The Phillies wasted no time in addressing two of their biggest issues as a new season dawns.
First, ace right-hander Roy Halladay met the media. Halladay shed more light in his session with the media than he did all last spring about his troubles, which first showed up in Clearwater when some people detected a lack of velocity on some of his pitches. Halladay, notorious not only for his dogged work ethic but also for being very tight-lipped, opened up about his struggles. He said he never was able to get really loose during the spring the things just went downhill from there.
The good news is that yesterday Halladay said he feels as good as he’s ever felt at this time of the spring. He’s adjusted his training regiment and is ready to be the “old” Halladay. That’s very good news for Phillies fans.
Check out Dennis Deitch’s report for all the details and video of Halladay’s press conference here.
Not so good news, but something that had to be done, was the appearance by star catcher Carlos Ruiz. He will miss the first 25 games of the season after being busted for use of a banned drug - believed to be Adderall - for the second time.
A clearly contrite Ruiz was near tears as he apologized to his teammates, organization and the fans.
You had to feel sorry for Ruiz, except for one thing. He didn’t exactly shed a lot of light on his drug use. And whether or not he will now seek a prescription so that he can legally use it.
If he is not on the Adderal, will that affect his performance? Ruiz had a career year last year, very likely the most valuable player on the team.
I know it’s not comfortable, but Ruiz needs to answer those questions.
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