That is the kind of attitude manager Charlie Manuel endorses. He says players are cheating themselves if they worry about potential trades.
"I was a player 20 years and nobody pampered me," Manuel said. "Feeling sorry for yourself or something like that, no, you can't do that."
He said the Phillies have to worry about one thing - winning that next game.
"This is major-league baseball and we are a high-market team and supposed to win games," he said. "We are supposed to be fighters."
Pierre, who has never been traded at the deadline, insists that nothing will change for him before or after July 31.
"There is nothing we can control as players," he said. "I know personally I don't think about it, and most guys are that way."
Looking for relief
Nobody is more passionate about defending his team than Manuel, but the manager admitted that he has a wish list as the trade deadline approaches.
"I like our talent in our bullpen," he said, but inexperience has led to inconsistency. "If possible, if we could address that, we definitely could be in a position to see if we could finish strong and land us a spot somewhere."
Manuel's point is well taken. The Phillies entered Friday 29th out of 30 major- league teams in bullpen ERA (4.87). Only the New York Mets (5.03) were worse.
Nix update
Infielder/outfielder Laynce Nix had his rehabilitation assignment transferred from single-A Clearwater to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Nix has been on the disabled list since May 10 with a left calf strain. He was in the lineup and playing left field Friday for the IronPigs.
"I understand he is very close," Manuel said.
Ruiz honored
Before Friday's game, all-star catcher Carlos Ruiz was presented as the Phillies winner of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heat and Hustle Award.
Each major-league team honors one player. From those 30 players, one final winner will be announced Nov. 13 at the 13th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City.
Minors update
Reading outfielder Tyson Gillies, one of the players acquired from Seattle in the Cliff Lee trade in December 2009, has been suspended indefinitely. A Reading team official said the suspension was for not following team rules.
Contact Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225, mnarducci@phillynews.com,
or on Twitter @sjnard.
