Phillies camp report
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Five things to know about the Philadelphia Phillies:
1. Things sure have changed since the Phillies unloaded Bobby Abreu to the Yankees last July and GM Pat Gillick followed that up by analyzing that he didn't think the club had the pieces to compete until 2008. "When I read it I was like, 'This man knows baseball, but I have other plans -- we work too hard, and 2008 is too long,'" shortstop Jimmy Rollins says. Then Gillick added Jamie Moyer and over the winter traded for Freddy Garcia -- what could prove to be his master stroke. "It was like Christmas," Rollins says. "It was like, 'Oh wow, I like our team!'"
2. A quick start is important not only because the Phillies have stumbled early the past two years -- going 10-14 in each of the past two Aprils -- but also because 22 of their first 28 games are against NL East opponents -- including five of 14 against the Mets. "We haven't played awful, but we just haven't played good baseball," second baseman Chase Utley says of the past two Aprils. "You can't win a pennant in April, but you sure can make it easier on yourself."
3. As usual, left fielder Pat Burrell will be under the magnifying glass this season. The latest: He batted only .222 with runners in scoring position last year. Overall, his numbers last season dropped to a .258 batting average, 29 homers and 95 RBI after posting .281, 32 and 117 in 2005.
4. If the Phillies win, things could be very good around here for a long time. Three-quarters of their infield is signed at least through 2010 -- Rollins through 2010 at five years and $40 million, Utley through 2013 at seven years, $85 million. They also control slugger Ryan Howard through 2011. "I don't think there's a reason we wouldn't want to be here," Utley says. "Philadelphia is a great sports town. It's tough at times, but they want to win."
5. In a perfect world, Jon Lieber will throw well this spring and Gillick will deal him for more depth. In Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Adam Eaton, Garcia and Moyer, assuming they make it through camp healthy, the Phillies think they have a rotation to win. The other thing with Lieber is, they could be worried about his pickup truck fitting into the players parking lot at Citizens Bank Park. Lieber, a truck fanatic, decked it out with a 200-gallon gas tank. Costs roughly $450 to fill it up.
jaycable 
