Just take it steady, Freddy

How about this one... Freddy Garcia got his second opinion on his "frayed" rotator cuff and "some pathology" to his labrum from noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, and guess what? It looks like "frayed" and "pathology" isn't as bad as it sounds.

The Phillies issued a statement on Thursday afternoon stating that Andrews agreed with team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti in that Garcia might just need a few weeks rest and then could be able to get back out there.

Here's the Phillies release:

Phillies Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. issued the following statement today on righthander Freddy Garcia, who met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews yesterday in Birmingham, Ala.

"Both the Phillies’ medical staff and Dr. Andrews are in complete agreement that a conservative approach should be taken in regards to Garcia’s injury."

"Garcia will be shut down from throwing for several weeks. At some point, he will begin a tossing program. Both doctors agree that there is some damage to the shoulder, but it’s more a product of being a starting pitcher who has logged as many innings as Freddy has over the last several seasons.

"At this point, there is no time frame for when Garcia will be pitching competitively at the major league level for the Phillies."

It will be interesting to hear Garcia's reaction to the diagnosis, especially since he appears to be a bit peeved at certain segments of the local sporting press. According to a story in the local press, Garcia told the scribes from Chicago that he thinks he's being treated unfairly by the Philadelphia-area media.

"I want to show them, especially in this town," Garcia told the Chicago Tribune. "They've been really rough. 'What did he do? Why did they bring him here?' I feel like they rip me because I cannot pitch."

Sorry Freddy. It's not you, it's us.

A second opinion

The Phillies didn’t announce the MRI results for Freddy Garcia’s right shoulder until the top of the ninth last night, so that left more than a few of the scribes and Phillies’ personnel scrambling for answers over what “pathology in the labrum” and a frayed rotator cuff really means.

I sat next to a former Major League manager at last night’s game and when the news was announced, I just looked at him:

“That’s not good,” he understated.

Garcia wants to investigate all of his options before deciding on a course of action, but more than likely seeking a second opinion upon hearing Dr. Michael Ciccotti’s prognosis simply delays the inevitable…

Freddy can either get cut now or he can get cut later.

Nevertheless, Garcia has the option of the second opinion. The Phillies do not. Instead, Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. will be scrambling to find a long-term fix for the rotation with some pathology. Certainly Brett Myers doesn’t seem to be headed back to the rotation when his stint on the disabled list ends, and asking Kyle Kendrick – the pitcher called up from Double-A to make his Major League debut in Garcia’s stead tomorrow – to fill the veteran’s spot is a tall task. In four-plus professional seasons, Kendrick has just 12 appearances above Single-A.

Who is he, Mike Zagurski?

While we ponder that, the debate over whether or not Garcia is the biggest flop in recent Phillies’ history will persist as the names Andy Ashby, Lance Parrish, Floyd Youmans and Mike Jackson are conjured again.

Frankly, I say the biggest flop is Danny Tartabull, but that’s me. I’d like to say Ashby just because he was so miserable when he was here, but that deal seems to have worked out in the end. The Phillies got Bruce Chen in the short term and Adam Eaton found his way back to Philadelphia.

Perhaps Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez will too?

***
When I was a teenager I had the pleasure of sitting near the visitors’ on-deck circle for a doubleheader between the Orioles and White Sox at Memorial Stadium. The games were fairly uneventful except for the ChiSox shortstop, Ozzie Guillen, chattering away with me as he waited to come to bat.

What I appreciated the most was that Guillen didn’t talk down to me (or anyone else) and left me wondering where he learned some of the creative ways in which to curse. It was then as it is now, spellbinding.

That’s the way it was yesterday, too, when I had the pleasure of listening to Guillen’s pre-game meeting with the writers where he discussed Garcia’s predicament… let’s just say it was fascinating and refreshing.

These days everyone is so concerned over their image and what everyone else thinks. Guillen is as real as it gets.

***
In Philadelphia we already knew that the Phillies were the losingest franchise in the history of all professional sports. Even teams that are older than the Phillies – like the Cincinnati Reds, for instance – have not lost as many games.

But the Phillies phutility has gone national as the team inches ever closer to the 10,000 loss plateau. Jere Longman of The New York Times wrote about the consistent losing of the Phillies in today’s paper.

Sigh!

***
And Tony Soprano? Yeah, it didn’t end the way you thought…

“I guess you never hear it coming when it’s your turn…”

Pay attention, people!

So long, Freddy?

Has Freddy Garcia pitched his last game for the Phillies? That remains to be seen, but it's likely that the right-hander is headed under the knife.

An MRI taken Monday afternoon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital revealed Garcia had some abnormalities in his labrum and fraying to his rotator cuff. Garcia is planning on having a second opinion to the diagnosis, which will determine how long he will be out of action and what course of action will be taken.

Regardless, it isn't good for Garcia.

Garcia, of course, was the Phillies’ key off-season acquisition and was expected to be the inning-eating monster at the top of the rotation. Unfortunately for the Phillies, that hasn’t even been close to being true. After opening the season on the disabled list with a strained right biceps, Garcia has posted a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts for just 58 innings and a 1-5 record.

