. 2) It's not Philly's tradition, it's Chicago's.

In the 4th, Chris Young attempted to bunt his way on. It looked looked a foolish strategy when it went right up the middle and seemed like an easy play for Hamels or Coste. But neither touched the ball, and Young was safe. ... In the 5th, Feliz turned a nifty double play, spearing a liner and then catching Drew off first base. Howard had to leap to catch the throw but came down on the bag to get the out. They played Van Halen's Jump after the inning ended. ... The Phillies' first run came from an RBI double in the 5th by Hamels, who might have thought early on that was the only way he was going to get any runs today

Scoreboard messages: Yesterday's loser, Adam Eaton, was booed when he appeared on the recorded "Happy Birthday" announcement. We haven't seen such a reaction to an appearance on the scoreboard since Jose Mesa's young kid was part of the pregame message at the Vet in 2003 telling the fans the rules of conduct. Searching for any online references to this, I found out that Jose Mesa's kid - not certain if it's the same one - was drafted by the Pirates a few years ago and is seemingly out of baseball already.

More observations: The Phanatic really enjoyed hula dancing. I was surprised he didn't wear a coconut bra. ... In the 6th, Charlie Manuel half-heartedly jogged to third to argue a call. It reminded me of watching Howard chug into foul territory to chase a foul pop. ... In the 7th, when the Phanatic was trying to spur a rally, he was drilled with a foul ball by Victorino.

We've never mentioned it before, but one of Christine's favorite parts about Sunday games is the starting nine, in which they send out little kids to all the positions to wait for the real Phillies to take the field and give out autographs. She loves looking at the strange alignments - sometimes the left fielder runs all the way to the wall, other times he's barely out of the infield. At least one infielder is always cemented on a base. We also think it's probably best to be chosen for second base or shortstop because the kid gets not just one of the best players on the team, but two of the best because because Rollins and Utley usually huddle with their kids.

Today was something new. Stationed at first was not Who, What or I Don't Know. It was Base who was playing first base. Jimmy Base, that is.

That's a wrap: The win ensures the Phillies break for the All-Star game in first place despite an awful stretch and a big winning streak for the Mets.

The Red Sox beat the Orioles 2-1 today behind Daisuke Matsuzaka. Kevin Youkilis has a contusion after getting hit in the thigh, and his All-Star start is in jeopardy. A little foreshadowing: Last night while playing Baseball Mogul, Youkilis went down for two months with a broken forearm in the computer game.

Hopefully, the real-life injury isn't serious. Anyway, the Rays also lost, so the Red Sox regained control of first place.

With both our teams leading their divisions, Tuesday's game could determine whether the World Series starts in Fenway or Citizens Bank. I don't see the National League winning for the first time since 1996, when another venerable stadium hosted its last All-Star game. But they didn't make as big of a deal about Veterans Stadium then as they're doing for Yankee Stadium now.

Utley and Lidge are ready to report to New York. Cholly gave them their warm-up jerseys in a cheesy pre-game ceremony. I've never seen that before; I wonder if Major League Baseball makes all the teams do it. By the way, their replica jerseys, which look like the Yankees' road grays, are on sale now. You can also buy an All-Star Game program, which is customized to your favorite player, which means Chase Utley, if you root for the Phils.

Sox hit like Inspector Gadget

On Sunday we bought the Phillies 2008 Yearbook. Instead of listing height, weight and other basic stats for the Phillies, they had the team answer questions to give the fans some insight into 31 members of the Phightin' Phils. We're going to review their answers.

First category: Favorite Gadget

Best answer: Tom Gordon's "Inspector Gadget."

I loved that cartoon. Go-Go-Gadget!

Other noteworthy responses: Ryan Madson picked his universal remote. Then for another question, he said a broken remote annoys him. Clay Condrey likes his drill. I love my drill, but I'm not sure it would rank as my favorite gadget. I don't know what would.

The runaway favorite with 10 mentions was the iPod. I'm not surprised that five Phillies picked a video game system, but I'm a little surprised they all said Xbox 360. The other multiple answers were iPhone (3), computer/laptop (3) and cell phone (2).

There were no answers to the question from Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard or Chase Utley.

