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Slumping Hitter Gets DH Start

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2008

Updated: 10/23/2008 01:13 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Opting for his right-handed bat against lefty Scott Kazmir, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel went with backup catcher Chris Coste at DH and batted him eighth.

Coste batted .263 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs during the regular season, and he was a stout .296 with a .363 on-base percentage against lefties. But he finished the season in a 5-for-38 (.132) slump and had only one at-bat during the NL playoffs.

The Phillies will have a left-handed DH tonight because they'll be facing righty James Shields. Manuel will choose from Greg Dobbs (.301, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs in the regular season), Matt Stairs (.294, 2 HR, 5 RBIs in 16 NL games after coming over from Toronto), and Geoff Jenkins (.246, 9, 29)

Dobbs entered Wednesday's game 6-for-11, and Stairs had a clutch pinch-hit home run in the NLCS.

"If I want to, I can overload our lineup with left-handed hitters, but I'll wait and see exactly what I want to do," Manuel said about his lineup.

RUIZ WINS JOB

The Phillies used two catchers most of the year - Carlos Ruiz started 92 games and Coste started 69 -but Manuel has gone with Ruiz exclusively in the postseason.

Ruiz had the third-lowest catcher's ERA (3.83) in the NL, and the Phillies went 55-37 when he started, but he hit only .219 with four home runs and 31 RBIs. He hit .200 with one RBI in the division series and the NLCS.

Manuel said he started favoring Ruiz while the Phillies were finishing the regular season on a 13-3 tear. "At the time, Coste's hitting slipped some," he said. "But I've got a lot of faith in Coste. I've been around him a long time and I trust him."

WATCH HIM RUN

The Rays' B.J. Upton isn't the only center fielder in the series with speed. Philly's hyperactive Shane Victorino was the Hawaii high school state champion in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. His 10.80 100-meter time was a state record.

The "Flyin' Hawaiian" was an all-star in baseball, football soccer and track, and he was so good in football that then-University of Hawaii coach June Jones offered him a full scholarship to play slot receiver.

Victorino was only 145 pounds coming out of high school and wasn't too confident about getting to the NFL. He signed a $115,000 contract to play baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

Ten years later, he's playing in the World Series after finishing third in the NL in infield hits (34), fifth in triples (8) and sixth in stolen bases (36). He set career highs in average (.293) and hits (167).

ENEMY ADMIRER

Relief pitcher Scott Eyre would be pulling for the Rays if not for the slight problem that he's playing for their World Series competition.

Eyre lives in Bradenton during the offseason and, from a distance, has gotten caught up in the Rays' near-overnight transformation.

"They never had a winning record, and all of a sudden they're in the World Series," he said. "To me, you have to take a step back and take your hat off to them."

Eyre says he would enjoy the story more if he were not part of it.

"I'm not going to lie: I hope we come out on the winning end, and they can come back next year and try it again," he said.

SERIES SPOTLIGHT

Temple Terrace's Robin Roberts will throw out the first pitch in Game 4 on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.

Fellow Hall of Famer and former Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton will do the honors for Game 4 on Saturday, and Kentucky senator Jim Bunning, who threw a perfect game for the Phillies in 1964, will get a turn if there's a Game 5 on Monday.

QUOTABLE

"He has no emotions. He's like a quiet assassin." - Phillies relief pitcher J.C. Romero to the Philadelphia Daily News, on teammate Cole Hamels, the Game 1 starter who was 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in the postseason entering the World Series.

Tony Fabrizio

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