A smattering of applause greeted Pete Mackanin as he strode to home plate Sunday afternoon with the 162nd lineup card of this forgettable Phillies season. The tepid cheers spread across a half-filled Citizens Bank Park. Then, the Phillies dugout emptied to show its appreciation for Mackanin, the caretaker of this baseball team during its teardown and subsequent rebuilding process.
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The last curtain call of an 11-0 Phillies win over New York was reserved for Nick Williams. He is a 24-year-old rookie who loves to swing and possesses boundless potential. He zipped around the bases in the eighth inning for a three-run, inside-the-park home run, the exclamation point on his rookie season.