Though he pitched more than 200 innings in seven of his eight seasons, Garcia has only reached the seventh once for the Phillies.

Before the game, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said his former pitcher is very frustrated.

“I’m concerned as a friend. He’s frustrated – he wants to help those guys,” Guillen said.

Part of the trouble, Guillen says, is that the Phillies or their fans haven’t gotten a chance to appreciate the big right-hander’s work.

“They don’t know him – we know Freddy. He’s a horse. He wants to pitch no matter what. He’s a winner,” Guillen said.

“If you watch Freddy pitch for the first time and you don’t know him, you think, ‘What the [expletive] is that?’ He’s walking around, looking into the stands, staring at the catcher. But he’s a winner. He knows what he’s doing.”

Garcia is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the 2007 season. Hopefully, says Guillen, the pitcher will be able to get healthy and show the Phillies who he really is.

“When Freddy is healthy he’s something special. Hopefully the 15 days will get him healthy,” Guillen said. “I think he doesn’t want anyone to take the ball away from him. He wants the ball. He wants to pitch and help those guys win.”

Jose Mesa to the rescue!

Wait… didn’t the Phillies just sweep the Mets at Shea?

It didn’t take Johnny Sain or Kreskin to figure out something was wrong with Freddy Garcia last night in Kansas City. From the first pitch it appeared as if Garcia, the Phillies’ big off-season acquisition, was even more out of sorts than usual. His pacing around the mound looked much more deliberate and his pace slowed from its normal pedestrian rate to a crawl.

Instead of using an hour glass to time Garcia’s sauntering between pitches, the league shifted to a sundial.

But more than Garcia’s unhurried work, the most telling part of the short, five outs outing against the lowly Kansas City Royals was the big pitcher’s velocity. Instead of topping the 90-mph mark, Garcia struggled to throw his fastball in the mid-80s. He would have had difficulty breaking a pane of glass with his heater.

Jamie Moyer could have thrown a fastball with more alacrity.

“When I took him out of the game, I walked him downstairs and started talking to him,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “I asked him his shoulder. I told him if he's hurt, I don't want him pitching. I told him, ‘The way you're throwing, it definitely looks like to me that you're hurt.’ He's a mentally tough guy and wants to pitch, but at the same time -- then he told me his shoulder was sore.”

So here we go again. Suddenly the team’s big off-season pick-up appears to be injured again. Though Garcia won’t be examined until Monday in Philadelphia -- coincidentally when his former team the Chicago White Sox turn up at the Bank -- another trip to the disabled list appears inevitable.

“I told him, basically, I do not want somebody who is hurt pitching,” Manuel said. “I want you pitching 100 percent. If there is anything wrong with you, I have to know it. He wanted to talk about it. He was upset because his performance wasn't good. We'll check him out and see what's wrong with him.”

Said Garcia: “Monday I'll check it out and see what's going on with my shoulder. I've got to stop pitching. I don't want to pitch the way I've been pitching. If it is not 100 percent in my shoulder, there's nothing I can do.”

If you are scoring at home, that’s pitchers Garcia, Brett Myers and Tom Gordon out with shoulder ailments. In the minors, pitchers Kyle Drabek, Joe Bisenius and J.A. Happ are all on the disabled list.

What the… ?

With Garcia likely headed to the disabled list for the second time before the season has come close to reaching the halfway point, the question seems to be when was the pitcher hurt and didn’t he have a physical before the trade with the White Sox?

Whatever the answers are, it appears as if Andy Ashby’s short time with the Phillies in 2000 will be better than Garcia’s in 2007.

***
So with Garcia headed out what do the Phillies do? Why sign Jose Mesa to a minor league deal, of course.

The Phillies won’t confirm it, but everyone seems to know that the club’s all-time saves leader is making his big comeback to Philadelphia and should join the club in Kansas City.

Needless to say, most fans aren’t too pleased about Mesa’s prodigal return to one of his old teams, but whatever. If he can pitch a little bit, and he was decent in 79 games for the Rockies last year, it’s a good move. If he continues to pitch like he did for the Tigers in 16 appearances this season (12.34 ERA), release him.

No big whoop.

***
Speaking of no big whoop, general manager Pat Gillick reiterated that he is not leaving the Phillies to become the president of the Seattle Mariners.

***
Remember how we wrote yesterday that it seems as if the Mets’ Paul Lo Duca is a jerk? Well, apparently Cole Hamels thinks so, too. Hamels, according to the story in the Wilmington News Journal says Lo Duca acted like an amateur after his sixth-inning home run on Thursday night.

“You need to act like you've done it before,” Hamels told bulldog scribe Scott Lauber. “He's a veteran. He should know better. It's the old sacred game thing. There are little kids out there that are looking up to you. They look at what happens. That's not the right way to do things.”

Then again, Lo Duca appears to have a history of doing things the wrong way.

One coming in and one going out?

