Shane Victorino

FORT MYERS, Fla. - In Shane Victorino's perfect world, he'd be spending Thursday afternoon at Bright House Field going through a workout with the other core members of the Phillies while a team of mostly reserves makes the long bus ride to Jet Blue Park, the two-year-old Fenway Park replica where the Boston Red Sox play their spring-training games. That would mean the Flyin' Hawaiian was still a member of the Phillies, the team with which he so badly wanted to finish his career. It would also mean the Phils wanted him as badly as he wanted to remain with them, which was not the case.

The Phillies' offense had become stale and needed a kick-start. So Charlie Manuel started at the top. He batted Shane Victorino first and Jimmy Rollins sixth yesterday in a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. It marked the first time that Rollins had not hit leadoff since June 3, but the move was expected to be temporary with Aaron Rowand ready to return to the lineup tomorrow. Victorino was 1 for 4; Rollins was 0 for 4. "The order was fine," Rollins said.

Cole Hamels had thrown 101 pitches through six strenuous innings last night at AT&T Park. The Phillies badly needed one more from him. They needed to beat the San Francisco Giants to split the four-game series, and they couldn't turn the game over to a bullpen depleted by injuries. So manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee sent Hamels back out for the seventh. He delivered in an 8-5 victory. Hamels threw a career-high 117 pitches, allowing eight hits, five runs (three earned runs)

For Mike Victorino, preparing to watch a World Series half a world away was about more than just booking flights and hotel rooms and securing game tickets. Victorino, father of Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino, knew he had to ready the 40 family members traveling from Hawaii and Alaska to Philadelphia for the special breed of fan that awaited them at Citizens Bank Park. In other words: This is the city where fans tossed snowballs at Santa Claus. "Bar none, I think the fans in Philadelphia are the most passionate, the most dedicated - sometimes maybe a little over the edge - but who's keeping track?"

Ed Norcini isn't superstitious. Really. Still, when the Berwyn Phillies fan suited up for Game 2 of his team's National League division championship series against the Brewers, he knew what had to go over his jeans and T-shirt. "It's my good-luck jacket," said Norcini, 55, pointing to the retro baby-blue-and-maroon coat. "I don't believe in jinxes much, but I still have to wear it. " Was he nervous? "Little bit," said Norcini, his worried face signaling maybe more than just a little.

Shane Victorino knew it as he walked back into the dugout. Charlie Manuel didn't have to tell him, although that didn't stop the manager from making his point. "It was a stupid decision," Victorino said last night after he was caught stealing in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Florida Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. "I [messed] up. . . . Charlie spoke to me about it, told me I need to be safe. " The game represented modest progress by starter Jamie Moyer but an ineffective and, in Victorino's case, unwise performance by the offense.

1. Roy Halladay                2. Placido Polanco 3. Chase Utley                4. Shane Victorino

How Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence have fared since the Phillies traded them away last month: Statistics through Sunday. G   AB   R   H   2B   3B   HR   RBI   SB   AVG   OBP    Shane Victorino, Dodgers 22   94   13   24   6   0   1   7   5   .255   .307 Hunter Pence, Giants 25   98   11   21   7   0   1   16   1   .214   .266 ...

Shane Victorino, on a rehabilitation assignment for the Phillies, went 1 for 3 last night in Reading's 3-2 Eastern League win over Connecticut. Camden 6, York 2 L.J. Biernbaum and Brett Bonvechio homered in the opener at Campbell's Field.

Here are the fines issued yesterday by Major League Baseball for the incident in the third inning of Game 3: DODGERS Hiroki Kuroda: $7,500 Manny Ramirez: $2,500 Coach Mariano Duncan: $1,000 Coach Larry Bowa: $500 PHILLIES Shane Victorino: $2,500 J.C. Romero: $1,000 Coach Davey Lopes: $500