The stunning Myers move took me back to April 25, 1955, when Phillies owner/GM Bob Carpenter pegged the baseball Richter scale by announcing that staff ace Robin Roberts was being moved to the bullpen - sort of. Carpenter: "Manager Steve O'Neill and I concur that our biggest problem is a weak bullpen. Every year since we won the pennant in 1950 has produced the same result: Robbie wins 20 or more games and we finish well out of the money. But Robbie will still be used as a starting pitcher as long as he is feeling fit and strong. We have decided to use five starting pitchers. This will give Roberts an extra day of rest between starts and he will be available for an inning on the second, third and fourth day. Our attendance is off from last year and I would like to see us draw more than 750,000 once more. We've already got four teams ahead of us and maybe Robbie can help us hold on to a few leads."
Bob Carpenter's words were an eerie echo on April 30, 1965. Still cowering in the shadow of the epic 1964 collapse, Phillies fans watched their phabulous phaders meander to a 6-8 start. The opening of Gene Mauch's press briefing dropped more jaws than a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. "Jim Bunning is going to the bullpen. Jim doesn't like it, but he understands it. And he's volunteered to pitch out of the 'pen before on his throwing day between starts. One of the reasons we lost last year was that nobody could come in late and throw strikes. Jim will give us that." Bunning was running in the outfield during Mauch's dugout press briefing. The beat writers were waiting at his locker before infield practice. "I have no comment," Bunning said. "Make that no bleeping comment. How do you think I feel? I'll do it because I'm under contract."