Today's games: The Red Sox couldn't have scored more runs if they had Inspector Gadget in the lineup, completing a sweep of the Twins with an 18-5 drubbing despite a subpar performance by Josh Beckett. {Greg seems to be misremembering Inspector Gadget. Everyone knows that Penny and Brain were the, well, brains in that operation and had to save Gadget in every episode.} Jacoby Ellsbury led the charge with four hits. Every starter except Brandon Moss had at least two hits. Hopefully that's the wake-up call to get them back to winning consistently.

The win puts them 3.5 games in front of the Twins for the Wild Card and two behind the Rays for the division.

The Phillies made like Inspector Gadget and escaped their four-game losing streak. J.A. Happ had a good start, and Ryan Howard hit the go-ahead homer in the 8th to beat the Cardinals, 4-2.

The Mets and Marlins won, and each remains 1.5 games out. Mets fans, unaccustomed to a winning streak, were quite full of themselves on WFAN today.

Baseball Mogul update: I had a good season, winning 109 games. But everything fell apart in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks, who nearly swept. The best I could do was force a fifth game before losing the series 4-1. I think I'll switch to the Red Sox for awhile.

[Photo credits: Phillies 2008 Yearbook (Tom Gordon) and Disney (Inspector Gadget)]

Brett's back, but I'm in trouble

With the Red Sox and Rays battling for first place on ESPN and the Phillies hosting the Reds, tonight was a night where we toggled between channels on just about every pitch. In the early innings, I noted only one team (the Rays) had a hit.

The Sox struck next, with four hits and three runs off Edwin Jackson in the 3rd inning to ride a solid Josh Beckett start to a 5-1 win. They're back in first place by a half game.

The Phillies got their first hits off Edinson Volquez in the 4th inning, leaving young Brett Myers the last one seeking history. He retired the first 13 before walking Adam Dunn in the 5th. I got nervous when Joey Votto came up in that inning because I just picked him up for my fantasy team, and according to Christine, it's always my fault if someone on the fantasy team hurts her Phils. Votto walked, and the no-no remained in tact until Votto doubled in a run in the 7th. Christine kicked me. Phillies lost 2-0.

Although the offense was a no-show and Myers lost his no-no, the important thing may be that he's now put up two real good starts in a row. Both of our teams are in first place, and it's very possible that the showdown in Philly in less than two weeks could be a World Series preview.

If it is, I'm going to need some shin guards in October.

Baseball Mogul update: After a meltdown in game 6, I won game 7 of the NLCS and then went on to win the World Series against the Rangers. Memo to the Phillies brass considering Pat Gillick's replacement: Hire me, and I'll win the big one in 2010. {Memo to Greg: In real life, you don't get to replay game 7 of the World Series when things don't go your way.}

Rain, wind but no win

"It's one thing sitting through a rain delay when they win," Christine said after Lyle Overbay hit a pinch hit homer to tie today's game at three in the 5th.

"It's more fun watching the clouds," an angry fellow season ticket holder yelled at the team after the Blue Jays scored three more in the 6th to take a commanding lead.

"We don't leave baseball games early," I implied on this blog in March.

Unfortunately, today we left a game early for the third time in our baseball-watching career. The first one was because of extreme heat, the second extreme cold. Today was extreme rain, even though they resumed play by the time we got home.


We sat through the first two-hour delay, but the skies were so dark and the rain was so hard that we didn't attempt the second. We still can't believe how much rain came down. We got soaked as we ran through the downpour and inches of water on the ground.


While the rain sent us packing, it didn't stop the Phanatic's birthday celebration, although portions were moved indoors because of pre-game rain. All the local mascots showed up - except for the Eagles' Swoop. I wonder what that was all about - maybe he was busy scouting another cornerback (or just jealous of the attention the Phanatic receives). All the mascots, and then Dan Dunn, a "jam artist," painted tributes to the green furball. All kiddies received a paint-your-own Phanatic statue. Christine was jealous.


Despite the rain, the game started nearly on time. The young-gun match-up of Shawn Marcum and Kyle Kendrick never really materialized. Kendrick threw a perfect inning and Marcum struck out three in an inning, but he also gave up two runs, two hits and a walk. Both pitchers were yanked after the first rain delay.

We spent the rain delay watching an inning of Royals-Marlins, then the Richie Ashburn DVD, before the Flyers' last game of the year started. I filled out nine All-Star ballots, and of course, we monitored the Red Sox score - an ugly 11-7 win over the Brewers by Josh "2006" Beckett, who gave up four home runs. The Sox are now in first again after a loss by the Rays.