With a report out there that the Phillies are bringing back their all-time saves leader, Jose Mesa, it only figures that another pitcher is on the way out… perhaps. Reports from the Phillies' clubhouse are that Freddy Garcia has soreness in his right shoulder and will see team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti on Monday.

Whispers are that Garcia has been hurt all season long and is just now up to admitting it. Does it have anything to do with six-run second inning the Kansas City Royals posted on him Friday night? Who knows. Either way, Garcia was torched for six runs and seven hits while getting just five outs against the Royals.

Garcia improving, Howard not

Freddy Garcia injured himself by running full speed into a maintenance vehicle parked on the field during batting practice in San Francisco last weekend, which left the Phillies wondering if he could make his start in Arizona on Monday night.

There was no report on how much damage was done to the vehicle.

Not only did Garcia pitch after smashing into the maintenance cart, but he also turned in his best outing as a Phillie. No, that’s not a backhanded compliment considering that Garcia had not pitched past the fifth inning since joining the Phillies and had an ERA north of 6, but it’s something to build on.

Nevertheless, at times it appeared as if Garcia was limping or favoring the soreness in his shin after the accident. He also pitched just as deliberately (read: slooooooooow) as he typically does, as well.

But Garcia pitched well and felt good. That’s important for the Phillies. If he didn’t have to come out for a pinch hitter at the end of the sixth, Garcia could have gone deeper into the game since he only threw 70 pitches.

Regardless, there is no truth that Garcia plans on running into a wheel barrel or stepping on a rake before his next outing.

***
Speaking of injuries, Ryan Howard really looks like he could be hurt because his swing and stance appear off. I’m no doctor or Walt Hriniak, so this is based purely on watching the games on TV, but it seems as if Howard is more upright and open than usual in his stance. It also seems as if he’s having difficulty distributing his weight during his swing.

Howard said: "My quad hasn't been the best. It's my back leg. It's my leg that I push off of that helps generate that power. When you're off, you're rushing things. You're off balance. Right now, I just can't stay on my back side, so I'm pushing everything forward and trying to go get everything instead of letting it come to me. It's just a matter of getting back to trusting myself, being relaxed and having fun."

Based on reports from Arizona it seems as if there is some concern about Howard’s balky left quadriceps and a trip to the disabled list is not out of the question.

Garcia by the #s

Freddy Garcia just walked off the mound minutes ago in his Phillies debut where he threw 95 pitches and left the bases loaded for Geoff Geary with two outs in the fifth. In facing 22 hitters, Garcia:

had nine three-ball counts
had six full counts
had 11 two-strike counts
had six first-pitch strikes
had six strikeouts
top velocity - 91 mph

Before the game, Charlie Manuel said Garcia was going to throw just 75 pitches. He had that by the third inning.

In game note: It should be noted that during the sixth inning of Tuesday night's frigid affair at the Bank, Phillies.com scribe Ken Mandel attempted to pour hot chocolate into a basic, paper soda cup. Ken looked on in disbelief as the cup, and the straw he placed into the hot chocolate, mollified into the steaming beverage.

For Ken, it seems, every day is full of surprises.

Nevertheless, Ken enjoyed the steaming cup of chemical ooze as he composed another trenchant and hard-hitting baseball synopsis.

Wet and wild redux

Perhaps the best thing about the two consecutive weather postponements for the Phillies is that Freddy Garcia gets that much more time to rest up before taking the mound. Of course Garcia hasn’t pitched all season and is on the mend from biceps tendonitis, which isn’t good, but you get the point. Tendonitis typically occurs because of overuse and the best remedy to fix it is rest.

No rest equals bigger trouble.

According to the Phillies, Garcia is ready to go so we all finally get a chance to see Pat Gillick’s big off-season acquisition in action on Tuesday night against Tom Glavine and the Mets.

On another note, Garcia is a really big dude with really wide shoulders. He looks like he should be able to throw really hard.

***
Meanwhile, the Phillies sent out a release this afternoon stating that Citizens Bank Park won the “Best Ballpark Eats”at the first-ever “Food Network Awards.” According to the press release:

Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies, was honored last night for having the “Best Ballpark Eats” during the premiere of the Food Network’s first-ever awards show, the Food Network Awards. The 90-minute show celebrated achievements in the world of food and entertaining in an offbeat awards ceremony unlike any other on television.

Citizens Bank Park offers many features that make it “Not Your Typical Ballpark.” From foods with Philadelphia flavor such as Rick’s Steaks, Tony Luke’s sandwiches and cheesesteaks, Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries, Planet Hoagie and The Schmitter sandwich … to eateries such as Bull’s BBQ, Harry the K’s Broadcast Bar & Grille and McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon. Plus, there are many traditional favorites such as hot dogs and fries at the Hatfield Grill stands, pizza from Peace A Pizza, ice cream products from Turkey Hill, Bubba burgers and many local and national brews. For more information, please go to www.phillies.com.

An internal panel led by Food Network Kitchens selected the nominees for the awards; the same panel, which represents all departments at the network, chose the winners, in addition to five viewer’s choice categories that were determined by votes on www.foodnetwork.com.

