35 Reasons to Believe

The Phanatic Magazine kicked off its 35 straight days of Phillies on Sunday, one article per day detailing each member battling for position as the season begins. Also, look for Michael Rushton's season outlook, which will cap the offseason look at the Phillies on Opening Day -- April 2nd against Atlanta.

DAY 6: Alfredo Simon

By Jared Trexler

Pat Gillick loves to scourer the globe for talent, especially youngsters with big-league arms.

If there is one main philosophical difference between Gillick and former General Manager Ed Wade, it's that Gillick loves to dabble in foreign markets and low-cost, high-reward supplemental drafts.

Karim Garcia (Japan), Antonio Alfonseca (Mexico), Jim Ed Warden and Alfredo Simon (Rule 5 Draft) are 2007 examples of that.

His operative word is tinker -- with some moves turning into $400,000 flops while others provide key insurance policies for high-priced stars.

No one is pretending Simon is the next coming of Mariano Rivera. But you can't teach heat -- as in a 98 mph fastball that has kept the right-hander's name on the cusp of many big league scouts' speed dial.

Simon was once a Phillie -- ranked the sixth best prospect in the organization by Baseball America back in 2003. That was before he was shipped with outfielder Ricky Ledee to San Francisco for Wade's favorite deadline chip -- an aging middle reliever by the name of Felix Rodriguez.

He has been the definition of mediocre since his exodus from Philadelphia, struggling in 2005 at Double-A Norwich and hitting the proverbial wall -- and plenty of bats -- at High-A San Jose and Triple-A Fresno last season.

He was a starter in Fresno, and not a very good one, compiling an 0-6 record with a 6.75 ERA in 10 starts. His strikeout rate was well below his minor-league average and he gave up 72 hits in only 52 innings.

But he still threw hard.

And that's what convinced Gillick to bring Simon back to where he started his professional baseball career, hoping a possible change of scenery could rejuvenate his succes on the mound.

Even if it doesn't pan out, Gillick took a chance that signifies his rein as general manager.

2003 and Lakewood -- 5-0 record with a 3.79 ERA and 66 punchouts in 71.1 innings -- seem so far away.

But it only takes luck and the gumption to create it. That is what Gillick is hanging his hat on.

Well that and Simon's right arm.

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TOMORROW: Eude Brito