When play resumed, Chad Durbin continued where Kendrick left off. He yielded his first walk in the 3rd and no-hit murmurs started before Rod Barajas doubled with two outs in the 5th, which started a three-run rally. The former Phil drove in a run the next inning.

In the 6th, trailing 6-3, the Phillies attempted a rally. They had one run in, runners on first and second with Pat Burrell coming up. That's when the rains came. We fled. We could see the sun in the distance as we left the stadium. Listening on the radio, we heard Roy Halladay coming in to pitch to Burrell as we pulled into our neighborhood. We couldn't believe the bad weather cleared that quickly.

Observations from the stands: After Pedro Feliz got a hit in the fourth, the PA system played Feliz Navidad, ending abruptly with "Feliz." That was the highlight of the sound system on a day when it was awful - lots of crapping out. ... A few people were nodding off in the stands - not just the head bob, but full-blown conked out. ... Christine gave me a poke in the ribs when she correctly read my mind that I was thinking of my fantasy team when the Blue Jays eliminated the possibility of Marcum getting a loss. But she was wrong: I was thinking about a save for B.J. Ryan. He nearly blew it but managed to save the game, giving the Blue Jays a 6-5 victory.

Hat update: Christine finally found a new one she likes. It's tan with a brown P and says Phillies on the back.

Baseball Mogul update: I'm still in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. I was up 4-2 in game six and called Christine in the room to see the Phillies go to a World Series. You'd think a Red Sox fan would know better. Hopefully game seven goes better.

Get ready

It hasn't been the best opening week for the Red Sox or Phillies. Both Eastern Division champs stand 3-4; the world champs opened today in last place for the first time in three years.

That all changes tomorrow. Both teams will be reminded of their 2007 greatness. The Red Sox, after their three-country opening week marathon, finally come home to play the Tigers and get their rings - a token reminder of how they felt last October.

The Phillies will go to their home-away-from-home, New York, to see their favorite whipping boys and rekindle last year's magic against the Mets.

It sounds like they're ready:

Pat Burrell:

I enjoy going to New York and playing. There's always a little extra excitement there. Especially with what happened last year, I'm sure they're gunning for us. And that's the way it should be.

Charlie Manuel:

When we play them, it's always kind of like a rivalry to us. Them, too. They make a big deal out of it. As long as we put the whip on them, we'll let them make a big deal out of it. They'll talk, we'll hit. That's how I see it.

Game on, season on.

This wouldn't be a problem if we lived in Boston: With several early-season games in the afternoon or on CN8, Christine notes the Phillies are 3-0 when she's unable to watch them and 0-4 when she can.

Baseball Mogul update: In my fourth season, I finally have built the Phillies into a 104-win powerhouse heading into the playoffs. My lineup has four guys with 30+ homers, two others with more than 25. Brad Lidge has 40 saves anchoring a shut-down bullpen. The big story is atop the rotation where Brett Myers and Cole Hamels went 29-8. I think my computer is broken - young Cole (who is now pining to be a Rockie) only has six of those wins and all eight losses.

Happy birthday: Bobby Doerr.

Comforting words

It's still two weeks from Opening Day (only one for the Red Sox), and the Phillies are already pining for the centerfielder toiling away in San Francisco. Charlie Manual, who recently realized his teams start slow, says the team's awful spring training play could be because Aaron Rowand isn't here:

Rowand has been missed. I believe in players policing themselves if they can. Some guys can't police themselves and they actually don't know how. If that's the case, then somebody has to police them.

Great, what's next, blaming the starting pitching problems on the departure of Curt Schilling? (I'm currently listening to WFAN's Ed Randall talk about going to see Starvin' Marvin Freeman's big-league debut.)

{I'm giving Manuel a little bit of credit here. I think he's trying to embarrass the team. The way they have been playing this spring has been embarrassing, and they need to step it up. Someone in this million-dollar clubhouse should be able to fill the role that Rowand played. And let's face it, this is no time to look back fondly on Rowand. He turned down more money per year and a chance to win for a 5-year contract for less money per year playing for the Giants. When someone willingly signs with the Giants, it kinda makes me wonder about his desire to win in the first place.}

Another Phillie, J.D. Durbin, is looking for a light. Maybe his candle got snuffed out in his cooler pants:

I look in the mirror every day. I try to find myself more than anybody, I think. I lost that fire that burns inside me. I still go out there and compete 100 percent, but I don't have that over-the-top, kick-butt, Brett Myers attitude, and I think that's hurting me.

