Lee Arthur tips his hat to Sarge

Driving to work this morning, I got a treat because Lee Arthur Smith was a guest of Craig Carton and Boomer Esiason's WFAN radio show. I always liked the big guy and thought the Red Sox should have kept him instead of Jeff Reardon in 1990.

He talked mostly about closers because he's plugging a book, Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball, for which he wrote the foreward.

The conversation turned a little SoxandPhils when he was asked about the 1984 NL East Champion Cubs.

"It was like a family," Smith said. "And the one guy for me that held the ballclub together was Gary Matthews."

Everybody loves Sarge, even one of the nastiest closers of my generation.

Smith didn't feel as bad about losing with his only other playoff team, the 1988 Red Sox. "'84 was tougher for me," Smith said.

He was also asked whether there was one hitter he couldn't get out. His answer? Mike Schmidt, who killed the Cubbies. Michael Jack had a .986 OPS against Chicago, his third highest against any team, and a 1.048 OPS at Wrigley, the highest mark he had in any park.

I like it when a player's memory reflects reality.

Today's games: After 30 innings, the Phillies finally scored a run. For days, Christine was convinced they would not score another run all season. At first, I thought she was just being melodramatic, but I was starting to wonder ...

The Phillies weren't satisfied with that run and scored another, and then one more to give them their first lead in a week. It was a pure offensive onslaught by the Phightin' Phils who held on for the 3-2 win against the Marlins, despite a nervous 9th by Jose Contreras.

If the Phillies night was an onslaught, the Red Sox offense was firing on all cylinders with five runs. But the Royals bats put both teams to shame, knocking out Tim Wakefield in the 3rd inning with nine runs. They embarrassed the once-again deflated Sox 12-5.

Papi homered - cancel the gold watch and rocking chair

Mike Schmidt topped a recent David Ortiz-inspired list of great ball players who suddenly lost it. Christine and I were discussing this yesterday, wondering whether Big Papi could follow Michael Jack's path and abruptly retire amid early season struggles.

I don't know if retirement ever entered his thoughts, but Ortiz has considered drastic steps:

"I was about to hit righthanded," he admitted.

But last night he hit his first home run of 2009 as part of a 2-4 night that increased his OPS to a whopping .645.

"I feel like I got my confidence back," Ortiz said after the game. "I feel like a real hitter, not like the punch and judy hitter I've been the first 40 games ... swing like a man."

I hope so. The Greatest Clutch Hitter in Red Sox history, a very proud and amicable man, deserves to leave the game on his own terms (provided he has been clean).

Interestingly, this marks the 20th anniversary of Mike Schmidt's retirement. The Daily News has marked the occasion with the 1989 retirement story, a Rich Ashburn column led off by a Harry Kalas home run call and an interesting look back.

As a 12-year-old in North Jersey, I was surprised by the announcement, but I never knew the move surprised everyone, perhaps even Schmidt:

Mike Schmidt was 39 years old, in a slump, playing for a Phillies team destined for another last-place finish.

Nobody had a clue that within a week he would stun even those closest to him by abruptly announcing his retirement.

Six days later, standing near third base at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, he was about to make one of the biggest decisions of his baseball life. It was a sun-splashed Memorial Day weekend Sunday. All he needed was an omen.

[...]

Then, just like in the movies, it happened.

The score was tied at three in the bottom of the fourth. The Giants had runners on first and second with two outs when Robby Thompson hit a grounder right at third, the kind of play Schmidt had made countless times on his way to winning 10 Gold Gloves.

Except this time, the ball went through his legs for an error to load the bases. Mike Maddux relieved starter Ken Howell. And the next batter, Will Clark, hit a grand slam.

"And I'm thinking, 'I'm really getting nothing out of this. We're not a very good team. I'm not playing near to the level that I'm comfortable with. What do I do now?'" Schmidt said.

Hopefully last night signaled a better omen for Big Papi.

Catching up: Papi's home run and two by Jason Varitek helped Brad Penny beat the Jays 8-3, setting up a chance for a sweep tonight. (Behind Jon Lester, they're up 4-0 in the 4th.) Phillies couldn't come back last night, losing 5-1 to the Reds. They finished the series this afternoon with a 12-5 win. The top of the order - Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez - went 9-15. Utley, Ibanez, Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs homered. Joe Blanton pitched well until the 5th, when he gave up all five runs the Reds scored; Chan Ho Park walked two in a scoreless inning, his first appearance as a Phillies reliever.

[Photo credit: Philadelphia Inquirer or Daily News file photo]

Serves me right

I guess the baseball gods didn't take kindly to me yawning at both of our teams winning on Sunday. They each lost tonight.

Young Brett Myers gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead in the first. The fish never grew that beyond three runs, but the Phillies never caught up. It seemed like it would be a classic Phillies comeback, but it ended 5-4 Marlins.

Funny little occurrence in the 6th: With two outs, Pat Burrell lined one to left. Luis Gonzalzez missed it (looked like it glanced off his face), and Burrell reached on the error. He should have been on second, but Charlie Manuel didn't bench him like he did J-Roll. I wonder what Mike Schmidt, the scribe, thinks about that.

Burrell scored but tried to give it back by misplaying a ball in left in the bottom of the inning. They ruled it a double. I joked that Pat the Bat was trying to justify all the times Cholly subs him out for running and defense. He then redeemed himself a little bit by hitting a homer in the 8th.

The Red Sox lost to the Orioles, 10-6. They survived another poor Josh Beckett start before Hideki Okajima blew it. His season ERA is now the highest it's been in America since his second appearance of last year - 2.89.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a hit in his first start since turning his wrist into a fruit roll-up. Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 14-games. And the redeeming J.D. Drew homered in his third straight game - fifth in nine games. He has nine on the season compared with 11 last year. I'll take it.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to throw a side session tomorrow, but no one's saying when he'll pitch again.

Sox-Phil interleague history, 2002: Red Sox and Phillies didn't play each other.

Even more whining

It looks like my wine review has inspired other ballplayers to get into the act of slapping their names on a bottle to benefit charity. Mike Schmidt has Mike Schmidt 548 Zinfandel, and I've heard of others for Ernie Banks, Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray.

Now, the sad news: Manny Being Merlot is being made no more. Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield have been replaced by David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis on the "championship edition" wine bottles.

They're all for charity.

Beckett's back: Josh Beckett says he's getting closer, whatever that means.

Cholly: My favorite manager who hasn't won a World Series, Charlie Manual, is losing his cool already:

"Some of them like their position. They like how it's going to go. They take for granted that just because they're a regular player that they're always going to be. That's not the right attitude to take. It might be time for us to have a little chat. Really."

The Phillies are hitting .256 this spring, but their regulars have struggled: Jimmy Rollins (.156), Chase Utley (.200), Pat Burrell (.194), Geoff Jenkins (.162) and Jayson Werth (.174). But you know this team is going to score runs. The real issue is pitching. The Phillies have a 6.88 ERA this spring. Now, pitchers like Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and others have pitched in minor-league games, which skews the numbers a bit. But not that much.

Christine's not happy; I say it's only spring training, wake me when we're down 3-1 in the ALCS.