Phillies Notes: Phils remember Gwynn the teacher

ATLANTA - All across the Phillies clubhouse Monday afternoon, Tony Gwynn's presence endured. There was Ryne Sandberg, who played alongside Gwynn in 10 All-Star Games. Larry Bowa managed Gwynn for two seasons in San Diego. Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd were tutored there one winter by Gwynn.

And the Hall of Famer's son, Tony Jr., is their teammate. He flew Sunday night with the Phillies to Atlanta, was awakened Monday by the message every child dreads, and departed to grieve. The Phillies mourned by celebrating Gwynn's many legacies, one of which is Tony Jr.

His No. 19 Phillies jersey hung in the dugout Monday night.

"If you shut your eyes and you listen to Junior laugh and talk," Bowa said, "it's a lot like his dad."

Gwynn, 54, died Monday of oral cancer. The Phillies, like the rest of the sport, cherished his otherworldly ability to hit a baseball. Bowa, near the end of the 2002 season, suggested to Rollins that he solicit Gwynn's help.

"It's intimidating," Rollins said. "That's crazy."

"Yeah," Bowa said, "why don't you try it?"

"Right away he was able to figure out the pitches I could handle," Rollins said. "The first 20 swings, the pitches I could handle and the pitches that would be difficult for me to handle. Then he let you figure out how to accomplish his drill. It's that simple. He'd give you tips along the way. He figured out right away where your problems were going to be. You had to do the work. That's part of teaching."

Bowa remembered the time he departed Jack Murphy Stadium late one night after a Padres game and saw an illuminated batting cage while driving home. The next day, Bowa saw Gwynn - always the first to arrive - in the cage.

"Man," Bowa said, "you get here early to hit."

"Yeah, Gwynn said, "last night, too."

"That batting cage I drive by?" Bowa asked.

"Yeah," Gwynn said, "I was hitting."

Sandberg said Gwynn was one of the few players whose batting practice he would watch.

"When players wanted to see batting averages and see how they stacked up, they would look in the sports pages, and for eight years he was the guy at the top everyone was chasing," Sandberg said. "He set the standard."

Gwynn was placed on the bereavement list, which allows him to spend between three and seven days away from the Phillies. They recalled Aaron Altherr from double-A Reading to fill his roster spot.

The Phillies needed an outfielder to replace Gwynn, and Altherr was the only healthy one on the 40-man roster. Darin Ruf, Zach Collier and Kelly Dugan are injured.

Altherr, 23, has not produced at Reading, although a recent 12-game hitting streak improved his numbers. He hit .245 there with a .663 OPS in 52 games. He can play all three outfield positions.

Sandberg said the team considered activating third baseman Cody Asche from the 15-day disabled list, but Asche needs more time to recover from a strained left hamstring. He could rejoin the Phillies in St. Louis.

Cliff Lee (strained left elbow) continued his throwing program. He has yet to throw from a mound, but Sandberg said Lee is "closer" to that stage. . . . Jonathan Pettibone will undergo "exploratory" shoulder surgery, assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said. The 23-year-old righthander has been bothered by shoulder issues since last July.