Un-four-gettable . . . We hardly knew ye.
Thank God.
Nope, by decree issued by his moundmates before the first official workout, Joe Blanton is no longer the Fifth Beatle. But he is the Fifth Musketeer.
Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton will stride into the baseball history book that began with a blank page under the heading, Chapter One, Day One, as a quintet. A Royal Flush, as it were.
Fourplay just became fiveplay. Lower and slower . . .
When the Comcast SportsNet folks, here to chronicle the gathering of Cy Young Award candidates, attempted to set up a four-way rap session with Michael Barkann in the visiting team clubhouse at Bright House Field, he was told, "No Joe, no go . . . " The fourmer foursome will not so much as sign group autographs unless Blanton is included.
This is the most attention the Number 5 has received in Phillies circles since the first day of Spring Training 1983, when Pete Rose cracked that newcomer Von Hayes, traded by the Indians for five players, should wear uniform number "541."
A nickname was born and Hayes still has possession of it.
The platinum pitchers sat in a dignified row like a grand jury panel about to be sworn in, from left to right, Halladay, Blanton, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels. Scott Palmer served as traffic cop and MC.
The throng of local and national media types included former Daily News prodigy Gary Smith, who went from summer intern to the Eagles beat faster than he could say, "Leonard Tose likes to hit on 12." Sports Illustrated has sent Smith, one of the most gifted magazine writers of all time, to put this momentous baseball story in its proper - or improper - context.
