Chad Durbin keeps acting like he’s still on Phillies
Without a contract, an invitation or any sort of media credentials, free agent reliever Chad Durbin reported to Phillies Spring Training anyway and continues to act like he is still part of the team.
Durbin, who was one of the Phillies’ most reliable relievers over the past three seasons, has been showing up to press conferences and asking if anyone wants to throw since the first day of Spring Training.
“At first, we thought he was just stopping by to say what’s up,” said Ryan Madson. “But this is Friday and he’s still here. We’re all pretty freaked out and don’t know what to do, actually.”
The Phillies dealt with a similar situation in 1995 when Gregg Jefferies showed up uninvited to Spring Training and hung around for the next three years.
Pitchers, catchers reporting that it’s not that warm down here
Though Phillies’ pitchers and catchers aren’t officially required to report until Thursday, many reported early on Wednesday that they were expecting things to be a little warmer than this.
“You just assume it would be warm in Florida, but it’s not,” Chad Durbin reported of Wednesday’s mid-50s temperatures. “It’s supposed to warm up into the high-50s tomorrow, so we’ll keep you posted on how things go with that.”
Phillies position players are expected to report next Monday about how awesome it is to see grass again.
Manuel: I trust my bullpen, just not around my wife or a baseball
Charlie Manuel answered questions on Friday about his decision to go with potential Game 3 starters Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ out of the bullpen after Cole Hamels — who apparently couldn’t wait until February to knock his wife up — left after five innings in the 5-4 loss to the Rockies.
Some have said Manuel brought in his starters because he no longer trusts anyone out of the bullpen.
“Everybody says I don’t trust my bullpen and that’s just not true,” Manuel said. “Just because I don’t want them anywhere near my wife or to pitch in a game ever again doesn’t mean I don’t trust them with other things…like driving to the ballpark and dressing themselves.”
Though Blanton and Happ’s use in Game 2 doesn’t prevent either from starting Game 4, it does mean that Pedro Martinez will start for the Phillies on Saturday for Game 3. It also means that Kyle Kendrick and/or Brad Lidge’s spot on the playoff roster could have been filled by John Mayberry Jr., who could have pinch run on Thursday instead of risking Cliff Lee with the game on the line.
Manuel also suffered a mild stroke in the seventh inning when he was forced to bring in Scott Eyre to replace Happ, who took a line drive off of the leg and had to leave the game.
“It’s not that I won’t use the guys from the ‘pen,” Manuel explained on Friday. “They’re just last on my list after I’ve used the starters and asked all 46,000 or so fans if they want to take a crack at it first.”
Coste sedated to hide reckless enthusiasm for White House trip
The Phillies were finally able to fit in their trip to the White House on Friday and no one was more excited for the day’s arrival than Chris Coste.
In the days leading up to the visit, Coste posted daily countdown reminders on each players’ locker and would randomly scream ‘Obama!’ and ‘Change!’ into unsuspecting teammates’ ears.
“We thought he was just messin’ around at first,” said Pedro Feliz. “But the yelling, singing and all-around drunken excitement for Obama just got worse.”
Team doctors felt it best to sedate Coste with a healthy plate of soul food before the White House visit for his own safety as well as the president.
“To the outsider, it may look like he was dragged there against his will because he voted for the ‘other guy’, but that’s not the case at all,” said Chad Durbin. “Believe me, Costie’s the president’s number one fan.”
