John Mayberry

Rookie hazing At least there was one reason for the Phillies to laugh after a missed opportunity to clinch their fourth straight division title at home. Costumes hung in seven players' lockers, meaning it was time for the annual rookie hazing. Pitchers Vance Worley and Antonio Bastardo sat at their lockers, staring at the scandalous police outfits they had to put on. "Delaying the inevitable, gentlemen," Ryan Howard said as he walked by. Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr., Brian Bocock, Mike Zagurski, and David Herndon also donned costumes.

Nate Schierholtz's short stay in Philadelphia is likely over. According to an ESPN.com report, the Phillies informed Schierholtz that he would not be offered a contract for 2013. All major league teams have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to decide whether to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players. The only other Phillies player who is arbitration eligible is reliever Antonio Bastardo, who will be tendered a contract for 2013. After coming over in the July 31 trade that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco, the 28-year-old Schierholtz hit .273 with one home run in 37 games with the Phillies.

A SPRING that has had more than its share of sour notes ended with a nice surprise. The Phillies announced after Tuesday night's game that lefthanded reliever Joe Savery had made the roster. Though he pitched in four games as a call-up last September, making the club out of the gate represents another step in Savery's career. The Phillies drafted Savery as a first baseman in the 2007 first round. "He's a good story," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's come a long way. " Veterans Scott Podsednik, Hector Luna and Raul Valdes did not make the club.

Here are the salaries for the 2012 Phillies: Cliff Lee, $21,500,000 Roy Halladay, 20,000,000 dl-Ryan Howard, 20,000,000 dl-Chase Utley, 15,285,714 Cole Hamels, 15,000,000 Jonathan Papelbon, 11,000,058 Jimmy Rollins, 11,000,000 Joe Blanton, 10,500,000 Hunter Pence, 10,400,000 Shane Victorino, 9,500,000 Placido Polanco, 6,416,667 Ty Wigginton, 4,000,000 Carlos Ruiz, 3,700,000 ...

Outfielder Nate Schierholtz became a free agent when the Phillies declined to offer him a contract before Friday's deadline for salary arbitration-eligible players. The Phillies acquired Schierholtz from the San Francisco Giants as part of the Hunter Pence deal at last season's trade deadline. Schierholtz, 28, had hoped the move to Philadelphia would serve as an opportunity to become an everyday player. Instead, he suffered a fractured big toe two weeks into his brief tenure with the Phillies and the opportunity he was hoping for never materialized.

JUST SAY NO, RUBEN. Be firm and resolute. Look to the near future even when the present appears to call for swift and decisive action. Just build a moat around Michael Taylor. Put him off-limits. Declare him a future Philly landmark. Buy him a size XXX-long T-shirt that reads "Untouchable" in front and "Off Limits" in back. Don't ruin my Twin Towers dream. Don't break up potential belting bookends Michael Taylor and Ryan Howard before they have gone back-to-back for the first of what should be many times.

The key factor behind the Phillies dramatic 7-6 victory over Brewers Tuesday night wasn't just the walks that Chase Utley and Ryan Howard drew against Manny Parra to load the bases. It was also the fact that the Milwaukee bullpen still had to deal with Carlos Ruiz and Hunter Pence, who earlier in the season might have been hitting No. 3 and No. 4, with a significant drop off behind them. As Ruiz showed with his game-tying three-run double and Pence showed with his go-ahead bloop single, the Phillies suddenly have a real major league lineup again.

The Phillies had squandered so many chances Saturday night until a 90-foot sprint by Jimmy Rollins. When the shortstop's right foot touched first base, he spread his arms to signal safe. First-base umpire Paul Emmel agreed. Rollins clapped his hands and pumped his fist. They were within two runs and pushed Boston to the brink. Then Shane Victorino swung at the first pitch and a wave of good vibes plopped into Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles' glove. A six-game winning streak and chance to escape last place was skunked by a 7-5 loss to Boston.

Scott Eyre said yesterday that he was "more than 90 percent" sure he would retire at the end of this season. Eyre, 37, is a veteran of 13 major-league seasons and will be a free agent after this year. In 597 career games before last night, he was 26-30 with a 4.33 earned run average in 632 innings. All but 32 of his appearances were as a reliever. Eyre was 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings this year. "My wife is probably ready for me to be home," said Eyre, who has two sons, ages 8 and 10. "I've been playing for 13 years, and it's basically all she's ever known.

ALLENTOWN - John Mayberry Jr. slugged three doubles to help lift the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to an 8-1 win over the Syracuse Chiefs on Saturday night in the International League. Mayberry drove home two runs, while Cody Ransom and Dewayne Wise also each had a pair of RBIs for Lehigh Valley. IronPigs righthander Drew Carpenter gave up just two hits and an earned run in his six innings to get the win. Lakewood 7, Greensboro 1 LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Anthony Hewitt's line-drive single drove in three runs to cap a six-run eruption in the second inning as the BlueClaws topped the Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League.