Phillies Notes: Phillies' Halladay expresses affection for Philadelphia

CLEARWATER, Fla. - This winter's fishing trip to the Amazon with Chris Carpenter was already awkward for Roy Halladay. The two friends dueled in Game 5 of the National League division series only for Carpenter to best Halladay.

"I didn't want to talk about it," Halladay said. "I'm sure he did. But he didn't bring it up. That was nice."

Then the group came across a naked man sitting on a tree. Halladay and others helped tow the man's boat and his belongings. He claimed he was victim of an anaconda attack, although Halladay has his doubts. "They have native trees down there," he said. "The bark is a little potent when you smoke it. I think he had been partaking in that, too."

Once the story hit the Internet, the hyperbole followed.

"I was not wrestling snakes," Halladay said. "I was nowhere near snakes."

And so begins Halladay's third season in Philadelphia, a place he remains steadfastly devoted to despite the disappointment of the first two years.

Halladay spoke passionately about the city and its fans. He hasn't reached his ultimate goal of winning a World Series, but he still believes he made the correct choice.

"I realize that I'm not getting younger," Halladay said. "I'm probably going to play less going forward than I've played already, so I understand that. But you know, the greatest thing that's ever happened to me was coming here.

"So to this point, I have no regrets. If I go the rest of my career and never get another shot, I'll have no regrets."

Halladay typically has a side project each spring, and refining his cutter is one current priority. In talks with pitching coach Rich Dubee, Halladay said, the two determined the pitch was too inconsistent during the season. Even at that, Halladay called the adjustments "nothing really groundbreaking."

A 2.35 ERA and another second-place Cy Young Award finish can make spring simpler.

Halladay said he's been throwing two weekly bullpen sessions for the last month. He's been training at the Phillies facility for the majority of the winter. He's ready to be in Philadelphia again.

"People have been great to me," Halladay said. "They really have. It's been unbelievable, and if any player ever asks me about playing in Philadelphia, what I thought it was and what it actually is, it's completely different. People are friendly. I've never had anybody yell at me driving down the street. It really has been an unbelievable experience, and I'd tell any player that."

Contreras on a mound