[UPDATE below...]
...For the past few days out of Clearwater, we've heard reports of the various drills the players are working on everyday, fielding, baserunning, etc. But the one constant theme is the verbal sparring going on between the Mets and Phillies camps. It started with Jimmy Rollins proclaiming that the Phils are the team to beat in the NL East. Since then, each side has traded barbs through the media. It was sort of fun at first, but enough is enough. Let's play ball.
...Well, one more thing... Yesterday Brett Myers jokingly implored the Phillies front office to not sell tickets to Mets fans during the April series in Philadelphia. Obviously that's not possible, but along those lines though, what I, for one, don't want to see is a slow start by the Phillies, then the phans that are on the bandwagon now fall off, and then finally, when the Mets come to town on the 16th and 17th of April, Citizens Bank Park is filled with orange and blue.
...If you haven't noticed, the Philling Station has returned after a winter-long absence. Always insightful, Brian Peoples takes a look at how often teams' 5-hole hitters walk. Interesting stuff (as is the list of home runs by Pat Burrell that meant something).
...In 2006, Kellen Kulbacki, a Hershey-area native, came up six hits and four RBI short of the NCAA Division I Triple Crown in his sophomore campaign. Following the season, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League with the Cotuit Keelers and at first, he struggled before finally 
playing more to the level he was accustomed. One of the reasons: his manager tinkered with his swing. The manager in question was Mike Roberts, the long-time and former head coach of the University of North Carolina baseball team and father of Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts. Far be it from me to pretend to know more about baseball than someone with Roberts' resume, but if a guy hits .464/.568/.943 with 24 home runs, why would you fool with his swing?
[UPDATE: In his first game of the season today, Kulbacki went 3 for 3 with a home run and four RBI in an 8-6 loss to Ohio State.]
...How ironic is it that in the same week that Jimmy Rollins is quoted as saying, "If you're afraid, then I don't want you on this team, anyway" while Bobby Abreu is glad he doesn't have to be "the man" on the Yankees? Abreu got a lot of unfair criticism while in Philly, and I was one of his biggest supporters when he was here, but, I'm a bit disappointed if this is the case. Granted, Abreu didn't say any of this, it all comes from observations by Larry F. Bowa, the third-base coach of the Yankees.
...Finally, Seth Stohs landed an interview with our very own Christ Coste. An excerpt:
SethSpeaks: Have you set any goals for what you want to accomplish in spring training?
Chris Coste: STAY HEALTHY AND MAKE THE DAMN TEAM!!!!!
I tend to think that if Coste is healthy, he will make the team. From everything I have read, it seems as if Charlie Manuel views him as a very important spare part.
