The Phillies most important off-season acquisition had a setback Saturday.

New closer Brad Lidge, acquired in a November trade with the Houston Astros, irritated his right knee when his spike got caught in the mound while throwing the first pitch of what was supposed to be a live-batting practice session. Lidge was taken off the field and sent home for precautionary reasons.

Lidge had surgery to repair torn cartilage in the same knee after last season ended.

"It felt like I pulled something... it didn’t feel real good after that," Lidge said.
It swelled up a little but I’m optimistic I pulled just maybe some scar tissue... I figure this is just one of the setbacks, one of the things that’ll happen after the surgery, I’m not totally surprised that it happened to be honest."

Lidge will get checked out by team doctors in Clearwater Sunday morning. He said he expects to miss a day or two since "there's no reason to push it" at this, early stage of Spring Training.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A year from now, Phils ace Cole Hamels will have 2 years and 143 days of service time.

Why do you care?

This winter, Ryan Howard has 2 years, 145 days of MLB service time. Howard qualified as a "Super 2" player, and was thus eligible for arbitration.

Hamels will likely qualify for arbitration for the first time next year - and could be in line for a big pay raise (like Howard just got).

“You can’t help but think (about it) if you see a number out there. Obviously I don’t play every day, so I’m not going to be getting the Ryan Howard contract,” Hamels told the Daily Times Friday. “But in my position, I see myself doing as well as the guys who are getting $18 million a year, but... I’m not at that time, so you try to take what’s equal compensation for that, for what you do.”

For the entire story, where Hamels talks about the arbitration process, his expectations and goals as a pitcher and his confidence level that he can stick with the Phils long-term, READ IT HERE at delcotimes.com

(quick correction on that story above: I accidentally wrote that Erik Bedard won an arbitration case last week. Bedard filed for arbitration when he was with the Orioles, asking for $8 million. After he was traded to Seattle earlier this month, he came to an agreement with the Mariners - before a hearing could be held - to make $7 million this summer. So I apologize - Bedard didn't "win" a case. My bad.)

photo by Delco Times staff photographer Eric Hartline

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



Last Sunday, the Phillies held their annual Media Batting Practice Challenge.

Although Shane Victorino obviously was admiring my form, I finished in third place.



photo provided by Leslie Gudel, Comcast SportsNet