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Phils on the way up

Larry Bowa's team surprised the NL East in 2001. Don't suggest to him it was a one-year fluke.

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 1, 2002

[AP photo] Manager Larry Bowa, right, is convinced last season’s showing by the Phillies was just a suggestion of how good his team will be: “I don’t think any of them overachieved. I think they played to their potential, and they’re going to get better.’’

CLEARWATER -- With a first-year manager, with three rookies finishing the year in the starting rotation, with an All-Star catcher sidelined most of the season, the Phillies won 21 more games in 2001 than they had a season earlier.

The NL East's surprise early leaders finally were overtaken by the Braves, missing the playoffs by two games, but don't make the mistake of suggesting to Larry Bowa that his young club played over its head last year.

"One thing I get tired of reading is the general baseball consensus that we overachieved," Bowa said at the outset of spring training. "I think that's bull. You overachieve when you have five guys who have career years. I don't think anybody in that lineup had a career year.

"Overachieving is when you look at a guy and say, 'God, he's never going to do that again.' Will Jimmy Rollins hit .270? Hell, yeah, he will. Will Marlon Anderson hit .290? Yeah. Will Travis Lee hit 20 home runs? Yeah. Will Scott Rolen hit whatever he hit? Yeah. Will Pat Burrell hit 27 home runs? No, he'll hit more. I don't think any of them overachieved. I think they played to their potential, and they're going to get better."

That said, the Phils will need to be better to keep up with the Mets and Braves, who were more active in offseason acquisitions. The lone addition to Philadelphia's core lineup was signing free agent Terry Adams after sending starter Omar Daal to Los Angeles for prospects.

One overlooked plus is the healthy return of catcher Mike Lieberthal, who went down with a knee injury in May. It not only took a potent bat out of the lineup, but left a group of young pitchers without an All-Star to guide them from behind the plate.

"That's huge," said Lee, who came to the team in July 2000 in the trade that sent Curt Schilling to Arizona. "Offensively, you know he always produces, but as far as his catching abilities, he's a Gold Glove guy. It's a big boost not only to our lineup but to our pitching staff as well."

Robert Person, 32, who set career highs with 15 wins and 183 strikeouts last season, anchors a staff of twentysomethings who enjoyed breakout seasons in 2001. Adams, 28, went 12-8 with the Dodgers after six years as a reliever; Randy Wolf, 25, won 10 games with a solid 3.70 ERA; and Brandon Duckworth, 26, was the team's minor-league pitcher of the year for the second season in a row before 11 solid starts in his major-league debut.

Add Dave Coggin and Nelson Figueroa, who with Duckworth gave the Phillies three rookies starting down the stretch last season, and top prospect Brett Myers and there is the makings of a young staff to rival Oakland's Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito.

"We were able to come up and keep the team right in it and not hurt the team at all," Duckworth said. "We have the confidence that we can do it. We've been able to come up and perform, and we may not get the press like the pitchers in Oakland do, but I'm confident we're going to be just as good."

Philadelphia's season opens with seven games against Atlanta in the first two weeks. So whether the Phillies have a bunch of overachievers or a young lineup just hitting its stride, they will have a good sense of what they're in for in 2002 before it's even May.

Phillies

Jack Russell Stadium

Clearwater

TICKET INFO: The stadium is at 800 Phillies Drive, Clearwater. Box seats are $15, lower reserved are $12, upper reserved $11. Tickets can be purchased at the box office from 9 a.m.-4 .m. Monday through Saturday, or by phone or by mail at the Phillies Ticket Office, P.O. Box 10336, Clearwater 33757 (include a $4 handling fee).

CALL: (727) 442-8496 or (215) 463-1000

WEB SITE: www.phillies.mlb.com

MARCH

• 1 -- Saint Leo Univ., 12:05
• 2 -- Pirates
• 3 -- at Blue Jays
• 4 -- at Rays (ss)
• 4 -- at Indians (ss)
• 5 -- Reds
• 6 -- at Expos
• 7 -- at Cardinals
• 8 -- Blue Jays
• 9 -- Indians
• 10 -- Rangers
• 11 -- at Yankees, 7:15 12 -- Reds
• 13 -- Pirates
• 14 -- off
• 15 -- at Rangers
• 16 -- Rays
• 17 -- at Red Sox
• 18 -- at Royals
• 19 -- Tigers
• 20 -- at Blue Jays 21 -- at Pirates
• 22 -- Red Sox
• 23 -- at Reds
• 24 -- Twins
• 25 -- Yankees
• 26 -- at Tigers
• 27 -- Rays, 7:05
• 28 -- Blue Jays
• 29 -- Yankees
• 30 -- at Yankees, 1:15

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