This is just the mindset you want your team to have when it's supposed to build on last year's surprise win. It could be worse. Imagine if the Phillies had drafted Rocco Baldelli, who's injured again, and fans had to watch Chase Utley starring for the Devil Rays:

"The crystal ball is not always real shiny on draft day," said assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle, recalling the 2000 draft. "If Baldelli would have been available, it would really have been a toss-up between him and Utley. It would have been one of those serious draft-morning discussions."

{Luckily, it's all a moot point, and the Phillies ended up with the player they needed. As for Cooler Pants, well, have fun starting the season in AAA. I've rooted for you, despite the hideous MySpace page and photos. And if you don't have that fire to win right now, let someone who does fill that roster space.}

Better news out of Sox camp this morning: Daddy Daisuke Matsuzaka is likely to start in Japan with Jon Lester going in game two. And Josh Beckett throws today.

Baseball Mogul update: Had a relatively quite offseason. Ryan Howard signed for $8 million a year, so I'll keep him and Prince Fielder for awhile. Signed Pat Neshek to bolster the bullpen and Scott Moore to replace Garrett Atkins at third. I couldn't find a taker to dump Atkins, but probably will next offseason. I'm not happy with the 9-13 start, though.

Uh-oh

I woke up cranky enough because I overslept. To make things worse, I then read Josh Beckett left a spring training game because of back spasms. I don't have to say that losing Beckett for any major stretch would be catastrophic.

He came to Boston with a reputation for not being able to hold up for a full season. But in his two seasons with the Red Sox, he has averaged more than 30 starts and 200 innings - marks he never reached with Florida.

Hopefully, he will be ready to go in Japan in little more than two weeks. Terry Francona is optimistic but vague:

Sox manager Terry Francona had a good report on Josh Beckett who left Saturday's game with back spasms after throwing six warm-up pitches. The manager said Beckett "looked way better than we expected,'' but would not commit as to whether Beckett would be ready for the opener in Japan.

More bad news on the pitching front: Clay Buchholz continues to impersonate Adam Eaton this spring, but there is hope it's just a mechanical problem. Speaking of the $24 million dollar man, the candidates to replace him haven't exactly been jumping at the opportunity, but Kris Benson threw all of his four pitches in a minor league game, topping out at 88 mph, giving himself a shot of opening the season in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, opening day starter Brett Myers continues to exhibit class with a new T-shirt that reads: "You mess with me, you mess with the whole trailer park."

Real class: Thanks to punks such as Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon, it is a story when athletes such as Beckett or Jimmy Rollins care more about winning than money. Rollins took a gamble in 2005 with a five-year, $40 million contract. At the time it was debatable whether the Phillies overpaid. After an MVP season, they have underpaid, but J-Roll doesn't gripe:

I knew there was a chance I would play better and the Phillies would be getting a little bit of a bargain. But there was also a chance I wouldn't produce as much. I knew the market could change after I signed it. I knew all that when I signed.

That column reads like a text the new wave of players should read to learn how to portray themselves and their pay in the press.

Baseball Mogul update: Despite another 90+ win season, I won't be making the playoffs for the first time. I don't know what happened, other than the Braves, D-Backs and Dodgers had better years. I need better starting pitching - it would help if Cole Hamels stopped pining to be a Royal.

Baby shower update: We had a good time yesterday. I learned that it's harder than it looks to drink out of a sippy cup. Don't ask.

(s)He's coming ...

Camps for the Sox and Phils have been relatively quiet save for Curt's injury and the speculation over Ryan Howard's contract.

We could, however, see a shakeup soon as Kris Bensen is supposed to arrive today. Todd Zolecki has no word whether Anna is coming with him.

The big stories of the day include a puff piece on Tim Wakefield, noting how his two selfless acts - sacrificing an ALCS start to save the bullpen in '04 and giving up a spot on the World Series roster in '07 because of uncertain health - helped win championships. We also get a brief Phils connection with former Sox manager and current Phillies bench coach Jimy Williams.

I've always felt like the team came first. I remember Jimy Williams telling me one time, 'Wake, when you finally leave this game, the only thing you're going to take with you is your reputation.' It makes a lot of sense. The numbers aren't going to mean anything.

