Wagner Awaited By Philly Faithful

Billy Wagner is a hell of a closer, maybe the best in the business. Unfortunately, the guy is an arrogant a-hole.

Wagner is visiting his old team for the first time and has been outspoken:

Wagner told The Philadelphia Inquirer for Sunday's editions that he was not well-liked in the Phillies clubhouse, his former teammates were waiting to see him fail and left fielder Pat Burrell called him a "rat" during a midseason team meeting last year.

Hey Billy, you must have done something to make Burrell call you "a rat". That's not a usual put-down unless it has to do with...Well, you being a rat.

The division-leading Mets open a three-game series Tuesday at second-place Philadelphia. The Phillies wrapped a three-game series Sunday with San Francisco and the Barry Bonds circus.

"Now it goes from Bonds to Wagner," Phillies starter Brett Myers said in mock indignation.

Forget the heckling Bonds received. The Phillies fans will surely stuff the fence over the visitor's bullpen where Wagner will sit within earshot of the nonstop abuse.

Bonds handled the abuse pretty well. He jacked a gargantuan homerun and didn't have any outbursts at the Phillies fans.

Bonds was of course a good distance from the fans, Wagner won't have that luxury. The visitors bullpen at Citizens Bank is right below the main food area (see picture above) and they will be ready to rain hell (and beer) down on Wagner. Here's a taste of what visiting relievers can expect:

In the first weeks of the Park's existence, it was like the Old West out there. Regular bullpen denizens reported that pitchers from the Mets and Dodgers got into verbal confrontations with fans, and occasionally pitchers got a light beer shower. Visiting players emerged from the area shell-shocked, and fans who ventured there with children in tow complained to the Phillies front office.

"I've never been cursed at so much in my life," Arizona's Matt Mantei said.

"It's awful," Marlins reliever Chad Fox said. "The language was unbelievable."

Let's flashback to how glorious it used to be for Wagner:

It's not all negative. When Phillies closer Billy Wagner warms up in a save situation, it feels like a rock concert out there.

"They roar," Shaw said. "People sitting in the stands get right up and go over to watch. They love to hear that ball hit the glove."

"It's fun to listen to him pitch," Figarole said.

It may still sound like a rock concert, probably like one of the myriad Guns & Roses shows where Axl didn't show up.

Enjoy your first of many visits, Billy. Just in case you didn't know it, Flash Gordon has a perfect save record (10 total) and a microscopic ERA (0.61). Billy has more than triple the ERA and four less saves.

Scorboard baby.