Staff Blog
Scott Eyre Remains The Favorite Phillie
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Scott Eyre, who the Phillies acquired from the Cubs in exchange for the unfortunatly named
Brian Schlitte in August, in unquestionably the funniest, most affable guy in the Phils’ clubhouse. He has performed well in a limited capacity, but beyond that has provided anecdote after anecdote for writers and teammates alike. When he first arrived he told the press that since he hadn’t had a team the only throwing he had been doing was with his wife (”If I throw it to her left hand she’s fine, but if he throws it at her right hand I get in trouble”) and then, by way of introduction, told his new teammates stories about minor league brawls he has been peripherally involved in.
Anyway, the most recent Eyre story, hidden in Ed Barkowitz’ odds and ends column this morning, is a gem.
The 12-year veteran had been designated for assignment by the
Cubs, which basically put him in baseball limbo, when Phillies general manager
Pat Gillick dialed him up.“I hung up on him the first time he called me,” said
Eyre, a lefthander who – along with third baseman Pedro Feliz – was a member of
the 2002 Giants that lost the World Series to the Angels. “I was driving
home from Chicago
and I hit a dead spot and dropped the call. I tried to call him back and got
the switchboard operator. So I had to ask, ‘Can I have Pat Gillick?’ The lady
kind of chuckled and it took her a minute [to compose herself].”
