The guy who has stood out as being special is Howard. You don't walk in and just replace Jim Thome, but you can't possibly do any better than he has.

He's not the old Bonds, but he can still hit.

He's not the old (Bonds), but he can still hit. I still think he's the best player I've ever played against or seen. He's at about 85-90 percent, but he's better than any baseball player out there.

I don't want to go up there and be a bad apple. I'm just not a very good spring pitcher. I don't want to hurt my team by going out there and not being as effective as I want to.

Gerry is a solid baseball man. He knows what he's doing.

Gerry would be a fine fit in Philadelphia. I know Gerry, and I know what he's capable of. He's one guy that can go out there and get things done. He's fantastic, and he'll go out there and find that piece that's missing to get you over the hump.

I don't know, I would like to. We will see how it reacts (today) and go from there.

I don't know if Philly is my first choice, but I like it enough to come back. They still have time.

He's the greatest player I've ever played against. For him to break it, it's good for the game.

I played against him so long, he's not a teammate.