brought back some memories of those teams. Also in regards to Carlton Loewer (former 1st round pick) I remember being at his first start (CG, 5h, 2er, 8k’s vs the Sammy Sosa cubs) and thinking he was the next big thing….yikes…wonder what he is doing these days

Talking about this gets me remembering how good Schilling was than and how much fun it was to watch his starts.  I remember an early season game in ’98 when Schilling went up against McGwire and struck him out 3 times.  I remember the crowd going nuts and Schilling just reaching back and throwing one fastball after another right by McGwire.  I remember Schilling flat out challenging McGwire to hit his fastball and going up the ladder on him until McGwire would strike out on a pitch up around his neck.  I also remember Schilling matching up against Greg Maddux in two consecutive starts (once in ATL and once in PHIL), and getting the better of him both times, that year.  Schilling always seemed to thrive on those types of personal challenges and he usually stepped up and delivered.  Then we had to wait until the 4 other stiffs made their starts in between before we could see him do it again.

Too bad the Phils pissed away the opportunity they had with that group.  Instead of making an honest effort to assemble a pitching staff, all we got were excuses like the  “bad lease” they had at the Vet which only served to damage the Schilling and Rolen relationships beyond repair.

Regarding Wade/Chacon:  still makes me laugh too.  Chalk it up to a clash of cultures:  Cerebral vs. Visceral.  Or Dumb vs. Dumber.     

• Ryan’s Hope Dept.: Has there ever been a more riveting arbitration case than Ryan Howard’s?

Correct answer: Heck, no.

Here’s why:

• No position player in the history of arbitration has ever come out of this process with $18 million — which is the payday Howard seeks.

• Then again, no position player has ever gone through arbitration and received $14 million — the amount the Phillies offered — either.

• So how large is an $18 million salary request by a player who is in only his second year of arbitration eligibility? It’s nearly double the previous record for a hitter in his second year. The old record was $10.5 million, by Derek Jeter in 2000. (Jeter eventually settled at the midpoint — of $10 million.)

• And remember this: Howard has just three-plus years of big league service time. He’s looking for a salary well beyond what any player with five years of service time has gotten. Jeter filed at $18.5 million as a five-plus-year player but wound up earning $11 million in the first year of his 10-year, $189 million contract

So what does all this mean? It means this is just about an impossible case to handicap, because there are no comparable players for the arbitrators to use for reference.

Ultimately, then, this case will come down to the size of the raise this man is seeking — and whether Howard and his agent, Casey Close, can justify it.

The Phillies are getting good reviews for offering a $4 million raise to a player who was already in historic salary territory. And remember, their $14 million offer would be a record for any arb-eligible hitter.

On the other hand, the Phillies did file slightly under the $14.25 million figure the Yankees submitted in Jeter’s final arbitration year (before settling). And Howard has been linked in the past with Miguel Cabrera, who will make $15 million this year (in what would have been his third arbitration season).

So although the Phillies’ case looks more winnable than it did last year, one thing we’ve come to learn about arbitration is: You never know. Ever.

• More Ryan-osity: Meanwhile, word out of Missouri is that Howard has devoted a sizable percentage of his winter workouts to addressing his defensive issues.

One friend who spoke with him says Howard knows he needs to be a “more complete player.” So his three areas of concentration this offseason have been (1) defense, (2) footwork around first base and (3) conditioning.

Once upon a time, when he was in the International League, Howard was voted by the managers — in a Baseball America poll — as the league’s best defensive first baseman. Last season, though, he was one error away from becoming the second first baseman in the past 25 years to commit 20 errors in a season. (The other: Pittsburgh’s Kevin Young, in 1999.)

So if Howard wants to finish his career as a first baseman, he clearly recognizes it’s time to fix his defensive regression.