Citizens Bank Park beat out the other ballpark finalists: Camden Yards in Baltimore, AT&T Park in San Francisco and Safeco Field in Seattle.

Notes from Boston
While the Phillies take the day off because of the weather, the Boston Marathon was full of intrigue for those of us interested in that type of thing and most of it was on the women’s side of the race.

All runners, it appeared, chucked out their time goals and simply competed, which made for a very tactical race. With steady 20-mph headwinds with 50-mph gusts and temperatures that started at 50 degrees and dropped like a rock to the bottom of a swimming pool, survival was the rule of the day. It definitely was no day at the beach.

Perhaps that’s why American Deena Kastor struggled in her Boston debut to finish nearly six-minutes off the pace for fifth place. A pre-race favorite, Kastor said her training for the race was “flawless” and based on how she dominated at the national cross-country championships, it was evident. But Kastor threw in a second straight “clunker” in a major marathon after running a 2:19 for the American record and the victory in the London Marathon last April, a victory in Chicago in October of 2005 and a bronze medal in the Olympics in Athens in 2004.

It’s a little baffling because Kastor clearly is tough. The Athens Olympic Marathon was run over a course very similar to the one she raced over today in Boston under conditions that were not conducive to running. In that race Kastor ran smart and solid to bring home the bronze.

Yet after running and winning on two courses designed for speedy, and world-record times, Kastor struggled on two “classic” styled courses by finishing sixth in 2:27:54 and today’s fifth-place finish in Boston in 2:35:09, which under ideal weather conditions might have resulted in a similar time to the one from NYC.

So is the tactical-style of racing or the undulating terrain on courses like New York and Boston that tripped up Kastor? Who knows. All we know is that running is a fickle mistress – some days you have it and some days you don’t. That’s really deep, I know, but what else is there to say? There is no such thing as getting “hot” in running, meaning it’s conceivable that I could hit a home run off Roger Clemens or get “hot” and finish a round under par in golf. But there is no way I will ever be able to run a 2:10 marathon no matter how hard I train or if I have a good day.

Unlike other sports there is no such thing as luck in running.

note: The New York Times reported that Kastor struggled with stomach cramps during the race. Her plan, before the weather report turned from bad to worse, was to go out hard from the start. Later she changed plans to race tactically before making a move at Heartbreak Hill. Instead, when it came to make a move Kastor went for one of the many port-o-pots lining the course. Except for the cramps, Kastor says nothing else bothered her during the race.

“I knew coming in here that the competition would be great and I could conquer it,” she said. “That wasn’t the case today. We marathoners can get pretty hard on ourselves, but I felt I had the drive to push forward and the will to win the race. So I’m definitely disappointed knowing I was good enough to come here and win this race. I’m disappointed that didn’t happen.

“Usually, you can learn a lesson from a marathon. I’m not taking anything away from this one. There was no learning experience. A fifth-place finish is a fifth-place finish.”

So yes, it had to be something with Kastor. She's far too good of a runner to simply have a bad day. Just ignore the second-guessing.

Certainly that was the case for Lidiya Grigoryeva and Jelena Prokopcuka, who finished in first and second place in the women’s race. Grigoryeva, from Russia, won in 2:29:18 by surging with a 5:10 mile to take her from Brookline to Kenmore Square on the point-to-point course. She smartly stuck close to Prokopcuka, the two-time champ in NYC and now back-to-back runner-up in Boston, when the Latvian dictated a strong early pace into the teeth of the Nor’easter. By Heartbreak Hill, Prokopcuka and Grigoryeva gapped the chase back and left Kastor a minute off the pace with approximately 15 kilometers to go.

Though she didn’t win, Prokopcuka may have been the best runner in the race.

Robert Cheruiyot didn’t have the problem of being the best runner in the race and falling short. Like Prokopcuka, Cheruiyot set the pace as if to tell the other racers that, “It begins and ends here, fellas. Hang on if you can… ” In the end, Cheruiyot finished in 2:14:12 – way off the 2:07:14 he ran to set the course record last year, for his third victory in Boston.

As a side note, while watching the race I was struck by Cheruiyot’s running style and how he gobbled up ground with a powerful stride that was contrarily efficient and smooth. Then it hit me… he ran like Moses Tanui. You remember Moses Tanui, the two-time Boston champ from the Nandi District in Kenya who was the first human to run a half marathon under an hour? Of course.

Tanui was so tough that he won the silver 1995 World Championships in the 10,000 meters even after one of his shoes fell off.

Tanui ran two of the bravest races I had ever seen, coming from more than a minute off the pace at Heartbreak Hill to chase down two runners in the final 200 meters to win the 1998 Boston followed by the great 1999 Chicago Marathon where Tanui and American record holder Khalid Khannouchi dueled at world-record pace from the gun.

In that one, Tanui surged from the pack at the 17th mile to build a 60-second lead with five miles to go. That’s when Khannouchi decided to go after Tanui to catch him with about 5k left. The two took turns trying to break one another until Tanui reached for his water bottle at the 25-mile mark. That’s where Khannouchi really threw down the hammer using Tanui’s slight hesitation as the thin window of opportunity.

