Stats show Pat Burrell's been steady since 2000

THAT PAT BURRELL'S career with the Phillies tends to be greeted with shrugs and what-ifs is pretty much a given at this point. In his ninth season now, there seems little chance of that changing. Opinions are formed, attitudes hardened. In this town, a made-up mind is a terrible thing to face.

Yet the numbers beckon, if anyone is willing to listen.

Since 2000, when Burrell broke in with the Phillies, there are only 23 players who have hit at least 200 homers and driven in at least 750 runs. He is one of them. Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Pat Burrell - all on the same chart.

Surprised, right?

That he is one of the top two-dozen power hitters of this era is unquestioned. History surely will view Burrell that way. The reply will come back that more was expected of the first pick of the 1998 draft - and, well, fine.

But if you look at the players who made their major league debut in 2000, Burrell is so clearly the premier slugger of that class that it isn't even arguable. His 236 homers are 70 more than the guy behind him on the table, Aubrey Huff. His 788 RBI are 193 more than Huff. Again, it is not close.

Yet the feeling you get is that of a person shouting into a brisk wind, the words swallowed up, gone.

"You have to look at it this way," Burrell was saying yesterday, sitting in a little runway next to the Phillies' dugout at Citizens Bank Park.

"Here in Philadelphia, we're pretty fortunate," he said. "There are guys like Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard and Chase Utley on this team - not just stars but superstars. So, for me, I'm just trying to go out there and do everything I can to help us win.

"When you look at the big picture, when a guy like Howard hits 50 home runs a year, year after year, it's tough to look at a guy who hits 30 and say, 'He's doing a great job.' That's just realistic with the kind of team this is."

Burrell is all about matter-of-fact. He always has been. He cultivates neither media people nor attention. If you can find him, he will answer the questions - but you do have to find him first. That is unlikely to change.

But sitting there yesterday, holding a piece of paper containing that list of sluggers since 2000, the list on which he figures significantly, it was clear that Burrell himself was at least a little bit surprised about part of it, too.

"There's a lot of guys I admire," he said, scanning the list, his eyes running up and down. Then, he stopped.

"I mean, Chipper Jones," Burrell said. "He's having an incredible year. He's had what I consider to be a great career. And he's got 12 more homers and 30-something more RBIs ... I wouldn't have thought that. I wouldn't have thought I was that close.

"I mean, all of these guys are great players. 'Thomes,' I had a chance to play with. [Jason] Giambi, A-Rod, these guys' numbers are incredible."

For years, it seems, Burrell has been tied to twin anvils as far as the people of this town are concerned: his huge contract for one, and his disastrous 2003 season for another. That one season, especially - when Burrell hit only .209 - seems unshakeable in the public consciousness. Even as he has built from that, and really taken off in the last 12 calendar months, the past remains predominant somehow.

"That's got something to do with it,'' Burrell said, evenly. "People who play the game for a long time, they do have bad years - some worse than others. Mine was terrible. I think I hit 21 homers that year and I don't remember any of them. I couldn't tell you one of them because it was that difficult of a year ...

"But it made me a better player. To look back and see where I have come from there, it's a world of difference.''

A lot of the change has been physical - for example, Burrell's struggle with a bum foot has been underplayed through the years. But it is more than that. He always has been an early-to-the-ballpark guy, but he says his conditioning is the best it has ever been.

"I'm in better shape now than since I was probably 22," said Burrell, who is 31. "I think I'm playing better now than I ever have, just my understanding of the game, my approach to hitting, when and what and situations. I don't know how long I'm going to play but I really do feel like, at this time, I'm playing my best.

"I really do think I'd like to play 5 more years. After that, I don't know - health becomes such a concern. You look at Chipper Jones and he's just constantly having problems now. The name of the game, really when you get past 30, is taking care of yourself. Part of the game gets easier in some ways. The hardest thing can be staying healthy.

"But in the last few years, winning has meant so much to me. Playing here and getting a chance to be a part of the change, it has been so fulfilling. I realize now what these other teams have been doing. It's the only way to play, to have this chance to win ... This organization has gone out and done everything it can to help us to win. Now it's up to the players. Everything is here."

As everyone knows, Burrell will be a free agent after this season. The notion that they would re-sign him was once scoffed at as an impossibility. Maybe it still is. Maybe this team will conclude that it simply cannot commit so many of its dollars to offense. Maybe.

"I'd love to stay," Burrell said. "If they would want me to come back, I'd love to come back. But I've been around a long time and I understand that it's a business. They're going to determine the needs they need to fulfill and I might be a piece that doesn't fit. I understand that. But if I had the chance, I would stay - no doubt."

If Burrell doesn't stay, no one can pretend that it will be simple to patch the hole. All right, maybe you can pretend. But anyone with eyes and a willingness to use them can see the truth.
 
Pat's on top
Players who made their major league debuts in 2000 and have more than 100 home runs and 300 RBI. Totals do not include last night's games:
1. PAT BURRELL 236 HR, 788 RBI
2. Aubrey Huff 166 HR, 595 RBI
3. Joe Crede 122 HR, 408 RBI
4. Jimmy Rollins 120 HR, 510 RBI
5. Pedro Feliz 117 HR, 449 RBI
6. Morgan Ensberg 110 HR, 347 RBI
7. Michael Young 109 HR, 603 RBI
8. Eric Byrnes 101 HR, 365 RBI
 
Power numbers
Players who since 2000 have more than 200 home runs and 750 RBI. Totals do not include last night's games:
1. Alex Rodriguez 382 HR, 1,077 RBI
2. Jim Thome 324 HR, 852 RBI
3. Manny Ramirez 307 HR, 971 RBI
4. Albert Pujols 298 HR, 903 RBI
5. Carlos Delgado 291 HR, 939 RBI
6. Andruw Jones 290 HR, 867 RBI
7. Vladimir Guerrero 283 HR, 931 RBI
8. Lance Berkman 274 HR, 897 RBI
9. Jason Giambi 273 HR, 802 RBI
10. David Ortiz 269 HR, 871 RBI
11. Richie Sexson 261 HR, 779 RBI
12. Paul Konerko 253 HR, 815 RBI
13. Carlos Lee 251 HR, 869 RBI
14. Chipper Jones 248 HR, 819 RBI
15. Gary Sheffield 247 HR, 781 RBI
16. Todd Helton 245 HR, 892 RBI
17. PAT BURRELL 236 HR, 788 RBI
18. Miguel Tejada 233 HR, 935 RBI
19. Aramis Ramirez 226 HR, 784 RBI
20. Carlos Beltran 224 HR, 807 RBI
21. Luis Gonzalez 218 HR, 758 RBI
22. Jeff Kent 212 HR, 821 RBI
23. Magglio Ordonez 209 HR, 841 RBI

(philly.com)