Musical Bleachers Seats

I am getting the feeling that the Phillies are being used by the three free agents that they are avidly pursuing (Jime Thome, Tom Glavine, and David Bell) to drive up the offers from their other pursuers. Both Bell and Thome have gone back to their teams from 2002 and asked for them to up the ante while Glavine will play his three wooers against each other to get the four-year contract he desires. It may just that they are bargaining in good faith, but I get the feeling-and maybe this is just a good old normal inferiority complex that attends all Phillies' fans-that none of these players intends to play for the lowly Phils, especially after their rather public feud with their former star, Scott Rolen.

Perhaps the Phillies will find that you can't run your team like a White Castle franchise for 10 years and then expect people to believe you when you act like Tavern On The Green. Even if the money is what they crave, the players know better.