On TV, Khannouchi and Tanui disappeared into a tunnel together where cameras couldn’t send out a signal or the helicopter offering a bird’s eye view couldn’t hover. But when they came out Khannouchi was alone and blazing to set a world record in 2:05:42. Tanui finished in 2:06:16, just off the record Khannouchi had broken.

Anyway, it dawned on me that Cheruiyot’s gait was eerily similar to Tanui’s until the announcers revealed that he is coached by Dr. Gabriele Rosa – Tanui’s old coach. Then it all came together… it all made sense.

Nevertheless, Cheruiyot won his third Boston and he’s just 28. Wait until he gets to his prime.

And wait until you read this story...

Injuries abound

This afternoon the thought crossed my mind that maybe the Phillies should give Freddy Garcia all the time he needs to recover from what was diagnosed as tendonitis of his right biceps. After all Jon Lieber was out there revving up his ample engine in the bullpen as an insurance policy. Sure, it might leave the relieving corps rice-paper thin, but at least it was something.

But then when the team announced that Lieber had strained his right oblique muscle two more thoughts zoomed through my head…

Lieber has oblique muscles? And secondly, this isn't good.

The worst part for the Phillies is that there is no timetable for Lieber's return.

Stay tuned…

Feelin' groovy

It just figures that on the day Jon Lieber was banished to a seat near the parking lot in the bullpen so he can be closer to his environment-hating vehicle that Freddy Garcia would struggle through an outing with a sore right biceps.

Maybe they can trade Lieber for another starter?

Kidding (kind of) aside, if Garcia’s biceps turns out to be anything that could sideline him for any period of time general manager Pat Gillick will look very bright for not trading Lieber… that is if he even attempted to trade the big righty. With such a dearth of quality pitching out there it’s amazing that there wasn’t any team that wanted to make a deal. And in talking to the writers after receiving the news that he was no longer a starter, Lieber pressed on the notion that someone ought to want him as a starter.

Quoth Lieber: “It's either 29 teams really don't like me, or they're asking too much …”

Most importantly, neither the Phillies nor Garcia seems too concerned about the biceps, the pitcher’s rather pedestrian velocity during the spring or his 11.42 ERA. Better yet, the only the Phillies seem concerned about is the bullpen.

Regarding Garcia’s velocity that reportedly has topped out at approximately 88 m.p.h., assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said, “He started off throwing 80 or 81 (m.p.h.). He's a veteran guy. He knows how to get himself ready. People who have arm injuries usually their velocity goes (down), but his was building. Pain is an inhibitor of velocity. We were encouraged he was going north.”

There. All better.

In the meantime, Garcia will b re-evaluated on Saturday when team physician Michael Ciccotti arrives in Clearwater.

***
Here’s what I know about hockey:

a.) Keith Jones is one of the greatest story tellers ever. He’s like the Canadian Mark Twain or something. That guy can spin a yarn about anything and even better for whomever he’s with, he often does.
b.) When ESPN broadcast the NHL before the lockout, the national ratings rated below the WNBA.
c.) Boy is that Keith Jones ever a fun guy.
d.) The NHL or hockey seems to be able to take the extraordinary, like, for instance, a fight, and make it mundane. Actually, boring is a better word. Sometimes it seems as if the fights in the NHL are choreographed or worse, detracting from what really is an exciting sport. In the case of Todd Fedoruk, the Flyers’ designated fighter who was taken off the ice on a stretcher and to a hospital in Manhattan last night after catching a right-hand lead square on the jaw from Colton Orr, the recent bouts of fighting have bordered on dangerous. At least that’s the way it seemed to this untrained eye, which has seen Fedoruk catch more than his share of blows to the head lately. It seems as if Fedoruk isn’t just putting his career in jeopardy with the continued fighting, but perhaps even his long-term health as well.
e.) Have we mentioned Keith Jones?

***
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists new record is out and ready to be downloaded, burned or however else people legally obtain music these days. Critics are giving Leo’s Living with the Living much-deserved rave reviews, though in this wannabe critics’ view, the album isn’t as strong as his earlier releases.

Nevertheless, there are many more hits than misses in Leo and his Pharmacists’ latest opus, including live staples “The Sons of Cain” and “Army Bound.”

And the live performances are really where Leo’s appeal is. If he isn’t the hardest working and most engaging man in the music biz, then he’s damn close. Better yet, do yourself a favor and go see Leo & the Pharmacists at the TLA on South Street next Wednesday night. You’ll thank me later.

Garcia leaves game with tightness

So maybe it's a good thing the Phillies still have Jon Lieber after all. And maybe his trip to the bullpen will be short lived for the time being.

Either way, that's all up in the air after Freddy Garcia left Wednesday night's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin after just 32 pitches. Garcia left the game complaining of tightness in his right biceps after giving up three runs on five hits (including a homer to Troy Glaus) in the first inning in what was supposed to be an 85-pitch outing.

Most troublesome is that Garcia has been struggling with his velocity (and his 9.39 ERA) all spring, topping out in the mid 80s on Wednesday.

