Sorry for the delay in posting...

I had the day off yesterday, which was pretty nice after working 39 of 40 days in the last 6 weeks.

It's pretty darn quiet this Saturday morning at Bright House Field. The Detroit Tigers, who some are picking to win the World Series this year, are making their one and only trip to Clearwater today.

With that, and the fact that it's Easter weekend, I'm expecting a full house today.

Chad Durbin will face a pretty tough lineup today, even though Gary Sheffield isn't penciled in as a starter. The Tiger-turned-Phillies pitcher will still have his work cut out in Granderson-Polanco-Guillen-Ordonez-Cabrera-Jones-Pudge.

If Sheff and Ordonez are healthy, that's the best lineup in baseball.

Just for fun, let's match up the Tigers and Phillies, position by position, and see who's better:

1B - Ryan Howard vs. Carlos Guillen -- the edge here goes to the Phillies on the plus-plus power factor.

2B - Chase Utley vs. Placido Polanco -- again, edge Phillies. Polanco is a quality, underrated player but Utley is the best 2B in baseball.

SS - Jimmy Rollins vs. Edgar Renteria -- J-Roll was the NL MVP last year; wow, the Phils are up 3-0 here.

3B - Pedro Feliz vs. Miguel Cabrera -- I think Cabrera's the AL MVP this year; one of these years he's going to hit 40 HR. Feliz, however, holds pretty big edge defensively.

C - Carlos Ruiz vs. Pudge Rodriguez -- they may be moving in different directions of their career, but Pudge is going to Cooperstown. 3-2 Phils

LF - Pat Burrell vs. Magglio Ordonez -- this may be closer than you think, only because Magglio has had issues staying healthy throughout his career. But Maggs was an AL MVP candidate most of last season and Burrell has never made an all-star team.

CF - Shane Victorino vs. Curtis Granderson -- Granderson is one of the more underrated players in baseball; like Rollins, the Tigers lead-off hitter was Mr. Do-Everything last summer. Edge Tigers, who are now up 4-3.

RF - Geoff Jenkins/Jayson Werth vs. Gary Sheffield -- While the Phillies might balance this platoon and get pretty good production, Sheffield is a guy who has put up triple crown-like numbers in the past.

It was a nice start by the Phils, but the tale of the tape for the everyday, starting 8 goes to the Tigers. Detroit has the best lineup in baseball.

Where do the Phillies rank, though? Ahead of the Yankees and Boston? You make the call...

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The Archive Files

DCT sports editor Rob Parent handled the coverage in Fort Myers Friday: Adam Eaton all but locks up the fifth spot in the Phillies starting rotation.

Although odds are probably against him breaking camp with the team, the oft-injured Chris Snelling hopes to stay on the Phillies radar this season.