Grapefruit League

Cory Lidle told everybody he'd be OK. He pitched like it yesterday at Busch Stadium. After he went 1-2 with an 8.56 ERA in seven Grapefruit League starts, Lidle allowed just one earned run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He outpitched Cardinals lefthander Mark Mulder, who allowed five runs (four earned) in six innings, and should have picked up the victory. But the bullpen blew that golden opportunity. "I felt like I was really keeping a better focus," Lidle said.

The action isn't always inside the big, fancy stadium with the rockin' tiki bar out in the left-field grandstand. Sometimes the best show in spring training is outside the walls of the big house, over on the fields of the Phillies' minor-league complex. Yesterday was one of those days. All for the cost of a little sunblock, a few hundred fans got to watch Cole Hamels and Kris Benson work in minor-league games on adjoining fields. The two pitchers drew quite a crowd.

Cole Hamels removed his spikes, grabbed his bag, and headed for the car yesterday afternoon at the Naimoli Complex. He has looked happier. Hamels, who struggled in his last two Grapefruit League starts, pitched in a minor-league game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays because he wanted to work on his mechanics. But in 3 2/3 innings, Hamels allowed four hits, four runs, four walks and a home run. He struck out one. "I guess the whole point of spring training is to get your work in, but you can't just keep getting work in," said Hamels, who is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in three Grapefruit League starts and allowed seven earned runs in his last two starts against big-league teams.

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Joe Blanton is typically quick to avoid the question that comes following each start in which he allows first-inning damage. After allowing a leadoff home run, three singles and a wild pitch in the first inning of Tuesday's 13-7 Grapefruit League victory over Toronto, Blanton admitted there has been an issue this spring. "I feel like each time I come out, I may be a little off to start," the Phillies righthander said, "but I feel like I'm making adjustments, which is always a positive.

Rich Dubee is generally willing to dispense frank praise or criticism when he feels either is warranted, and the pitching coach has been most effusive of late in discussing J.A. Happ. The 26-year-old lefthander, who has allowed two runs and struck out eight in eight Grapefruit League innings, seems to have emerged as the early cofavorite, along with Chan Ho Park, to win the fifth spot in the Phillies' starting rotation. Kyle Kendrick and Carlos Carrasco are the other contenders.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - After nearly six weeks of early mornings and long days, you can start to run out of gas around this time in spring training. Just ask Scott Proefrock. The Phillies assistant general manager literally ran out of gas on I-75 while driving to Port Charlotte on Wednesday for the team's Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays. In the car with him were team president David Montgomery; general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.; director of professional scouting Mike Ondo; and Jesse Rendell, the son of former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Not surprisingly, Roy Halladay dominated on the mound in spring training, but he also batted .400 in his Grapefruit League starts, including a two-run single against Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami on Sunday. That impressive average comes on the heels of Halladay's vast second-half improvement as a hitter during his first year pitching in the National League. With Chase Utley out indefinitely because of a knee injury it was suggested to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel that his staff ace could also serve as his three-hole hitter.

This is why Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee is impressed with Kyle Kendrick's spring: What used to derail the pitcher doesn't affect him any longer. Yesterday was another example. Kendrick allowed five hits and two walks over the first three innings of his fourth Grapefruit League start, an 8-7 victory over the Houston Astros. Then the 25-year-old righty retired eight of the next nine batters he faced - the only exception reaching base on an error by shortstop Juan Castro.

On Thursday night, Chan Ho Park impressed Charlie Manuel with an effective start against Toronto. On Friday against Detroit, J.A. Happ struck out seven Tigers in three innings, earning praise from Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee. Yesterday, Carlos Carrasco - who is competing with Park, Happ, and Kyle Kendrick for the fifth slot in the Phillies' rotation - struggled again, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in two innings. The 21-year-old was charged with the loss as the Phillies fell to the Atlanta Braves, 7-2, dropping their Grapefruit League record to 4-5. Carrasco's earned run average is 7.71.

