Sunday, February 13, 2011
Posted: 5:13 p.m.
By Jim SalisburyCSNPhilly.com
CLEARWATER, Fla.As the man responsible for preparing the Phillies vaunted pitching staff for the regular season, Rich Dubee will wear a serious, all-business look as he supervises the action on the bullpen mounds at Carpenter Complex on Monday morning.
But on Sunday, check-in day for pitchers and catchers at the most hotly anticipated Phillies spring training ever, Dubee was able to sit back and smile.
Youd smile, too, if you oversaw a starting pitching staff that went from gold to platinum when Cliff Lee was added to a group that already included Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.
I was going to bring a recliner to spring training but I thought I better stay on my feet for a while, said Dubee, beginning his seventh season as Phillies pitching coach.
I think our front office has done a tremendous job piecing together four frontline guys, and Joe Blanton is not chopped liver by any means, so we feel very good about what weve got.
I always said your No. 1 starter is the guy who is pitching that day. Now were running out four No. 1s. You cant but love what weve got.
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Dubee had gone to bed on Dec. 13 when a late-night text message from a friend alerted him that the Phillies had signed Lee. He scrambled to his computer to verify the news.
I slept good that night, he said with a smile.
Its quite possible that Dubees dreams that night included the World Series, but he wont allow himself to get caught up in the buzz that has overtaken Phillies fans until the team gets there.
We have to curb our excitement a little bit, too, Dubee said. We still have to play baseball. I mean, we are absolutely thrilled with our starting rotation. You cant downplay that. I dont think anyone who has ever seen baseball would downplay it. But the fact of the matter is we have to play 162 games and play up to our potential.
This Phillies' rotation is a capable of being one of the best ever, right with the 1971 Orioles and their four 20-game winners, and the Braves staffs of the 1990s. Between them, Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels have 10 top-five finishes in Cy Young voting, three Cy Young Awards, 13 all-star selections, six 20-wins seasons, three postseason MVP awards, and a 20-8 postseason record. In 2010, all four finished in the top 21 in the majors in ERA.
Those credentials could make the pitching coachs job pretty easy, but Dubee wont take anything for granted.
Were not going to change anything, by any means, he said. Were not dumb.
But theres still work to be done. These guys are good professionals and they know themselves. But at times they get out of whack and might need a slight adjustment. Theres still growth there. Look at Cole. Hes still growing. He added that cutter last year. Both Roys improved their changeups last year. So these guys are still evolving.
One of the most impressive qualities of this staff is its ability to throw strikes.
Halladay walked just 30 batters in 250 23 innings last year. Lee was even better, walking just 18 in 212 13 innings.
We have five guys that work fast and pound the strike zone, Dubee said. That should help our overall club. Quick innings with quick action keeps the team on its feet.
It is a given that Halladay, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, will start on Opening Day. Most have assumed that Lee would get the ball in the second game, but Dubee said nothing is etched in stone.
Blanton is the No. 5 starter, the best No. 5 starter in baseball, as long as he is here. Management let it be known to other clubs that the righthander was available for a trade after the Lee signing, but no deal has been struck.
Dubee does not believe a winter of uncertainty will affect Blanton.
He is in camp and he looks great, Dubee said. The media might slight him, but his teammates dont slight him by any means and neither does the coaching staff. Hes a very good, quality pitcher in the big leagues. Hes a horse. When you look at Joe Blantons track record, hes a 200-inning-a-year guy. Last year was the first year he came up short because he fought the oblique injury coming out of spring training.
That injury, suffered late in camp, showed how valuable pitching depth can be. With Blanton still here and Kyle Kendrick capable of starting or relieving, the Phils have some starting pitching depth.
Youd love to go through a season with 12 or 13 pitchers, but that just doesnt happen, Dubee said. Depth is always important.
Talent. Depth. Great resumes. This Phillies staff has it all. Well get our first look at them all together on Monday as the most eagerly awaited Phillies camp ever gets underway.
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E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com