Coaching reunion

So if the Phillies hire Ryne Sandberg as a minor league manager or major league coach, do I have to reconsider and accept him as the Phillies greatest homegrown second baseman over Chase Utley?

Another homegrown second baseman, Juan Samuel, may also join the coaching staff.

Managing futility

As expected, the Orioles fired manager Dave Trembly and replaced him with Phillies Wall of Famer Juan Samuel. I didn't know that another option for interim Orioles manager was former Red Sox catcher Gary Allenson, but he was promoted to replace Samuel as third base coach. There's a further SoxandPhil connection in that Samuel made his managerial debut tonight against the Red Sox.

The occasion gave Terry Francona a chance to repeat his line about being fired by the Phillies:

"I felt it coming. I knew it was coming," Francona said. "I've always been pretty honest about it. If I was a general manager, I would've fired me also. I think they didn't really have a choice. Saying that, the last however many days that there's speculation, that's the hardest. That's really hard. Now, saying that, I remember thinking, 'OK, when I get fired, it's going to be this huge weight off my shoulders.' And it wasn't. You can't live with people almost 24 hours a day and it just goes away. I thought it would, and it doesn't."

That said, we wish Juan Samuel luck - once the Red Sox leave town, but especially against the Rays and Yankees.

So far, so good. Actually, I wish the Sox would have eased up a little bit as they gave Samuel a 11-0 loss in his debut. Clay Buchholz was dominant, pitching a five-hit, one-walk shutout. On MLB Network, Harold Reynolds felt the need to point out how he now has a shutout and a no-hitter against the Orioles. More notable is that the other MLB Network announcer proclaimed him the ace of the Sox, ahead of even Jon Lester. I'm pleased with his progress, but I don't think Buchholz has supplanted Lester.

The Phillies, meanwhile, as I predicted, did not break out of their hitting slump. But they did manage three runs, which was enough for the 3-2 win over the Padres. Roy Halladay pitched a good game for a mortal pitcher, which means he had a so-so start for the Doc. In seven innings, he gave up two runs on 10 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Brad Lidge pitched like Brad Lidge circa 2008, picking up his first save since coming back from his second DL stint with two strikeouts in a clean inning.

The Flyers, trying to even up the series, lead the Blackhawks 3-1 in the 3rd period.

Ah, the reassuring sounds of spring agita

It has been almost too serene at SoxandPhils camps this spring. But today, news broke that Jonathan Papelbon piped up about Manny Ramirez in Esquire, calling him a clubhouse cancer that had to be removed last year:

"It takes 25 guys on a team to win, not 24, and that was blatantly obvious," Papelbon said today after the club's workout. "It doesn't matter who you are -- you could be Babe Ruth -- if you're not in that same cubbyhole with the rest of the guys going to war with you, you're all going to die. That almost happened."

I like the rhetoric, but why now? I would have loved it if Papelbon had said this last summer, but now it's just odd and creating an unnecessary diversion.

I, unfortunately, have to agree with Manny: "I've already moved on with my life. Like I said, I wish everybody the best. I'm in LA now."

And one other thing. I'm usually not overly PC, but I would hope Papelbon would reconsider using his use of the word cancer. Jon Lester had cancer. The team had a petulant prima donna who brought down morale.

Please, no more about Manny unless we have a rematch of last year's NLCS.

Wall of Fame: The Phillies announced their Wall of Fame nominees. There are several candidates more qualified than Juan Samuel, who was last year's inductee:

Pitchers Jack Baldschun, Ricky Bottalico, Larry Christenson, Gene Garber, Jim Konstanty and Rick Wise; catcher Darren Daulton; infielders John Kruk and Fred Luderus; outfielders Lenny Dykstra, Doug Glanville, Greg Gross, Von Hayes and Roy Thomas; manager Jim Fregosi.

Scott Lauber is not endorsing a candidate, but I will. My write-in endorsement goes to Ken Ryan. My other two votes will go to John Kruk and Doug Glanville.

{Ricky Bo? The only award he gets is the "What the hell is he doing on this list?" award. I want to vote for Dykstra; I know he's tainted, but he embodied the '93 team. Same for Daulton; not all there now, but he was the leader. I would also accept Kruk and be happy with Glanville, just because he seems like a genuinely good guy. But I will go with Dykstra and Daulton, but my dark horse will win it - Von Hayes. The fans are in a good mood and have seemed willing to forgive for the past, so it's his year.}

Juan Samuel? Really??

Lost in the craziness of the Sox-Phils series was the announcement that Juan Milton Samuel will be enshrined on the Phillies Wall of Fame. As someone who studied the backs of baseball cards in the 1980s more closely than his school books, I know Samuel was a good player, although not, as the sponsor of his Baseball-Reference page claims, "quite simply, the greatest baseball player in the history of the world."

I didn't follow the Phillies back then, but I admired his combination of speed and power, racking up double digits in all categories. But I know enough about Philly to know that he is not the most deserving Phillie - Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton and John Kruk are the obvious ones. And unlike Samuel, they contributed to a Phillies postseason.

A fan vote narrowed the choices for wall nominee to Daulton, Dykstra, Kruk, Samuel and Greg Gross. Then, a committee of media and Phillies executives chose Samuel to be inducted.

I'm not sure how Gross even ended up in the mix. I understand the arguments against choosing Dykstra (links to steroids and other issues) and Daulton (his philosophical musings); as for Kruk, maybe they're unhappy that he bailed on his Phillies announcing and has become a national media figure. But I still don't get it. I'll be happy to cheer Juan's induction, but if the Phillies keep flying their '93 NL pennant, they should induct players from that squad.

Harper: I forgot to mention yesterday the little baseball fan seated behind his. His name was Harper, and he was attending his first game with his pop-pop, who provided running commentary for his grandson. It was very cute and wholesome. And the next time the media or populous want to bemoan baseball, they should sit in the park and take in nine innings with little Harper and his cap and pack of Red Sox playing cards.

[Image: Baseball Reference Bullpen]