During the Philadelphia Phillies' recent trip to Los Angeles, relief pitcher Scott Eyre's assigned locker was tucked into a recessed slot in the far corner of the visitors' clubhouse.

Considering his background, Eyre was perfectly happy to be residing in Dodger Stadium's version of Magna -- a remote, almost hidden town in the west end of the Salt Lake Valley, where Cyprus High School produced the first Utah prep baseball player to appear in the World Series for the winning team.

Eight months later, Eyre still speaks with wonder about his triumph in Philadelphia.

"It was so cold," he said, remembering the atmosphere of Citizens Bank Park, "but you're not even cold anymore, you know what I mean? The champagne does sting your eyes, but there's nothing cold anymore, nothing hurts-- your arm's not sore, your back's not sore. It took a little while to reflect and realize, 'I'm a World Series champion.' "

Eyre, 37, is savoring that memory, while contemplating retirement during a season when he recently made his 600th career appearance on the mound.

The Phillies' victory over Tampa Bay came only a little more than two months after the Chicago Cubs were preparing to release him (eventually trading him for a minor-leaguer) and six years after he barely missed winning a title with San Francisco. Until then, Eyre was part of a long list of Utah high school graduates who had lost in their only World Series opportunity. West's Fred Sanford pitched for the champion New York Yankees in 1949 and ' 50, winning a total of 12 regular-season games, but he did not appear in the Series either year.

Eyre distinguished himself against Tampa Bay, while facing only two batters -- actually, the same guy twice. Akinora Iwamura, Tampa Bay's leadoff batter, struck out and lined out against Eyre in Games 3 and 4. Added to his solid outings in the two previous playoff series and a strong finish of the regular season, that work was sufficient for teammates such as Jimmy Rollins and Brad Lidge to tell Eyre, "We wouldn't have been here without you."

Joining her son on the field during the celebration that night, Peggy Eyre told him, "This is much better than last time."

Bob Fratto felt the same way. The Cyprus coach still believes he jinxed his former star by thinking the Giants had wrapped up the 2002 title, before the Angels rallied from five runs down in Game 6.

"It's been awesome, kind of living through him all these years," said Fratto, who was just starting his teaching and coaching career when Eyre arrived at Cyprus, having moved from California with his mother and four siblings at age 14. "He's provided me some great thrills, and he's been very good to Cyprus, and especially good to me."

When the Cyprus team took a spring trip to Arizona last year, Eyre bought pizza and spent a few hours talking with the players, who "couldn't believe it," Fratto said. Fratto makes regular trips to watch Eyre pitch, and Eyre is encouraging him to bring some old teammates to San Francisco next month, just in case this is his last season.

He's still pitching very well. Other than an April game against Washington in which he gave up four runs without recording an out -- "I went walk, homer, walk, homer, walk," he said, laughing -- he has not allowed an earned run all season, in 25 appearances. But injuries such as the strained calf muscle, which recently landed him on the 15-day disabled list, and the fact he'll have 10 years of official service toward his Major League Baseball pension may lead Eyre away from the game.

"I've got no complaints, for a little kid that graduated from high school in Utah," he said. "If this is it, I'll go home happy. I don't know how many Utah guys have 10 years in the big leagues."

Only a few, and none of those other guys won a World Series.

So the left-hander, who always rebuffed any honors from his old school by telling Fratto he had not accomplished anything, might finally let Cyprus retire his jersey, even if he keeps playing.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com