Monday, April 11, 2011
Posted: 1:39 p.m.By Jim SalisburyCSNPhilly.com
Jayson Werth is no longer a Phillie, but he hasnt gone away. When he signed with the Washington Nationals in December for a staggering 126 million over seven years, he assured himself of seeing his old team 18 times per season in National League East play.
On Tuesday night, Werth will face the Phillies for the first time since moving on. They are not just another team. Oh, sure, once the game begins, its just baseballballs and strikes, hits and runs. But the Phillies can never be just another team to Jayson Werth. They will always the team, the franchise, that grabbed him off the scrap heap after hed been released by the Los Angeles Dodgers at age 27 and gave him a chance to blossom into an all-star, a champion and a very rich man.
Of course, the relationship went two ways. Werth made the best of the opportunity that the Phillies gave him. He helped put some of the shine on the teams four-year run of NL East titles, helped the team get to two World Series, and win it all in 2008.
A part of Jayson Werth will always be a Phillie, even though right now he might not be willing to wholeheartedly admit it.
I've kind of closed the book on that time in my life, Werth told CSNWashingtons Mark Zuckerman (see box) over the weekend. Although probably later on in life, I'll probably open that book often and go back and sift through the memories.
And what memories they are.
Obviously the parade was up there, Werth said. You've got the Matt Stairs homer off Broxton. You've got J-Roll's walk-off hit off Broxton. I had some personal successes there that I remember pretty readily. I stole home. I probably won't do that again.
MLB
Werth had a front row seat to the Phillies NLCS successes against Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in 2008 and 2009. And yes, he did memorably steal three bases, including home, in one inning against the Dodgers on May 12, 2009.
Somehow it was fitting that Werth had success against those Dodgers. He had missed all of the 2006 season with a stubborn left wrist injury that he thought might end his career until Richard Berger, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, diagnosed the problem and fixed it. Still, the Dodgers did not offer Werth a contract after that season.
Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino, another Dodgers castoff, recalled speaking with Werth in the summer of 2006.
I remember he called me when he was battling through that wrist injury, Victorino said. I said, What are you doing? He said he was sitting on his boat relaxing. He said, I think Im going to quit, shut it down, because he couldnt get healthy. He said, I cant get healthy, my wrist cant get better. So when he signed here I was so happy. I was so happy to see him revive his career. He was definitely a big part of what we did here.
There are reasons that Werth is no longer a Phillie. He was looking for a career contractmore than 100 millionand the Phillies, who, according to sources, offered a package of three or four years at about 16 million per season, werent willing to go that high. With a team loaded with over-30 players on long-term, big-money deals, the Phils were open to getting younger and cheaper in the outfield and they believed Ben Francisco and Domonic Brown were ready for more prominent roles.
The Phils desire to bolster their pitching and win with pitching also figured into their lukewarm pursuit of Werth. Cliff Lee was also a free agent last winter, and the Phillies landed him with the moneyand then somethat Werth would have cost.
Even though Werth says he is too busy to pay a lot of attention to the Phillies, his old friend Victorino knows otherwise.
Last week when I hurt my calf he sent me a message to see how I was feeling, Victorino said. I know he keeps tabs on everyone here and pays attention to this team. Obviously it was one of those decisions that came down to business. Would he have loved to have stayed here? Id say 100 percent yes. He would have loved to have stayed. Its hard. It has happened to other guys. It happened with Aaron Rowand. Its business.
Francisco has taken over for Werth in rightfield and has done a solid job so far.
Francisco called Werth a great teammate.
We got close, Francisco said. We talked a lot. When he signed with Washington, he sent me a text and told me to go win the job. He encouraged me.
In Washington, Werth has become the spotlight player on a building team that is trying to get where the Phillies are. He is confident it can happen during his time with the club. In Philadelphia, Werth hit fifth in the lineup behind Ryan Howard. With the Nats, he has batted second and third. The Nats enter Tuesday nights series opener at 4-5 while the Phils entered Monday at 7-2, the best record in the NL.
Phils manager Charlie Manuel spent many hours with Werth around the batting cage. He is proud of the player that Werth became in Philadelphia, where he averaged 29 homers and 84 RBIs from 2008 to 2010.
Very much so, Manuel said. He did a tremendous job for us. He was one of our productive guys, a big part of our success. The time I had with him, he worked hard and dedicated himself. He deserves everything he got.
Manuel laughed.
I called him the day he signed, he said. I told him to send me some money.
Itll be a little different seeing him in another uniform, Manuel added. Ill be on him. Ill be getting on J-Dub. Weve got to get him out.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com
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