Phillies Spring Training Talk

[MDS]

In the words of Papa Bear O'Reilly Phreak, KEEP IT PIFFY. But otherwise, good letter.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Ok, you got me. What does Keep It Piffy mean?

[MDS]

Short, sweet and to the point.

Remember, the spin stops here, cause were lookin out---for you.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Oh, I see. I dn't watch Bill O'Reilly.

It was meant to be short and sweet but I got a little long winded. Oh well, hopefully they get my point either way. This is a bad move.

[MDS]

You should watch the Papa Bear, even though he is an obnoxious jerk who is wrong 99% of the time.

Yea as long as more and more people sent emails getting the point across, the better chance we have to avoid an excess of Wheels.

[Rome]

Dear Mr. Palmer,

If you remove Harry Kalas or in any way lessen his contribution to Phillies broadcasts, I'm going to build a homemade stinger missle and shoot you through the face with it.

Sincerely,

rjs246

[MURP]

i sent an email to Palmer telling him to get rid of Chris Wheeler. holler.

[Rome]

Posted on Tue, Feb. 21, 2006

Bill Conlin | Inside tips for Clearwater visitors

Now that the ceremony of pitchers and catchers reporting is out of the way, let's get on with the important stuff.

First, a nod to the many "unofficial" reportees who have fled the thralldom of the offseason millionaire life. There's just so much 65-inch plasma TV a man can watch, so much "honey-do" nagging he can take.

Some of you are already in Clearwater or nearby Pinellas County locations. If you're there already, you've got pitchers and catchers in the blood. You'll crowd the tiny bleachers outside the clubhouse building named for Paul Owens, who personally designed the Carpenter Complex layout more than 30 years ago. It has been expanded and upgraded and remains one of the best training facilities in all of baseball. The location leaves much to be desired, but nobody promised the acreage that snuggles against insanely busy and hazardous U.S. 19 on the east edge of town would be a rose garden.

But this is more about your spring-training experience away from the Carpenter Complex and adjacent Bright House Networks Field, Money Pit's baby brother.

Old-timers, this one included, still mourn the move from Jack Russell Stadium with its bad parking and limited ambience - but great "ballpark" feel - to a scaled-down version of Citizens Bank Park. But, hey, you can get a very good approximation of a real Philly cheesesteak from the LaSpada folks, who moved over from The Jack. They also have Yuengling on tap, another nice touch from home.

If you think even a little like me, you learned early on that the best thing about being associated with the Phillies as a journalist or fan is where they train.

The Clearwater area has become an annual destination for many of you with or without a Phillies ties. If you are claustrophobic, however, and like to vacation far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, a week or 2 in Pinellas County might not be a ticket to relaxation. As taxpayers in Pinellas since 1986, we visit several times a year in the offseason months. My wife is constantly amazed by how many people are in the area on a sweltering August day. I patiently explain there are about 900,000 permanent residents in a county roughly 25 miles long and 12 miles wide. That amounts to the highest population density in Florida, about 3,000 per square mile, and guarantees traffic gridlock and long restaurant lines with or without snowbird ballfans.

Except for a narrow isthmus that connects Pinellas to Pasco County, it's water, water everywhere... Gulf of Mexico to the west, Tampa Bay to the east and a lot of impressive bays, inlets and sounds in between, including milewide Clearwater Bay and St. Joseph's Sound that divides Clearwater Beach from the Mainland. The operative word in the last sentence, of course, is "beach." These are among the most-honored beaches in America. Conde Nast magazine just named Clearwater's ultrabusy stretch of sand the No. 1 municipal beach in the land.

The famed Dr. Beach, Florida International University's ubiquitous Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, anointed Fort De Soto State Beach (at the very south end of the county) the No. 1 beach in the land last year. It's an easy drive from anywhere a Phillies fan is staying. But you have to take a ferry from Dunedin Beach to reach Dr. Beach's No. 4 pick, gorgeously unspoiled Caladesi State Beach.

But, hey, all the sand is pretty much created equal between St. Beach and the north end of Clearwater, a 22-mile stretch, even the sand being pumped in to repair the erosion caused by winter storms and summer hurricanes. None is more equal, or plentiful, than the sand at Sand Key State Beach, just south of Clearwater Beach and a quick right after crossing the soaring Clearwater Pass Bridge. You want sand? This strand makes Wildwood's beach look like a sand spit at high tide. To get from parking lot to surf, Lawrence of Arabia had to camp overnight. But it's worth the hike and modest parking-meter contribution. Just keep an eye out for suspicious fins. There have been several minor shark attacks reported there over the past decade. You'll want to save that arm and a leg for Phillies exhibition tickets. I should mention that the biggest great white shark ever captured - a 21-footer - was boated about a mile off St. Pete Beach.

