It's not every day that you hear a baseball player describe his teammates as a bunch of "absolutely great blokes." But that's just what you'll hear if you stop by Grant Karlsen's locker at the Phillies' minor-league complex in Clearwater, Fla.

And if you ask nicely, you might also get him to say, "Foster's. Australian for beer." That is, if he's not sick of saying it by now.

Karlsen is an 18-year-old catcher from Melbourne, Australia. While his teammates are fascinated with his accent, Phillies officials are impressed with his baseball tools. That's why they signed him in January after he had played on his country's national under-19 team and participated for two years in the developmental academy that Major League Baseball runs in conjunction with the Australian Baseball Federation.

Karlsen has not even played in an official minor-league game yet, but already, Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies' assistant general manager in charge of player development, considers him the top catching prospect in the organization.

That's an indication of Karlsen's potential. It also is an indication of just how thin the Phillies are when it comes to catching prospects in their system.

Karlsen, a good-natured 6-foot-2 185-pounder, was pursued by the Minnesota Twins and the Colorado Rockies. He chose to sign with the Phillies because "it sounded like the right sort of club." Does that mean he was aware of the opportunities that may exist for catchers in the Phillies' system?

"That's what I was told by scouts," he said. "The reason they wanted me was I was fairly solid behind the dish. I was told that was missing in the organization." Arbuckle watched Karlsen all spring and again last week in extended spring-training camp. He likes what he has seen.

"He's looks like he's going to develop into a good catch-and-throw guy," Arbuckle said. "He also looks like he might have some power potential with the bat. He's wiry strong. He's got a good frame. We think he'll get stronger. And he's got a good aptitude for learning."

Because of his youth and inexperience, Karlsen, a righthanded hitter, will be assigned to the Phillies' Gulf Coast rookie-league team in June. He's a long way from Philadelphia - and no one knows whether he will ever get there - but the journey has begun.

Actually, the journey began when Karlsen was 6, when he started playing T-ball. He loved baseball and played it regularly, as he said many Australian youths do. "Thousands of kids play till they're 16, then they drop out," he said. Karlsen not only stuck with it, he concentrated on it. He was a promising competitive swimmer but gave that up to play baseball. "I've been playing nonstop since I was 14," he said. "I just love it."

Being so far away from home isn't easy. Karlsen keeps in touch with his family via e-mail. He has a picture of his 16-month-old brother, Daniel, hanging in his locker. "It's hard being away," he said. "But it's the price I have to pay to fulfill my dream of playing in the big leagues. Maybe one day I'll make enough money to bring my family here."

Several Australians have made it to the majors, including shortstop Craig Shipley, pitchers Graeme Lloyd and Luke Prokopec, and catcher Dave Nilsson. Nilsson was one of Karlsen's instructors on the Australian under-19 team.

Karlsen is one of four Australians in the Phillies' system. Shortstops Bradley Harman and Mitchell Graham, and righthanded pitcher Scott Mitchinson are at the MLB academy in Australia. If they progress, they too could someday earn a training visa and come to the United States.

The biggest baseball adjustment Karlsen has faced in the States is the players' intensity and how much harder the pitchers throw.

Most of his lifestyle adjustments have centered on language. "People don't understand my slang," he said, laughing. "Over here, they call a fastball 'cheese.' We call it 'cheddar.' " Coaches and teammates can't get enough of Karlsen's accent. "They give me a lot of crap about it, but it's all in fun," he said. "They try to get me to say, 'Foster's. Australian for beer,' and things like that."

Shortly after Karlsen arrived in Clearwater, some of his teammates took him to an Outback steakhouse. Surely he must have felt at home there? "I'd never heard of it," he said. "A few customers made fun of me. They thought I was putting on an accent. I thought that was a bit harsh, but it was all in good fun."