Garcia will be examined by team's trainers before a diagnosis is offered tomorrow.

Deep thoughts...

Here’s an idea that will probably make a few people hold their heads as if they have a really bad migraine – you know, the kind where it pounds at the temples and feels as if someone or thing is shooting a low frequency wave through the skull that emits a shrill buzz in the inner ear – and question my sanity for such “unconventional” thinking.

I’m throwing it out there any way…

Maybe the Phillies should keep all of their starting pitchers. Yeah, that’s right, all Six. Before anyone goes crazy, here’s what I’d do – Cole Hamels, Freddy Garcia and Brett Myers would pitch every five days just like they customarily would in the square-boxed thinking that guides such things. Meanwhile, I’d try to figure out how to work it so that Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton and Jon Lieber started at least one game a week and if there were too long of a lull between outings, I’m sure there would be some relief work available, too.

What?

Exactly. My guess is that Moyer, Eaton and Lieber would be perfect compliments to the top three starters and would be much more effective if they were used like a dash of seasoning instead of as a main course. Better yet, if the trio made one start per week over a 26-week season then they would be that much fresher when the stretch run approached. Besides, it seems to me that good baseball teams treat the season like a chess match or a golf game where the importance of a move or shot is to put one in position to have an even better move or shot the next time.

Hey, I’m not kidding myself by believing that any manager or team would go for something like this, but what the hell? It certainly isn't convention thinking, but ideas have to come from somewhere. Right?

***
Meanwhile, it looks as if Tom Gordon’s achy shoulder is aching again.

Last season, as everyone remembers, Gordon broke down a bit and went on the disabled list in August despite a first half in which he earned a trip to the All-Star Game. At 39, the Phillies are concerned about over working their starter as evidenced by the fact that he’s appeared in just two Grapefruit League games and by the fact that they sent him back to Philadelphia for a checkup with team doctor Michael Ciccotti.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions (how could they?), the team says the trip is simply for a routine checkup and it’s something that occurred last year at this time, too. But before anyone can say Mike Jackson, perhaps the Phillies ought to get another arm for the ‘pen to go along with Ryan Madson and Antonio Alfonseca.

Until that happens, be sure that Charlie Manuel sticks to his guns and allows Gordon just one inning per outing no back-to-back work early in the season.

Workhorse Garcia Hoping to Pile on Innings

According to baseball people, the most noticeable item about Freddy Garcia’s pitching was just how much his velocity dropped during the final month of the season. What made it especially noticeable was that Garcia has always leaned heavily on his fastball. For the White Sox in 2006, the right-hander threw it 51 percent of the time and more than 60 percent of the time when he was either behind in the count or for his first pitch.

So when that bread-and-butter pitch is coming in at a rather pedestrian 85-m.p.h., well, people have a tendency to notice.

There’s a good explanation for all of that, Garcia says. The heat dissipating from the fastball could have been from a touch of tendonitis.

“We played in the World Series [in 2005 with the White Sox] and the World Cup [before the 2006 season for Venezuela]. I threw a lot,” Garcia explained. “Right now I feel pretty good and I have gotten a lot of rest.”

The wear and tear may have taken its toll on Garcia’s fastball, but it didn’t do anything to help the hitters. Though he struggled a bit after the All-Star Break with an ERA well over 5 through the dog days of July and August, Garcia regrouped to go 4-1 with a 2.49 ERA in September where he held opponents to a .190 batting average and notched 29 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings.

Add in the fact that Garcia has been incredibly consistent during his eight-year career by pitching more than 200 innings in seven seasons even though his strikeouts per nine innings continues to decline.

Maybe Garcia has leaned how to be a pitcher instead of merely a thrower.

“I concentrate more,” said Garcia, noting that he has four pitches in his repertoire with a newly added split-finger pitch. “I know how to pitch. I go out there with whatever I have that day and try and figure it out from there. If I can throw hard, I’ll throw hard.”

Either way, Garcia will be pitching at the top of the Phillies’ rotation in 2007.

But whether he pitches for the Phillies beyond 2007 remains to be seen. Garcia is in the final year of a three-year deal in which he’ll earn $10 million this season. That’s a relative bargain for a pitcher of Garcia’s capabilities given the state of the current market, and he’s sure to command a significant raise if he hits the open market. However, Garcia and starting pitcher Jon Lieber are both in the final seasons of three-year deals, but whether or not that’s the case when spring training starts remains to be seen.

Lieber, of course, is rumored to be dealt away for bullpen help and likely won’t have his contract extended in Philadelphia. Garcia, on the other hand, is just taking it as it comes. If the Phillies want to talk about adding a couple of years to his contract, he’ll listen.

One thing he’s not concerned about, though, is Philadelphia’s reputation as a hitter’s haven. After all, Garcia spent the past few seasons working for the White Sox in the ballpark formerly known as new Comiskey, where more home runs (1.3 per game) were hit than at cozy Citizens Bank Park (1.2). Considering that Garcia allowed 32 homers last season, and more than 30 in three of the past five seasons, the dimensions at the Bank might provide a bit of a break.

