Burrell faces uncertainty

Phillies may let veteran leave

Pat Burrell led the Philadelphia Phillies' parade procession on Friday, riding on a horse-drawn beer wagon. He pumped his fists, clapped his hands, and stood up and pointed to fans lined up along Broad Street.

If this was Burrell's last ride with the Phillies, the slugger will never forget it.

His clutch hit in Game 5 of the World Series helped the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays and capture the second championship in franchise history.

Knowing this might be his last appearance with the Phillies, Burrell savored every minute of the long celebration. While the rest of his teammates rode in flatbed trucks, Burrell sat in front of the carriage with his wife and dog.

He waved to the fans who used to boo him unmercifully and drew loud cheers from the crowd watching parade coverage on the big screen at Citizens Bank Park.

When the team finally made its way inside the ballpark about four hours after the parade began, Burrell was the first player to address the fans.

"We finally did it," he said. "I think you know how important this was for me, being here as long as I have. I want to thank you for your support. You made this possible."

Burrell rode around the warning track before the ceremony in a convertible with Elvis, his English bulldog.

"We love you, Pat. Please stay," one sign read. Others chanted: "Bring back Pat!"

Burrell, the longest-tenured Phillie, just completed the final season of a $50 million, six-year contract he signed after a breakout season in 2002. He made $14 million this season, and should get a more lucrative offer from another team.

The Phillies have 10 players eligible for arbitration, and many of them -- Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino -- will get huge raises. That makes it unlikely the team will offer Burrell a deal similar to his worth on the open market.

"We should keep the team together, of course, it's a championship team," manager Charlie Manuel said. "At the same time, things go down in baseball. A lot of business. We'll have to wait and see what happens."

Burrell is an attractive commodity for an AL team that needs a power-hitting right-handed bat in the middle of its lineup. He fits in nicely in the AL because he can split time at designated hitter and left field or even first base, where he played when he first came up.

Burrell, 32, hit .250 with 33 homers and 86 RBIs this season. Burrell started well, carrying the Phillies' inconsistent offense for stretches in the first half. But he hit just .215 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs after the All-Star break.

METS' BURGOS GETS BAIL: New York Mets pitcher Ambiorix Burgos was released from jail on $57,000 bail by an appeals court in the Dominican Republic after spending three weeks in jail.

He reiterated his innocence in a Sept. 30 car crash that killed two women, Josefina Minaya Martinez, 38, and Angely Fana, 29.

"I was not driving the Hummer when the accident occurred," he told Canal 37, a local TV station.

Burgos still has to report to a magistrate every two weeks until a court date is set and is prohibited from leaving the country without permission from an appeals court.

RED SOX TO STAY IN FORT MYERS: The Boston Red Sox will keep their spring training home in the Fort Myers area for 30 more years after signing an agreement on Saturday with Lee County, Fla. The Red Sox have played in the 7,290-seat City of Palms Park since moving from Winter Haven in 1993.