From There to Here

No big blog post today, but this is a must-see. Brett Myers having a little fun with teammate Kyle Kendrick in Spring Training.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch explains:

PUNKED The Phillies traded Kyle Kendrick to the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese League on Sunday, in return for pitcher Kobayashi Iwamura — at least Kendrick thought so.

“Do they have good food in Japan?” a stunned Kendrick asked reporters as he cleared out his locker at Bright House Networks Field. “I don’t know what to think right now.”

Start thinking of ways to get even.

The whole thing was an elaborate hoax, with contributions from assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.; manager Charlie Manuel; Frank Coppenbarger, director of team travel and clubhouse service; Kendrick’s agent, Joe Urbon; and pitcher Brett Myers.

Kendrick was called out of the weight room and brought to Manuel’s office, where he was told of the trade and asked to sign contractual papers. In a state of shock, he then called Urbon, who played along by telling Kendrick it was a good opportunity. Finally, as the bewildered pitcher tried to answer questions from reporters, Myers stepped in to tell Kendrick, “You just got punked!”

The clubhouse erupted in laughter and Kendrick blew a huge sigh of relief. “I’ve never been so happy. Seriously,” he said. “I was not getting on that flight in the morning. They got me.”

But somewhere in Japan, Kobayashi Iwamura is bumming.

Unfortunately, Brett Myers is still a jerk for beating up his wife outside of Fenway Park in 2006.

BOSTON –Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested Friday and charged with hitting his wife in the face on a street not far from Fenway Park.

The team’s best starter, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday against the Red Sox, pleaded not guilty to assault charges at his arraignment Friday in Boston Municipal Court, said David Procopio, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Myers’ next court date is Aug. 4.