“When you play in Chicago, it’s worse,” Garcia said. “I don’t get concerned. If you pitch you’re going to give up home runs. I don’t worry about it – you move on and make a better pitch. If you make a better pitch, you won’t give up home runs.”

And Garcia pitches… a lot. In 2006, no Phillie pitched 200 innings so to add a guy who has pitched that many innings in six seasons in a row is significant. The only pitcher in the big leagues with a longer streak is Livan Hernandez with seven season, but even more telling is that only Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts have equaled Garcia’s streak of 200-plus innings in the modern era.

Count on 200 more innings in 2007.

“I feel good,” said Garcia who is resting in Venezuela. “The end of the season I felt pretty good. I started pitching the way I know how to pitch. Hopefully, I can show that to everybody the way I did it last year.”

In the meantime, he’s excited to have landed in Philadelphia after all of the trade talk from the White Sox and hopes to repeat the 2005 season.

“I’m happy because I didn’t know where I was going,” Garcia said. “We have a really good chance to make it to the playoffs. We have a really good, young team.”

Winter Meetings: Cleaning up

Who would have guessed that the team that made the biggest splash at the winter meetings was the Phillies?

Anyone?

But unless Barry Bonds decides to snap his fingers for that mysterious deal to conjure itself from thin air, it appears as if the trade to bring Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia was the thunderclap of the week.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t all sorts of stories floating around. Like that one that has Jon Lieber on his way to the Brewers in a trade that may or may not include both reliever Derrick Turnbow and slugger Kevin Mench.

Or the one that has the Phillies in the mix to make a deal with the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells or the Nationals for Ryan Church.

Finally, how about the one in which Aaron Rowand – even though he didn’t wind up back in Chicago – could be on the move to Texas for one of the Rangers’ relievers.

According to a story by Joe Cowley in the Chicago Sun-Times, Rowand has mixed emotions about the trade talk:

Now hearing that the Phillies have been shopping him this week during the winter meetings, with both the Sox and the crosstown-rival Cubs as possible suitors, Rowand is doing his best to keep his emotions in check.

"There is reason to speculate that I could be traded because [the Phillies] have a guy in Shane Victorino that can fill my spot and comes a lot cheaper than myself," Rowand said Tuesday. "And I know they wouldn't mind bringing in another pitcher to try and make the club better."

Sox general manager Ken Williams often talks with Phillies GM Pat Gillick, and Williams said of Rowand: "Would I be interested in somebody like that? Yeah, I would."

Gillick told Philadelphia reporters that trading Rowand would leave the Phillies short on outfielders, but he said he would like another starting pitcher -- of which the Sox have a surplus.

The major stumbling block in a Rowand reunion? Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

"I love Aaron Rowand," Guillen said of the trade talk. "[But] I wouldn't trade Rowand for one of my pitchers. Hell, no, he's not that good. And I love Aaron, and he knows that."

So for now, Rowand sits and waits.

"I was a rumor for five years before [a trade] happened," he said, "so I'm not going to get emotional over rumors one way or the other."

Sorry, Freddy
Jayson Stark had a great quote from White Sox GM Kenny Williams on the Garcia trade:

"Man, Freddy Garcia was so great," the White Sox GM said, his voice literally quivering with emotion, Wednesday night, "he thanked me for the opportunity to come over and win a World Series. He asked me, if he saw me in a bar, could he sit down and buy a drink for me. By the end of the conversation, he had me apologizing for trading him."

One man’s opinion
I’m not a big fan of overweight right-handed pitchers. I figure that if a person’s job is to be an athlete, being fit is the easiest thing to do. That’s especially the case with baseball, football, basketball and hockey players who have the best facilities and the best health care in America. Get in shape… how hard is that?

I’m funny like that, I guess.

Nevertheless, when Jon Lieber is healthy and pitching well he’s tough to beat. In fact, the Phillies might be a better team with Garcia and Lieber… if Lieber is fit.

But relief pitchers aren't free. Sometimes they cost a lot.

Add Brett Myers into that mix, too. Aside from his legal trouble, Myers’ fitness was a serious question mark as well. Plus, Cole Hamels has pitched just one complete season of professional ball – is he headed for an injury?

Along those lines, when has Adam Eaton ever been healthy?

It’s kind of funny that the guy in the best shape (Jamie Moyer) in the Phillies rotation is the team’s weakest link.

Elsewhere

Barry Bonds to the Cardinals? If that happens would there be a team that Philadelphia fans dislike more this side of the Cowboys?

The funny thing is that when asked if the Cardinals were interested in Bonds, GM Walt Jocketty said, “No.”

It’s hard to read anything else into that.

According to a report on ESPN:

The Giants appear to be the only option for Barry Bonds at this point. The Cardinals are out of the running, and the A's, Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Rangers, Orioles, Red Sox, Devil Rays and Mariners -- all teams loosely considered open-minded -- did not take a meeting with the seven-time MVP when he was in Florida for the winter meetings, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Bonds is seeking a one-year, $18 million contract with a vesting option that could bring a similar salary in 2008. The Giants don't want to pay that much and are offering around $10 million in guaranteed money, so the two sides remain far apart on a deal.

