CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- Mike Lieberthal leaned back in his chair and answered questions with the same ease he's handled everything throughout his career.

His laid-back approach hasn't endeared him to fans in gritty Philadelphia, but the Phillies' veteran catcher would rather concentrate on his performance than worry about how he's perceived.

"I don't think about it," Lieberthal said Sunday.

It doesn't mean Lieberthal doesn't hear the boos and negative remarks.

"It would bother anybody," he said. "But I've been here long enough to know it's not all the fans. It's just some fans taking out their frustrations for us not winning so much."

Though his West Coast-personality doesn't mix well in a blue-collar city that revered guys like Pete Rose and Lenny Dykstra, Lieberthal ought to get more credit for playing through pain, a trait that usually wins over Philly fans.

"You can't say he's not a tough guy," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He never tells you he's hurt. If you ask him, he always says he's fine."

Last year, Lieberthal played with torn cartilage in his already-surgically repaired right knee. He finally had surgery after the season and feels much better now.

His discomfort certainly could have contributed to his lack of production at the plate. Lieberthal hit .263 with 12 homers and 47 RBIs.

"That's your driving leg, your pivot leg. That can be very big," Manuel said.

A first-round pick and No. 3 overall selection in the 1990 draft, the 34-year-old Lieberthal has been with the Phillies longer than any other athlete on any of the pro teams in Philadelphia.

Lieberthal wasn't always a whipping boy for fans. He was popular when he was going to All-Star games earlier in his career. He's become a target for criticism over the last two seasons because he's struggled offensively and the Phillies have failed to live up to playoff expectations.

After hitting .313 with 13 homers and 81 RBIs in 2003, Lieberthal dropped to .271 with 17 homers and 61 RBIs the following year. A strong final month after the Phillies were out of contention inflated those numbers a bit.

Most of his troubles in 2004 came in clutch situations. Lieberthal hit just .142 (19-for-134) with runners in scoring position, forcing former manager Larry Bowa to drop him from sixth to eighth in the batting order.

Lieberthal stayed in the eighth spot most of last season and his numbers with runners in scoring position improved to .247 with one homer and 30 RBIs. Lieberthal hit .328 over the final 39 games as the Phillies finished just one game behind Houston for the NL wild-card spot.

"You're at a slight disadvantage (batting eighth) because the pitcher is behind you," Lieberthal said. "That makes it harder because you don't see as many pitches to hit."

Lieberthal played in 118 games last year, his fewest total for a season in which he didn't spend time on the disabled list. Todd Pratt, who started 49 games, hit .251 with seven homers in 175 at-bats and handled the pitching staff well.

Lieberthal's defensive ability and the way he calls games have come under scrutiny in recent years. No. 1 starter Jon Lieber preferred pitching to Pratt last season, which gave Lieberthal's critics more support.

The Phillies signed Sal Fasano to back up Lieberthal this year. Fasano, who hit .250 with 11 homers in only 160 at-bats for Baltimore, is a solid defensive catcher. Manuel said the 34-year-old Fasano could play anywhere from 50 to 80 games, depending on how Lieberthal performs.

"He's a good communicator with pitchers, he calls a game good and he blocks the ball well," Manuel said. "The biggest reason we got him is the fact he can catch a lot of games if we needed him."

Lieberthal is entering the final year of a contract in which he's making $7.5 million. Though this likely is his last season in Philadelphia, Lieberthal isn't considering retirement.

"I can still hit and I can still play," he said. "I'm sure I'll be somewhere."
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