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Only one of the three prospects acquired for Cliff Lee last winter is in major-league camp this spring, so J.C. Ramirez made a point of seeking out the man he was traded for. Before a recent workout, the 22-year-old righthander approached Lee. "Hey man," Ramirez said, "I got traded for you last year, and now you're with me on the same team!" Lee's reaction? "He just smiled," Ramirez said. While Tyson Gillies and Phillippe Aumont spend the spring in minor-league camp, Ramirez has a few weeks in front of the Phillies brass.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - When the fourth inning mercifully ended Wednesday, so too did Vance Worley's final Grapefruit League start. "I got the pitch count up, just not quite as many innings as we were hoping," Worley said after an 11-7 Phillies loss to Minnesota. "It happens. " No, but Worley fulfilled his cardio for the day with all the times he had to back up home plate. Minnesota scored 11 times off Worley in four innings. Only five of those runs were earned (two unearned runs were because of a Worley throwing error)

DETROIT TIGERS third baseman Miguel Cabrera says his vision is fine and that he'll be ready to play on Opening Day. Cabrera rejoined his teammates Monday for the first time since a bad-hop grounder broke a bone below his right eye a week ago against the Phillies. The star slugger will be examined Tuesday to see if he's OK. Tigers manager Jim Leyland has said he'll put Cabrera back in the lineup 2 days after he's cleared. The Tigers open the season on April 5 at home against Boston.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Scott Elarton should have spent Saturday night in Pueblo, Colo. The Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A boys' basketball championship was there, and Limon High School was playing. Last spring, Elarton was a volunteer assistant coach for the Badgers. "They got rid of me," Elarton said, "and smooth sailing. " No, Elarton was in Florida writing the latest chapter in this spring's most improbable story. The 36-year-old righthander four years removed from his last major-league appearance was the first Phils pitcher to go four innings in Grapefruit League play.

Chase Utley was noncommittal yesterday when asked whether he felt physically ready to play in a competitive game. "I think it's still a little more time before then," the second baseman said before last night's 4-1 win over the Nationals. "But we'll have to wait and see. " The time is clearly drawing near. Manager Charlie Manuel said as much yesterday after watching Utley participate in his second simulated game in 3 days, the latest progression in his recovery from a painful knee injury that has sidelined him since the first week of spring training.

We are only a month into the 2011 season, but we already know what one of the Phillies' more interesting offseason story lines is going to be. Does Jimmy Rollins have a future in Philadelphia? Rollins controls his own destiny to some extent. If he plays well and the team wins a fifth straight division title - or something more - the chances he will be back increase, provided his financial demands are not too astronomical. A mediocre or poor season will make the Phillies think long and hard about what to do at shortstop, and Freddy Galvis has an opportunity to make that decision even more difficult.

SAN DIEGO - When Brad Lidge shags balls during batting practice and one happens to roll his way, he's tempted to pick it up and fling it to the bucket with his right hand. "Nothing would happen," Lidge said. Instead, he exercises the caution doctors have instructed. He will toss it underhand or use his left hand. Lidge has not actually thrown a baseball with his right arm since March 24. That was the day the pain in his shoulder was too much for him to complete an inning of a Grapefruit League game.

One injury - Shane Victorino's strained abdominal muscle in July - gave Domonic Brown his first opportunity to play in the big leagues. Another injury - his own fractured hook of the hamate bone in spring training - denied Brown an opportunity to open the 2011 season with the Phillies. In the long run, it's entirely possible that the more beneficial of the two injuries for Brown will be the latter one. At the very least, the two injuries have significantly affected the chain of events since July 28 of last season when Brown made his major-league debut with two hits and two RBIs against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Not surprisingly, Roy Halladay dominated on the mound in spring training, but he also batted .400 in his Grapefruit League starts, including a two-run single against Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami on Sunday. That impressive average comes on the heels of Halladay's vast second-half improvement as a hitter during his first year pitching in the National League. With Chase Utley out indefinitely because of a knee injury it was suggested to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel that his staff ace could also serve as his three-hole hitter.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - I'm ready. That's the message veteran righthander Roy Halladay delivered yesterday after his final Grapefruit League outing of the spring yesterday. The defending NL Cy Young winner pitched three scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory over the Braves. In five starts this spring, Halladay went 4-0 with a 0.42 ERA, allowing 14 hits, one run and six walks with 16 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. "I'm definitely anxious to get going," he said after the performance.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Another National League Cy Young Award will be awaiting Roy Halladay after the season if the ace of all clubs pitches anything close to the way he did during the Phillies' Grapefruit League schedule. Halladay completed his exhibition work Sunday with three scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves, lowering his spring training ERA to 0.42. He allowed just one run, struck out 16, and walked six batters in 212/3 innings this spring. After the Phillies beat the Braves, 6-1, Halladay declared himself ready for Friday's season opener against the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park.