N.L. East

Sporting News, The, July 26, 1999

Finally catching on

Who are you, and what have you done with Mike Lieberthal?

A career .252 hitter entering this year, Lieberthal, 27, hit .308 with 18 homers (two off his career high) and 61 RBIs (16 off his previous best) in the first half of the season, which earned him a trip to the All-Star Game.

The Phillies were widely criticized when they drafted Lieberthal, a 155-pound Westlake (Calif.) High School prospect, third overall in 1990. After all, they had passed over Alex Fernandez and Mike Mussina.

After toiling in the minors for a few years--never posting eye-catching numbers--Lieberthal saw spot duty in call-ups in 1994 and '95. In '96, he came up for good as Benito Santiago's backup.

Following the '96 season, the Phillies were faced with a tough choice: re-sign Santiago, a free agent, or hand the job to Lieberthal? Phillies ace Curt Schilling made his feelings clear. He wanted Santiago.

But Schilling's bosses decided they had seen enough to give Lieberthal a shot. He didn't let them down, as he hit 20 home runs and continued to develop defensively. But last year, Lieberthal was limited to 86 games as he baffled injuries before his season was ended by a pelvic injury in July.

Lieberthal was still feeling pain when spring training began. But after about two weeks, the pain disappeared and he hit .474.

After the Phillies fell out of wild-card contention last year following Lieberthal's exit from the lineup, it was evident how important he was. "He calls a game as good as anyone in baseball," Schilling said in the spring. "He's one of the most important-if not the most important-people on this roster."

That was quite a turnaround for one of Philadelphia's most outspoken players. But then, it has been quite a turnaround for Lieberthal. --Stephen Siegel

Atlanta 57-35: 1st

Smoltz encouraged by rehab, ready to return

John Smoltz, who worked two innings last Saturday in a final rehab outing with Class AA Greenville, will rejoin the club this week in Florida and start against the Phillies on Saturday. Smoltz allowed five hits and two runs, but his line was the least of his worries. All he wanted from his two appearances was to pitch pain-free, and he did. "My biggest problem is patience and waiting," he said. After their four-city trip, the Braves have two days off at home before heading to Pittsburgh, which will allow Smoltz some extra rest if he needs it.

LEAD CONCERN: Walt Weiss went hitless in 10 at-bats against the Yankees and is 4-for-42 (.095) since coming off the disabled list July 1. Gerald Williams was the leadoff hitter last Saturday and went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer. Although Williams has the best on-base percentage among the team's leadoff men, he won't play regularly unless Ryan Klesko is shifted back to first base. Overall, the leadoff men are hitting a combined .223 and have an on-base percentage of .302, which ranks 15th in the N.L. GM. John Schuerholz needs to add another bat, whether it's a leadoff hitter/outfielder or a first baseman, before the July 31 trade deadline. There's no way to replace Andres Galarraga's production, but it's hard to imagine the club going far in the postseason with rookie Randall Simon at first base and Weiss as the leadoff hitter.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: There's more to Kevin Millwood's turnaround from a poor start than a simple upgrade of his pitches. Just like there's more to Tom Glavine getting back on track after a dismal April and May than sharpening the command of his changeup. Quietly, Hall of Famer Don Sutton has been offering advice to any pitcher who approaches him, and about a half-dozen in the team's clubhouse have sought his counsel. "I talk to him about pitching in general," Millwood says. "Out of all the guys I have to go to here, he's in the Hall of Fame, so I'd be crazy not to talk to (him)." --Bill Zack

GRADING OUT

OFFENSE B

Middle of lineup is producing, but Weiss and Boone aren't setting table for the big bats.

PITCHING B

John Smoltz's return from the disabled list will give the rotation a big boost.

DEFENSE B

Infield makes the routine plays; center fielder Andruw Jones makes the spectacular ones.

BRAVES

               AVG    G    AB    R    H   HR   RBI

Lopez         .314   59   223   29   70   11    39
C. Jones(#)   .313   90   335   64  105   22    58
Klesko( )     .307   77   238   33   73   15    53
Jordan        .297   90   353   66  105   18    76
(*)Simon( )   .297   57   145   20   43    2    13
A. Jones      .273   92   341   58   93   18    54
Williams      .266   79   173   31   46    7    33
Hunter        .264   61    87   18   23    4    16
E. Perez      .253   54   162   11   41    2    12
Boone         .253   89   356   59   90   11    33
Weiss(#)      .229   55   192   25   44    1    20
Guillen( )    .225   59   182   16   41    0    12
Lockhart( )   .213   61    80    8   17    1     7
Nixon(#)      .172   57   122   23   21    0     7

               OBP    SLG   SB    K   BB    E

Lopez         .370   .538    0   39   18    4
C. Jones(#)   .429   .594   10   61   70   12
Klesko( )     .371   .571    1   45   28    6
Jordan        .359   .516    8   48   30    3
(*)Simon( )   .364   .407    1   12   15    1
A. Jones      .357   .504   12   62   41    4
Williams      .333   .439    7   26   18    2
Hunter        .350   .483    0   25    8    3
E. Perez      .287   .340    0   19    6    3
Boone         .320   .402    8   71   33    4
Weiss(#)      .315   .307    6   30   25    9
Guillen( )    .270   .280    4   16   12    6
Lockhart( )   .284   .263    2   12    8    0
Nixon(#)      .282   .205   17   11   19    1

GRAND SLAMS: Jordan (1)

                 ERA    W-L    G      IP     H    R

Remlinger( )    1.64    2-1   38    44.0    37   10
Seanez          2.21    5-0   41    40.2    31   10
Rocker( )       2.79    2-3   44    42.0    29   14
Millwood        3.20   11-4   18   118.0    96   49
(*)McGlinchy    3.40    5-3   43    45.0    43   19
Maddux          3.66   10-5   20   130.1   154   61
Glavine( )      4.07    8-8   20   137.0   146   64
(*)Chen( )      5.63    0-1    3   160.0    13   10
Springer        5.66    1-1   22    20.2    17   13
(*)O.Perez( )   5.79    4-6   17   912.0    96   62
Hudek           7.56    0-1   15    16.2    23   16

                ER   HR    K   BB   SV   Avg.

Remlinger( )     8    3   43   18    0   .226
Seanez          10    2   34   13    3   .208
Rocker( )       13    2   59   19   18   .188
Millwood        42   11   96   37    0   .220
(*)McGlinchy    17    4   45   25    0   .262
Maddux          53   11   75   23    0   .294
Glavine( )      62   10   73   48    0   .281
(*)Chen( )      10    5   14    8    0   .228
Springer        13    2   23   13    0   .221
(*)O.Perez( )   59   12   81   51    0   .270
Hudek           14    1   17   14    0   .319