Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
By the Book
Following protocol helping to keep Phils ‘whole’
PHILADELPHIA » The Phillies will play their first game July 24, and Aaron Nola will show up early, plan to stay late, and hope to make a quick down payment on a Cy Young Award.
He will throw as many pitches as Joe Girardi requires, even if it is more than 68, which is all Gabe Kapler once allowed him to throw on an Opening Day. He will be loose, and ready, and fit. He will be at his best.
There will be no opt-out for the Phillies’ right-hander, no retreat, no concession to the coronavirus scare going around other than to wear a mask whenever he walks about the clubhouse.
Was there even a thought about skipping the season? “No,” he said. For the Phillies, who practiced again Monday in Citizens Bank Park, that was welcome news. That’s because Nola had been a practice no-show. Naturally, whispers ensued. As it happens, he was not virus-stricken, but rather was found to be in contact with someone not as fortunate. With that, he was sent away as caution, allowed to return Monday and throw what Girardi called an “impressive” session in the bullpen.
Trust the process. Later Monday, Girardi was thinking about it all, and about where the Phillies stand just shy of a week into baseball’s re-start. It wasn’t that long ago that his team was dominating the breaking-news TV scrolls when five organization members, including some players, had tested positive for the virus. Predictably, the alarmists screamed, fearful that by that weekend, there would not be enough healthy Phillies to fill an on-deck circle. Yet the affected players, believed to be Hector Neris, Scott Kingery, Tommy Hunter and Ranger Suarez, were placed into quarantine, as per the protocol. All could be available for the opener. Others, like Nola and Adam Haseley, were late to report to camp as the Phillies followed the rules and practiced caution.
So at a time when players all around baseball are choosing not to play, are too ill to participate, or are flunking virus tests in such numbers that the camps need to be shut down for disinfecting, the Phillies are in a position to be as relatively healthy as any team. It’s why when the Clearwater tests were shared, it was not a reason to surrender, but to dutifully follow the procedures and work toward full strength.
“It was weeks ago that we had the scare in Clearwater,” Girardi said. “And there were a number of people who were affected by that. It was nerve-wracking for us. These are players that we expected to play a substantial role. Now that we are all together and being tested on a regular bases, my hope is that we can stay healthier. And when we get these guys back, we’ll be pretty whole, which I think could be unusual for some clubs, to be whole when the season starts.”
No baseball team is ever whole. Somebody is always wrenching an oblique, is too over-worked or is suffering from “flu-like symptoms.” But if the Phillies are close, it will be because the system worked as designed. And it was designed to test for and identify virus-carrying players for the purpose of quarantining them and allowing the industry to move forward.
The robust testing was never meant to be used to make the sport go away. Baseball could have gone away without testing, if that’s what it desired. So it will go on, whether Mike Trout or David Price or Nick Markakis or anyone else chooses not to play. It will go on because others, no less concerned about their health, are following the rules in place to make sure it does.
“You know, our game is much bigger than just one player,” Girardi said. “It’s probably much bigger than 10 players. Is there a number that you would say it’s not much bigger than? Probably. And I’m not sure what that number is. There are a lot of stars in the game. Players opting out are making the best decision for their family. And we all understand and support that. But there are still a lot of stars in the game, and for us, we have not had anyone opt out. And
Phillies fans want to see our players.”
They’ll see enough of them to be entertained. If some Phillies need sequestering as a hedge against spreading the virus in the room, then others will be promoted to the active roster.
Nola said he would understand if a teammate or an opponent chose not to play this season. It’s not his job to advance that judgment, anyway. Pitching is his job, and he has done that in some ways since the March shutdown, throwing simulated games on his own, taking regular rest days, staying in shape at his home in Baton Rouge.
“My arm feels great,” he said. “I threw a ‘bullpen’ today. And I expect to get back in the routine the next few days. I will get with the coaches and throw a lot of batting practice in the next few days. I feel good. My arm feels good, too. I feel in shape.”
Girardi stopped short Monday of proclaiming Nola his Opening Day starter against the visiting Miami Marlins, aware that the former All-Star just took seven days off. But Zack Wheeler’s wife, Dominique, is expecting sometime this month, and he will take paternity leave and perhaps more as he expands his health concerns. And Jake Arrieta is coming off elbow surgery, which carries its own mystery. So Nola, it must be. He will be ready. So will most of the Phillies, not long after they sent a fright through the sports world.
It’s the way the system was designed to work.
Contact Jack at jmccaffery@21stcenturymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JackMcCaffery.