Former Brave Brogna says he supports Rolen

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Posted 6:42AM on Tuesday, March 19, 2002

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen has at least one strong ally in the organization - former teammate Rico Brogna. Only eight months into retirement from the Atlanta Braves, Brogna is a first-year hitting coach for the Double-A Reading Phillies. He has closely followed news of Rolen's refusal to negotiate a contract extension because Rolen believes the team's owners aren't committed to winning. If Brogna is forced to pick sides, he's opting to support his close friend. ``I bleed Phillies red, but I'm his friend first,'' Brogna said. ``I have no problem saying that. I would be a hypocrite if I said otherwise just become I'm a coach. I went to war with Scottie for four years. We sweat, bled, hugged and cried.'' Brogna, who was a productive first baseman and teammate of Rolen in Philadelphia from 1997 through 2000, is very much aware of Rolen's contract situation and his long battles with management. The biggest problem, Brogna suggested, is Rolen's on-again, off-again feud with manager Larry Bowa. ``When you have the manager not speaking with the best player for a long time, that's going to cause trouble for the team,'' Brogna said. ``Even if you agree to disagree, it still should be worked out. They need to hash it out before spring training ends. I think it's vital. ``There's got to be a burden lifted off everyone's shoulders. They need to say, 'Hey we have one goal, one mission and let's go try to win.''' Meanwhile, Rolen is shrugging off an apparent dispute with another member of the Phillies organization. Rolen had a long and sometimes loud discussion under the stands at spring training Saturday with third base coach John Vukovich, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Monday. Rolen, who can become a free agent at the end of the year, shrugged off the discussion. Rolen will be a free agent after the 2002 season. Brogna believes Bowa could be the deciding factor in Rolen's decision to leave the organization. ``The chances of Scotty coming back get slimmer and slimmer when situations like that happen,'' Brogna said. ``I don't want to speak for him, but I know he's the kind of guy who values relationships very strongly. If he feels like he's appreciated and cared for, he'll do anything for anybody that feels for him that way.'' Brogna and Rolen had a long talk this spring. It was obvious to Brogna that Rolen is feeling a lot of stress from his ordeal with management. ``I could tell,'' Brogna said. ``He's a private guy who just wants to go about his business. The attention for him is an uncomfortable situation.'' Brogna, 31, retired last July because of health problems. He played his entire career with a spinal condition and bad knees. His best years were with the Phillies from 1997-99, when he averaged 22 homers and 96 RBIs. In May 2000, Brogna broke his forearm and lost his starting job to Pat Burrell. He was released that August, struggled the rest of the season with Boston and again last year with Atlanta. Last July, with his average at .248 and his health declining, Brogna retired. Last fall, Brogna, a former prep quarterback star, was the head football coach at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Conn., where he led a struggling program to a 2-8 record. Brogna signed on for another year and now he's also back in baseball. ``I love coaching, but I miss playing,'' Brogna said. ``I don't know if I want to manage someday, but I'm going to ride this out and see what happens.'' Notes: Four days after leaving the team because he was taken off the 40-man roster, pitching prospect Jesus Cordero reconsidered and told club officials he'll be in uniform Friday at the minor-league complex. Cordero, 22, was acquired in an offseason trade from Los Angeles and is expected to start the season in Class AA.