The thing that I want to take away from this game when I do leave, whenever that may be, is, was I a good teammate? I think that's the most important thing to me. Was I a good teammate? Was I helpful to the young kids? Was I a leader as a veteran? Things like that. Those are important to me.

Over in Clearwater, Ryan Howard didn't get to host his press conference, but he still spoke, saying all the right things.

I'm focused on trying to come out here and get better and get ready for the season. All the other stuff, all the outside stuff, that's outside. I'm here. I'm working. I'm going to try to be the best I can for the team.

It's nice that our players don't have to be answering for the actions of their teammates.

Oops: The little Benson blurb notes how Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder are bad fielders. In my Baseball Mogul game (haven't played much lately) I did sign Fielder to bring some youth and right-hand balance to the Utley-Howard heart of the order. But Fielder's a lefty - guess I have the picture of his dad engrained in my memory. Oh well, we'll roll with the three stud lefties, then see if we can get a good righty for Howard next year.

Game on

Outside smells like a freezer, and the grass and sidewalks are coated with frost. I'm now in the mood to watch some football played in the desert.

This week, I've talked football, wrestling and competitive eating. Today, Jim Salisbury, I'm sure to Christine's gratitude, takes me back to the basics, err, baseball. He's got 42, or XLII, nuggets to tide over baseball fans who have to sit through one more football game and a few more days before spring training.

Some of the more interesting points:

For Christine:
VIII. The Phillies' equipment truck leaves for Florida on Thursday.

A decade ago, I was very happy that the Sox traded Jamie Moyer for Darren Bragg:
X. Unless Roger Clemens or Julio Franco surface this season - and that's doubtful - Jamie Moyer will be the oldest player in the majors. Moyer turned 45 in November. He has 230 wins, 196 coming after he was released three times in three years in the early 1990s.

This is why Billy Beane's a genius and the new guy in Minnesota's just a boy playing with men:
XIII. Santana and Dan Haren were the two top pitchers to be dealt for prospects this winter. The prevailing wisdom is that Oakland made a better score for Haren than the Twins made for Santana. The A's got six players from Arizona for Haren, including Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who has game-breaking offensive skills, and lefthanded pitcher Brett Anderson.
XIV. The rebuilding A's also nabbed two good arms - Gio Gonzalez and Fautino de los Santos - from the White Sox for Nick Swisher.

Who pointed out this before?
XV. Yes, that's the same Gio Gonzalez who came from the White Sox to the Phillies for Jim Thome then was sent back for Freddy Garcia. The White Sox have now traded Gonzalez twice. The 22-year-old lefty led the minors with 185 strikeouts in 150 innings in double A last season.

Another reason Johan's a Met:
XXI. Baseball America ranks the Phillies' farm system 22d out of 30 teams.
However:
XXII. The Phils have a chance to do some significant restocking of their system in the June draft, provided they're willing to spend on top talent. They have three picks in the top 50 and six in the top 107.

I love this guy's name for a relief pitcher, a former Sox farmhand:
XXIV. Rule 5 pick Lincoln Holdzkom will be an intriguing newcomer in Phillies camp. The 6-foot-5 righthander has the kind of power arm teams dream of, but he has been unable to stick in one organization, partly due to attitude issues.

Sorry Christine:
XXV. There's not much interest in Wes Helms, so look for him to be in camp for a while with the Phils.

And I used to think they were chokers.
XL. In Charlie Manuel's three seasons as manager, the Phillies are an NL-best 133-89 after the all-star break.

That's all I got - enjoy the big game. I'm taking Jack with the points. And though I've got a nagging feeling the super-charged, early-season Patriots will show up, I think the Giants will at least cover. Goodbye to the '72 Dolphins.

Baseball Mogul: Finally finished year two with the Phils. Got them back to the playoffs, this time as a wild card. Three and out. I've already started retooling. I've signed Scott Olsen to a pretty good deal. And I'm considering a radio-caller type move: trading Adam Dunn to break up my three lefties and replacing him in left with Prince Fielder. Christine's wary of putting the big guy in left, but I promised if I do so I won't trade Ryan Howard. (This offseason anyway.)

1986

One of my favorite seasons in baseball is 1986 -- the year I became a Sox fan and first tasted the curse. (I didn't believe in the curse but I don't have a better word for the Billy Buckner, Grady Little and Don Zimmer type experiences.)

