Ruben Amaro Is Concerned About Roy Halladay
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Roy Halladay had his worst start of Spring Training this week, something you've probably heard a thing or two about. His velocity topped out at around 87 MPH, and he said he felt "lethargic" because of his new workout routine after the game.
Fans seemed concerned, the media seemed concerned, and both Charlie Manuel and Roy Halladay seemed concerned. You can add Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro to that list.
"Yeah, of course. I mean I have to [worry about Halladay]. I get paid to worry about that, " Amaro told Angelo Cataldi and the WIP Morning Show on Thursday.
Cataldi asked where Amaro's level concern is on a scale from one to ten.
LISTEN: The WIP Morning Show interviews Ruben Amaro Jr.
"Probably a five and a half, or six," Amaro said. "Honestly, if Roy, and we talked about this last year because some of the things that Roy went through last year are particularly different than this year. He's working on different mechanics to get himself to the arms lot where he is throwing consistently. He's going to have a little bit better velocity, and I think he will, as he continues to go through the Spring. If he doesn't gain more velocity through the Spring then it will become more of a concern for me. What it is a bigger concern is to get him to a consistent release point and mechanics in his delivery because he is such a precise pitcher. He is so precise that things have to work mechanically well for him to have success. And yea, of course it concerns me. He's been one of the best pitchers in the game and he's a guy that we rely on a lot, and I know he's very accountable for all that stuff, but we need him---I need him to perform and that's going to be a big part of our club. If he's not able to perform close to Roy Halladay of the past, it's going to be a more of a challenge for us."
