Phillies' Lieberthal looking to regain All-Star form

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Mike Lieberthal has been in Philadelphia longer than any current athlete on any team in the city.

It also means he has heard the most boos.

Lieberthal is coming off a miserable season with the Phillies, one in which he was the main target for criticism from disappointed fans who expected a contending team. The former two-time All-Star catcher struggled from the start and couldn't walk to the plate without hearing a chorus of boos from the notoriously tough Philly fans.

"I'm getting paid a lot of money. I would be pretty upset with me," said Lieberthal, who earned $7.5 million last season. "I'm tough on myself."

Lieberthal, who made his debut with the Phillies in 1994, is used to hostile fans, but still doesn't understand their mentality.

"If I sat next to a guy who took his kid to a game and yelled the whole time, I don't think I'd respect him," Lieberthal said. "But it's kind of hard to break me."

Most of Lieberthal's troubles last year came in clutch situations. He hit just .142 (19-for-134) with runners in scoring position, forcing former manager Larry Bowa to drop him from sixth to eighth in the batting order.

Mike Lieberthal compares well to other top catchers defensively, his manager says. (Getty Images)

A strong final month after the Phillies had fallen out of the playoff race helped Lieberthal finish with a .271 average, 17 homers and 61 RBI. But that didn't overshadow his subpar overall performance.

"It's not a season I want to remember," said Lieberthal, batting .250 (8-for-32) this spring with one homer and two RBI.

No wonder he's happy to play under first-year manager Charlie Manuel. Lieberthal didn't always agree with Bowa and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, so Manuel's positive approach has been refreshing. Lieberthal also will be allowed to call pitches without consistent input from the bench like past seasons.

"Lieberthal is going to be the leader of our pitching staff," Manuel said earlier this spring. "He's the catcher. I want him to loosen up, restore his confidence. I think he's a tremendous player."

Manuel scouted potential free-agent catchers Mike Matheny and Jason Varitek last season, and put Lieberthal in the same category.

"Lieberthal is right there with them," Manuel said. "He can throw. He's not a big runner, but he can throw and hit. I want him to be relaxed. His ability will allow him to have a good year."