The Sports Granola

In recent seasons, the Phillies have made acquisitions that were completely self-explanatory.Jim Thome was picked up to hit home runs, Billy Wagner to calm down the ninth inning and Jamie Moyer to provide innings at the back end of the rotation. Pedro Feliz was signed for more subtle reasons.

Sure, he’s an excellent defensive third baseman - best in the business by some accounts - and he has pop in his bat. Those attributes appealed to the Phils. But so did this: Feliz is a major-league regular, capable of playing every inning, every day. Last season, manager Charlie Manuel had to pull off a nightly juggling act at third base. He alternately used Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs, depending on the pitching matchup and who was swinging the bat best. When he needed better defense at the position, he’d shuttle Abraham Nunez in and out.

Fortifying third base sometimes meant using three players per game, the starter, a pinch-hitter and a defensive replacement. Moves like that take a toll on a team’s bench resources.

With Feliz at third, Manuel won’t need to use newcomer Eric Bruntlett as a late-game defensive replacement, thus freeing Bruntlett for pinch-hitting and pinch-running. The acquisition of Feliz also allows Manuel to keep the lefthanded hitting Dobbs in reserve for pinch-hitting assignments. Dobbs led the majors with 18 pinch-hit RBIs last season. Helms is still with the club, but his days could be numbered.

“I thought we could gowith Helms and Dobbs at third,” Manuel said. “But Feliz stayed out there [on the free-agent market] and [assistant general manager] Ruben Amaro kept talking to him.

“The big thing with Feliz is he’s an everyday guy. Now I don’t have to use a couple players in the sixth inning. I don’t have to burn two players. It saves our bench and makes us stronger late in games.”

Feliz, who is signed through next season, turns 33 in April. He comes to the Phillies after seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, where he played outfield, first base and third base. He was team’s regular third baseman the last 21/2 seasons.

Although Feliz has never won a Gold Glove, he is a first-rate defensive player. In fact, baseball analyst John Dewan, author of The Fielding Bible, rates him as the top defensive third baseman over the last three years, ahead of Brandon Inge, Scott Rolen and Joe Crede. Dewan uses statistics and the opinions of 10 analysts in reaching his conclusions.

Scouts are also high on Feliz’s defense. “He’s very sure-handed and has an accurate arm,” one rival scout said.In 2007, Feliz led all NL third baseman with a .973 fielding percentage. He committed just 11 errors.

“He’s one of the best third basemen around,” said Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker, who skippered the Giants during Feliz’s first three big-league seasons, 2000-02. As manager of the Chicago Cubs from 2003 to 2006, Baker watched Feliz frequently. “A ball would be hit to him late in a close game and someone on our bench would say, ‘Throw it away.’ I’d say, ‘Forget about it.’ He has as true a throw as any third baseman you’ll see.”

Feliz has a very sound and simple release. He also has above-average range. He gets to bunts quickly. With him and Gold Glove shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies have one of the best left-side infield tandems in baseball. Feliz’s fielding skills were honed on the pocked fields of the Dominican Republic. “I played on fields with rocks and no grass,” he said. “You always had to be ready for bad hops. It prepares you.” The Giants initially signed Feliz for $5,000. Growing up in the Dominican, Feliz developed the free-swinging approach to hitting shared by many of his countrymen. As they say in the Dominican, “You can’t walk off the island.” To appeal to scouts, players swing the bat and try to drive the ball. In some cases, though, plate discipline suffers.

Feliz’s career on-base percentage (.28 is poor. He walked just 29 times as a 150-game full-time player last season. Feliz, however, has knocked in at least 80 runs three times, while hitting at least 20 homers each of the last four seasons. He will hit sixth or seventh and shouldget plenty of RBI chances in the Phillies’ potent lineup. Last season, he hit .310 with runners in scoring position.

“He’ll swing at anything, and the breaking ball gives him trouble,” a rival scout said. “But he should hit 30 home runs in that park.”

In San Francisco, Feliz played in AT&T Park, one of the most difficult places to hit home runs. In Philadelphia, he will play in Citizens Bank Park, one of the easiest. Last season, an average of 1.46 homers per game was hit in San Francisco, while the average per game in Philadelphia was 2.98.

“In San Francisco, he was maligned as a free-swinger, but that’s who he is,” Baker said. “In that lineup and that ballpark, he’ll do well.

“That’s a good signing for the Phillies.”