The good news, you've got a much better chance of being struck by lightning in the lightning capital of the world than to be devoured by Jaws.

March is generally a dry month with frequent frontal passages followed by 1-2 days of cool weather. It was in the mid-70s yesterday. Tuesday it was in the mid-50s. Always keep a windbreaker handy, but complete washouts are rare.
A year ago, a new fixed bridge that was supposed to eliminate the notorious Memorial Causeway drawbridge was compromised by construction errors that led to safety concerns. A major do-over was going to mean 2 more years of insane gridlock with each bridge opening while cracked pilings and buttresses were redone. On a September visit, I was amazed to learn the state and county did a "never mind," made swift repairs and opened the thing last summer. But... If you hear a sudden groaning and feel violent shaking - better step on it...

That big gap in the south Clearwater Beach skyline is not your imagination playing tricks. It's where the Adams Mark Resort used to be before it was imploded to make room for a high-roller condo complex. You can get into one of the condo residences - they start at 2,000 square feet-for low seven figures. Utility-infielder money, in other words. The penthouse Lenny Dykstra used to rent on Sand Key is now worth about $1.75 million, tobacco-stained carpet included.

Many fans ask about beachside deck dining and are amazed to learn it's hard to come by on the Gulf beaches. Why? A single lot on the beach runs about $2 million. But Ken Hamilton, a great Phillies fan, got in before the real estate boom. His spacious Palm Pavilion, just off Mandalay in Clearwater Beach, is one of the few true beach restaurant/bars. It's a must for sunset watching.

There are a number of great bayside choices for alfresco dining, including Columbia and Backwaters on Sand Key, Guppy's and My Place in Indian Rocks Beach. A personal favorite for its inexpensive Saturday and Sunday brunch on a huge deck with ample boat dockage is The Pub in Indian Shores. The owner recently turned down $10 million for the property.

Look, my editors are screaming about length, so I'll leave you with two more personal favorites for casual dining. The disclaimer: My close pal Luigi Gallace runs Villa Gallace, a wonderful gourmet Italian eatery at the end of Indian Rocks Beach. Many Phillies types show up there, even players. And another fave is a plain hoot - P.J.'s Oyster Bar. Co-owner Ed donates the thousands of dollar bills that visitors glue to every surface of the fish and ribs emporium to charity. And don't let the omnipresent lines outside put you off. They do a masterful job of making Ed's no-reservations policy work.

Well, now that I've gotten you through your day after baseball, drive safely and remember to brake for spring breakers. The soused kid you save may be your own.

[Rome]

Palm Pavilion is a great place to hang out.  That's our first stop after Phillies games because it's right near the hotel we usually stay at and they always have NCAA Tournament games on the big screen televisions there.

[Wingspan]

man, conlin nows how to go on and on about absolutely nothing, doesnt he?

[MDS]

Has he gone on his annual hibernation in the Florida sun yet?

[Rome]

When I'm King of the World...

[stalker]

I have an interesting (to me) observation regarding Lieberthal's game calling issues. I am friends with a retired journeyman catcher who did a couple of years with the Phils. He knows Liebby and his assessment is that when Lieberthal is going bad at the plate, he takes it with him behind the plate. When he is hitting well, he calls better games. If you look at the past, when Lieby was having his good offensive years, he was considered a frontline defensive catcher, as his offensive numbers have declined we have continuously complained about his defensive prowess. Is this a valid point? I think so.

[Wingspan]

Is this a valid point?

no, but this is

[MDS]

I have an interesting (to me) observation regarding Lieberthal's game calling issues. I am friends with a retired journeyman catcher who did a couple of years with the Phils. He knows Liebby and his assessment is that when Lieberthal is going bad at the plate, he takes it with him behind the plate. When he is hitting well, he calls better games. If you look at the past, when Lieby was having his good offensive years, he was considered a frontline defensive catcher, as his offensive numbers have declined we have continuously complained about his defensive prowess. Is this a valid point? I think so.

would your supposed friend be Mark Parent?