So, given this context, and my fascination with Baseball Mogul, I don't know why I haven't been following more closely Sporting News' 1986 Take II. Especially since it features SoxPhils as managers -- the World Series Hero, and Doug Glanville, a fellow North Jerseyan. Christine and I were at the game where his retirement was officially announced. He signed a one-day contract to retire as a Phillie and the team had him throw out the first pitch.

Anyway, they're apparently not doing so well. Fine, Glanville's got a bum hand with the '86 Phils, but Curt, c'mon, no excuse to have the '86 Sox 10 games under .500. Glanville's having the better season, and he's probably got the better blog.

Nomo-mania II

I forgot yesterday to mention the small-print news of the week, Hideo Nomo, the last Red Sox since Derek Lowe, err Clay Buchholz, to pitch a no-hitter, is going to try a comeback with the Kansas City Royals.

In honor of this, and the champs opening the title defense in Asia, here's my ranking of the Sox/Phils Japanese players:

1) Hideki Okajima. According to public opinion, he was signed to ease Dice-K's transition, but he turned into a shut-down reliever, an All-Star, and the #2 guy in the pen for the World Champions.

2) Dice-K. I was thinking about giving Nomo the nod here, but Nomo was just about league average during his year in Boston. Though, maybe he should get bonus points for also being a Phillie for a day in 1999. Nonetheless, Dice did pitch well, though a little disappointing, especially in the playoffs when he averaged less than 5 innings per start. We expect more this year.

3) Nomo. Like I said, about league average, but threw a no-hitter in his first start for Boston.

4) Tadahito Iguchi. Solid contributor for his 45 games with the Phils last year. Filled in admirably after Chase Utley broke his hand.

5) Tomokazu Ohka/So Taguchi. This list has a couple of stars, but then it's slim pickings. I can't decide between these two. One had 6 wins for the Sox before being traded to the Expos for a pre-felonious Ugueth Urbina. The other is a scrubby backup outfielder who's coming to the Phils this season after six years in St. Louis.

Honorable mention: If I knew this, I had forgotten that Dave Roberts -- he of the most important stolen base in history -- was born in Japan. I won't count him, but if I did he would rank 2 or 3 and I would entertain arguments for #1.

In other sports: Got three of four of the football games. Darn Redskins.

Baseball Mogul update: Didn't do that trade with Seattle. But made a couple swaps [Gordon, Burrell, Lieber, and four scrubs for Manny Corpas, Ubaldo Jimenez and Garrett Atkins] and then [Eaton, Coste and Geary] for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Christine wasn't thrilled with the first one, but she's couldn't get me to hit "accept" fast enough with the prospect of getting rid of Adam Eaton, even in a computer game. She didn't even consider her usual objections to trading with a division rival.

So far, the verdict's out... Phils have gotten off to their real-life slow start... at .500 on May 3, but only 2 games behind the Braves. I'm a little concerned that Cole Hamels would prefer a higher rotation slot on the Royals. I don't get it either.

A bad sign?

I tore into one of my Christmas gifts (a new edition of Baseball Mogul, highly recommend it).

Things didn't start out too well as injuries to everyone from Pedroia to Lowell devastated my lineup and Beckett, Dice and the rest of the staff threw like chumps, not champs. So I deleted that game and started one with the Phillies.

Things went better; unlike real life, they actually got off to a lead. They tried to impersonate the Mets toward the end of the season, but managed to hold on. In the playoffs, they beat the D-Backs and Dodgers, but were swept in the series by the Twins, which somehow became an All-Star team, picking up Holliday, Hawpe, Reyes and Roidger Clemens during the season.

Fortunately for those of us rooting for a repeat, this is not a prediction for '08 since the games rosters are from the start of '07. (In game one of the World Series, the Phils knocked out Santana by the third inning, but J.D. "Cooler Pants" Durbin, who stuck with one team in the game, shut the door and allowed the Twins to get back in.)

So now, it's the off season... I'm mulling a trade to get C Jeff Clement and Felix Hernandez from the Mariners for Burrell, Lieber, Coste, Geary, Drabek and a couple other scrubs. Christine's not sold.

I know, not very realistic where the Phils recent big moves include replacing the roster's obligatory "Geoff" and reuniting J.D. with his long-lost cousin Chad.

Meanwhile, the Sox may or may not still be angling the video-game like swap for Johan, but we'll address that one later.