Phillies Players Report Early for Spring Training, and Rarin’ to Go
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The 2007 edition of the Phillies look itching to have at the upcoming season. So much so, that many including Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and even young pitcher Scott Mathieson who’s recovering from September Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery came earlier than necessary.
MLB.com’s Ken Mandel writes about some of the early arrivals;
The newlywed Utley spent the morning and part of the afternoon swatting baseballs in the cage. Jamie Moyer ran laps around a practice field, keeping his 44-year-old body in pristine condition. Rowand worked out in the morning and spent a good deal of the afternoon holding court at his end locker.
“It was a very short offseason for me,” Utley said. “I’m glad I’m here now.”
“We have a long road ahead of us, starting now,” Rowand said.
Rowand literally had a long road ahead of him, as he loaded up his gigantic red Ford F-250 in Philadelphia and drove 1,100 miles to Clearwater. With a 28-gallon tank, the vehicle still needed frequent fill-ups.
Rowand has been in Clearwater for about a week, after first watching his beloved Bears lose to the Colts in the Super Bowl. He went to the game with former Cal-State Fullerton teammate and current Phillies Minor Leaguer Greg Jacobs, who was rooting for the Colts.
Having moved into his new home in a Philadelphia suburb this offseason, Rowand has heard a lot of optimistic talk regarding the 2007 Phillies, whether it’s been via the newspapers, at a local poker game or interacting with the community.
Rowand had an amusing experience. While taking his daughter trick-or-treating with some of his neighbors, he came across a young boy dressed as him, complete with a jersey, black eye and splint on his left ankle.
Healthy now and not having been traded, Rowand said he’s ready to roll.
Jon Lieber’s expected arrival on Wednesday and subsequent stay with the Phillies is one of the hot topics of the spring.
Will he be traded for bullpen help? Will an injury or trade change the equation?
“He’s heard all the rumors and he was concerned about that,” said manager Charlie Manuel, who saw Lieber a few weeks ago. “I felt like we had a good talk and he understands things. He wants to pitch for us and be part of our team. I want him ready when the season starts. I hope he’s coming into Spring Training with the idea that he’s going to pitch for us.”
Manuel said he told Lieber that he saw him as a starter, meaning that the veteran will likely not see any time in the bullpen. Manuel has also been around long enough to know that things have a way of working out.
“We know we got six starters, and our pitchers know we’ve got six starters,” Manuel said. “But you never know when you might have four or three. Things have a way of working out. You have to wait and see what happens.”
“I’m glad I’m down here and feeling good again,” said Mathieson, whose been throwing for the past two weeks. “It feels like I never stopped throwing.”
In the meantime, the Phils and relief pitcher Geoff Geary came to terms on a one year deal, thus the Phils opted out of arbitration totally. Mandel gives background on Geary’s contract;
Geoff Geary agreed to a one-year, $837,500 contract with the Phillies on Tuesday. He was Philadelphia’s final pending arbitration case.
Geary’s salary is the midpoint between the $925,000 he requested and the $750,000 offered by the Phillies.
Mandel then went on to report on manager Charlie Manuel’s plans regarding closer Tom Gordon;
Manuel said he doesn’t plan to use closer Tom Gordon for more than an inning at a time, and will try not to pitch him more than three straight days. He also will try and limit the amount of times Gordon pitches in non-save situations. He was used a few times when the Phillies had a four-run lead in 2006.
National League MVP Ryan Howard is expected to arrive in camp on Wednesday.
Fans, baseball’s in the air. I can feel it from overseas, from Israel, Let’s Go Phillies Big-time! I’m psyched, its gonna be a great year for red pin-stripes.
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