Ellis provides veteran support

NEW YORK >> Before he would signal for a pitch, swing a bat or even pose in his new uniform, A.J. Ellis was given one job by Pete Mackanin.

Before he would be a catcher, he would be an advisor.

“With our young pitchers, it’s important to have a veteran presence there,” Mackanin said of the former Dodgers catcher. “Also, we’re having a hitters meeting with him kind of letting our hitters know what (the Dodgers’) plan was against us, weaknesses, for example. ‘We like to show you in hard early and get you away soft. We stay away from you and throw you a lot of breaking balls.’

“I think it would be good for our hitters to hear that from an outside source.”

That’s where the Phillies were

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — FRANK FRANKLIN II New Phillies catcher A.J. Ellis supplied a two-run double in the seventh inning of a 5-1 win over the Mets Sunday, but he’s also providing a veteran hand for a young pitching staff and clubhouse playing out the string.