Small wonder that back-up catcher Chris Coste is a fan favorite in Philadelphia. He typifies the much-vaunted lunchpail mentality, having hung on in the minors for years until finally getting a mid-season call-up two years ago, at age 33. When he finally got his first hit, there was much rejoicing; when he got his first homer, there was more. Then he demonstrated a flair for clutch hitting and stuck around for the rest of the season. Everyone thought he'd make the team last year but the off-season acquisition of veteran Rod Barajas (what a bust he was) put an end to that. The canny Coste, however, talked the Phillies into sending him to double-A Reading rather than triple-A Ottawa. Reading, after all, was a lot closer to Philly. The move worked, and Coste eventually made it back to the bigs to stay for the rest of the season.
Now in spring training, Coste was on the radio the day that Ryan Howard won his arbitration case. Asked how he thought he would handle arbitration, Coste, who makes the league minimum of $385,000, laughed and said, "I turned 35 last week and if I make it to arbitration, I'll be happy. Ten years ago I was making $750 a month. If I made it to arbitration, I'd ask for $10 above the minimum and be satisfied."
Coste also offered his thoughts on the whole steroid mess. His feeling is that the public outing of those caught is humiliation enough to discourage others from using, that no player wanted his reputation tarnished in that way. Is that why accused users such as Lo Duca and Gagne offer such lame apologies, worded so that they never acknowledge what it is exactly that they have done?
