CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies rode 140 miles south on two buses last Sunday as the Grapefruit League schedule slogged to its conclusion. Matt Klentak stayed behind. The 35-year-old general manager of the Phillies walked to the Carpenter Complex, where Phillies minor leaguers scrimmaged against each other in two games.
Klentak watched from a perch above home plate. He chatted with a few player-development officials as he shifted his focus from one game to the other. During the weeks spent in Florida, his presence on the back fields was a common sight.
"I really like that," Klentak said.