Phils prospect Cole Hamels, one of their no-touch, can't miss, super-wizbangy type future stars (in the Pat Combs mold), fractured a bone in his pitching hand in a proverbial "altercation" in Clearwater. I guess Cole—Is that really his actual name or is he a character in Tom Hanks' "Bachelor Party"?—forgot Crash Davis's sage advice, " When you get in a fight with a drunk, you don't hit him with your pitching hand". Whatever the reason, Hamels will be out until May.

So starts the untuning of the Phillie rotation

What, am I insane? Hamels was invited to spring training, but had very little chance of making the rotation. How will that affect the rotation especially given that the Phils problem is quality not quantity.

Well, that's true but Hamels was sure to be a mid-season replacement for one of the eventual ineffective or injured starters. I was hoping it would be Cory Lidle. With Gavin Floyd almost a lock to make the rotation, there's not a lot of help in the organization. The previous surefire prospect, Brett Myers, is still floating around, though even the Phils are not incompetent enough to put him back in the rotation. However, Myers and swingman supernumerary Amaury Telemaco will step in if anyone in the rotation falters. I am already on the record for predicting that if Telemaco is in the rotation come May, the Phils are in trouble. Well, the slippery slope just got waxed by Hamels.