How funny would it be if the only offer Bonds gets is from the Devil Rays?

Could Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens be on the way back to the Yankees? It seems possible.

Three years and $34 million for Vicente Padilla?

Gillick standing pat no more

Just when it looked as if the Phillies were settling in for a quiet time spent in a posh resort in Disney World, general manager Pat Gillick pulled off a deal.

Make that a big deal.

In an announcement late Wednesday night, Gillick finally landed that top-of-the-rotation starter he coveted since he took over the gig in late 2005. In exchange for top pitching prospect Gio Gonzalez and former first-round pick Gavin Floyd, the Phillies received two-time All-Star Freddy Garcia.

Just 30 years old, Garcia is 116-71 in eight seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox. Aside from an injury-plagued 2000 season, Garcia has pitched no fewer than 201 1/3 innings in every one of his seven full seasons in the Majors, including 444 1/3 for a 31-17 record during his past two years in Chicago.

"I think the Phillies just acquired a 17- to 20-game winner," White Sox GM Kenny Williams said. "We're going to miss Freddy Garcia."

Better yet, Garcia is 6-2 in nine postseason starts, including a four-hit gem in the clinching game of the 2005 World Series. Featuring a big fastball, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound native of Caracas, Venezuela has averaged 6.58 strikeouts per nine innings with just a tad more than two walks per nine innings.

"Getting a veteran guy who has been in the heat of a pennant race and done the things Freddy has done, we just felt it was the right move to make," Phillies assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said.

In 2006, Garcia went 17-9 and earned $9 million in salary. In 2007 he is slated to earn $10 million.

"We're very pleased to acquire Freddy," Arbuckle said. "He'll fit very nicely into our rotation. He gives us innings and is a proven winner."

The trade could be just one in a series of moves for the Phillies. The chatter from the Winter Meetings at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort during the past two days was that the Phillies were hoping to land Garcia so that they could deal away oft-injured starting pitcher Jon Lieber for bullpen help. Initially, reports had the Phillies sending Floyd and outfielder/fan-favorite Aaron Rowand to the White Sox for Garcia, with Lieber heading to Milwaukee for reliever Derrick Turnbow.

Instead, the Phillies get to keep Rowand, who they acquired, along with Gonzalez, from the White Sox in the deal for Jim Thome.

Now, with six starters with bona fide big-league experience on the roster, it remains to be seen if Lieber will be on the move.

"It gives us more options," Arbuckle said. "It gives us the opportunity to do more things."

With Garcia in the fold, using Lieber for bullpen help seems like it’s elementary. Sure, Lieber won 20 games once upon a time for the Cubs, and he won 17 for the Phillies in 2005. When the big right-hander is healthy, he’s a steady and consistent a pitcher capable of turning in seven innings every time out. But Lieber has been plagued by injuries during his 12 seasons. He has pitched 200 innings just four times, missed a full season after Tommy John surgery, and looks as if he’s a step away from a pulled hamstring or groin.

And frankly, the Phillies are a little concerned about Lieber's growing waistline.

According to published reports, Phils manager Charlie Manuel said Lieber’s fitness – or lack thereof – was (and is) an issue.

“He did let himself go, and he knows it," Manuel told reporters on Tuesday morning. “I think probably he's tired of hearing it.”

Manuel had talked to Lieber about his fitness during the 2005 season, too, though the pitcher didn’t seem to be paying attention then.

“From here, it's up to him,” Manuel told reporters.

Then again, Lieber could be another team’s problem in 2007.

That’s the case with Floyd, the frustrating 23-year-old righty who was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft. Though he showed flashes of brilliance during parts of three seasons with the Phillies, Floyd’s record indicates otherwise. In 2006 he was 4-3 with a 7.29 ERA in 11 starts for the Phillies and 7-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after being demoted in June.

Though he cracked the opening day roster in 2005 and 2006, Floyd went from one of the team’s top pitching prospects to a pitcher that no longer figured into the team’s plans. That’s a severe 180-degree turn from where the Phillies were with Floyd after they gave him a $4.2 million signing bonus in 2001 to lure him away from enrolling at the University of South Carolina.

Once in the minor league system, Floyd’s ascent was quick with very few challenges. His domination in the bushes – one that included a no-hitter in Single-A ball – got to the point where team insiders and observers said that it appeared as if the tall right-hander was bored.

The difficult part, some offered, was hoping that Floyd became engaged in a game, or that his interest was piqued. Still, no one ever doubted Floyd’s talent, which is why the Phillies were loath to simply give him away.

“I think Gavin's going to be a little bit of a late bloomer,” Arbuckle said.

That very well could be the case, but in his stead the Phillies got someone who is already ripe. With Garcia joining Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Adam Eaton and Jamie Moyer and Lieber as a lure for even more pitching, the Phillies’ troublesome rotation has come a long way since last April.