Brotherly love missing from Philly clubhouse

By George Gouvas Sports Central Columnist

In what has been a complete love affair since his hiring in January, Larry Bowa's return to Philadelphia has been better than anyone, including Bowa, could have expected. Since a three-game sweep to open the season in Florida, the Phillies have dominated their NL East rivals, erasing memories of the ninety-seven-loss team that stumbled to the finish line last season. But as the lead in the division has been dwindling, six games over the past two weeks, Bowa's honeymoon may soon turn into a bitter divorce, not with the team, but with his star third baseman Scott Rolen.

After losing two-of-three in Boston, the Phillies figured to right-the-ship in Tampa Bay, with a three-game set, with by far, the worst team in baseball, the Devil Rays. Remember the old saying about the sun shining on a certain dog's body part? Well, it shined brightly through the roof of Tropicana Field, as the Rays' blew through the first-place Phils three straight.

Even losing to Tampa isn't as bad as it gets, the fiery manager, Larry Bowa, got into a very heated exchange with the team's star player, third baseman Scott Rolen. Bowa was quoted in the June 12th edition of the Philadelphia Daily News, "If the number four guy even makes contact in either Boston loss, we sweep the series. He's killing us." Referring to his gold glove third baseman.

Minutes before the second game of the series with Tampa, Rolen marched into Bowa's office, which was the beginning of a twenty-minute exchange, and was heated to say the least. Following the shouting match Rolen said, "I was brought up to take the high road. And this is a good time to look for that high road," he said. "We're a first-place team and I'm going to make an effort not to disrupt that fact. I'm not going to be negative or bring controversy into this situation. Let's not tear down something that isn't really built yet. I didn't know what a bad player I was."

In a time where it seemed the organization had begun its long awaited turnaround, the Phillies may have to begin thinking of life without one of the game's best third baseman. Rolen, is by far, the game's best defensive player at his position, and offensively only Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus would grade better. Besides all that, Rolen is in the third year of a four-year contract and has already turned down the team's initial offer, reportedly a ten-year, $140 million deal.

After getting word of Bowa's comments to the media, Rolen's agent Seth Levinson fired back, "So the team struggles and all of a sudden they want to put it on (Rolen)? Tell Bowa to rest easy. Soon enough, he won't have to worry about Scott at all." Not a good sign for a team who has been above .500 only twice in the past seventeen years.

If problems continue between the hard-headed manager and his soft-spoken all-star third baseman, the Phillies will have no choice but to seek a trade. But, general manager Ed Wade has one big problem. Rolen has a no-trade clause in his current contract that allows him to veto a trade. Scott could decide to remain with the club to the end of the 2002, then walk away, with the Phillies receiving nothing in return.

Through the first two and a half months of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies couldn't get any attention in their own city and had to settle for the back page of the sports section, because of 76ers hysteria. If it were up to Larry Bowa, he'd start the NBA playoffs all over again.