Two months ago, the Phillies were in Minnesota and Cesar Hernandez was banished to the bench.
Manager Pete Mackanin summoned his henchman. Larry Bowa, the 70-year-old bench coach, accompanied Hernandez to a batting cage. Get on top of the ball, Bowa told him. Hit it on the ground. Keep it out of the air.
Hernandez, as Mackanin remembered it, smiled at Bowa. The second baseman thought the fiery baseball lifer was kidding. Bowa made his point a little clearer in uncertain terms.
"It was," Mackanin said, "a little tough love Larry gave him."
In a 4-2 win Saturday over St.