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 5: JOE BISENIUS

By Jared Trexler

The gradual climb will eventually lead to the top.

You can be certain of that -- his stuff is too good and his steady rise up the organizational ranks too successful.

And if all else fails, there is always magic.

Joe Bisenius walked into Spring Training to find his jersey donning the number"67", the number worn by 33-year-old Wonder Kid Chris Coste during his storybook 2006 season.

Bisenius posted a 2.25 earned run average with an 8-3 record between high-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading last season, but his numbers don't even begin to illustrate management's happiness with the right-hander's progress.

He misses bats.

Good, pure "stuff" is demonstrated in a pitcher's ability to make hitter's swing and miss. Bisenius struck out 95 over 84 innings last season.

He has command of the strike zone.

That important quality, especially at the back end of the bullpen, comes from just 30 walks in 51 appearances. His power fastball with movement still manages to paint the black, a sign of stuff in the arm and the stuff upstairs to harness it in when necessary.

He is mature for his age.

The 24-year-old Iowa native isn't buying the hype. The Phillies have an unsettled bullpen filled with few proven commodities and plenty of question marks fighting to give manager Charlie Manuel an answer.

Bisenius is one of those pitchers, with a promising repertoire and plenty of upside. Even if he doesn't begin the season with the big club as expected, a few months of seasoning at Triple-A Ottawa could lead to the majors before season's end.

That thought hasn't even entered Bisenius' mind.

"I've heard a little bit of it," Bisenius said to the Camden Courier-Post. "I try not to pay too much attention to that stuff. I'm just thinking about improving my game. It's good to know that the organization has faith in me, but I still have to perform so there's no added pressure than what I put on myself."

Sounds like an impressive young man. With the arm to match.

Tomorrow: Alfredo Simon