"I think he's a proven winner," Dubee said. But a No. 1? "No. Not me."
"I don't care," said Manuel, who has Myers slated to pitch in the No. 1 slot. "He makes 35 starts, gives us 200 innings, how good he is speaks for itself."
If Garcia's sore bicep acts up, as it is likely to, he probably won't hit those numbers unless the Phillies reach the postseason for the first time since 1993. Garcia's postseason showings, in which he has crafted a 6-2 record, have the Phillies as excited as his usual durability.
"You're getting a guy who won 17 games and pitched very effectively in the World Series," Gillick said. "That's a real plus for us."
He's also pitching in a contract year. He'll make $10 million this season, then, more than likely, he will test free agency and break the bank - especially if he hits his goals.
"I'll be a free agent. I think I need to do better than I have," said Garcia, who has yet to have a 20-win season. "I want to win 20. Have an ERA under four [career 4.01]. And pitch 200 innings - like a normal year."
What strikes you most when you see Garcia is his size. He's a solid 6-4, 250 pounds. The two biggest organisms in the Phillies' organization love that.
"He's a horse. He's a horse. It's a big deal," said big Dallas Green, the former pitcher who managed the Phillies to their sole title. He loves that Garcia has seen the eighth inning 32 times since 2004. "He pitches into the eighth and ninth inning an awful lot of the time. Charlie really had a struggle last year because our starting pitching was so messed up. The guys we counted on to get us through the sixth inning couldn't even do that."
Kerfeld, another huge man and also a former pitcher, thinks Garcia is a prototype.
"When you look at a pitcher, you look at his build," Kerfeld said. "His is a perfect build for a pitcher."
It has served Garcia well. Through last season, he'd never missed a start due to arm trouble. It took a fractured right tibia in 2000 to keep him down for a dozen starts.
"I've never missed a start. Maybe I'm lucky," he said, smiling, implying that maybe he's tough, too. "Some guys, they've got a little arm pain, they miss time. I'm not that kind of guy. Whatever I have that day, I'll pitch. If I have my best stuff, I have it. If not, I'll find a way to pitch."
With free agency looming and 20 wins a possibility given the Phillies' lineup, Garcia's main goal remains constant:
"Make the playoffs. That's why they brought me here. To help the rotation. Last 2 years, they've been very close. Maybe they need one more starter. Maybe winning 12 or 16 more games - if they have 10 more wins last year, they make the playoffs."
And if he doesn't get the headlines? "I never think that way," Garcia said.
Good thing. *
