Friday, November 05, 2004
Charlie in Charge...
Charlie Manuel took the reins yesterday as the Phillies 50th manager. The reaction from the Phillies blogosphere (check out Tom Goodman's thoughts on Manuel at Swing & A Miss, as well as Balls Sticks & Stuff, and Shallow Center) and media have been positive, the reaction from the fans less so. Jim Salisbury makes a good case for Manuel in the Inquirer and while I hate to play the echo chamber, I agree with him.
Bowa was a classically Philadelphia kind of guy: tough, firey … but Manuel is a better fit for this team. He’s been successful in the past (remember, he took the Indians to the 2001 ALDS) and his personality meshes well with this team: he's calm, a good friend of Thome and a smart manager. This team needs a player's coach, who won't let the player walk all over him. I think Manuel is the man.
The differences in personality between Manuel and Bowa remind me of the differences in personality between Generals Omar Bradley and George S. Patton. Most people who watch the film Patton come away with two thoughts: 1) George C. Scott turned in a masterful performance as Patton (which I agree with wholeheartedly); and 2) Patton was a brilliant general, which I disagree with. Patton uniquely understood how technology had changed warfare, which made him a brilliant tactician, but as a strategist Patton was a poor general: he launched unnecessary attacks, took too many risks and failed to heed advice that countered his assumptions. Bradley, in contrast, was a savvy general who lacked Patton’s charisma, but was a better planner and a complex strategist. The Army Group (the 12th, I think) functioned better under Bradley’s leadership than it would have under Patton’s.
Similarly, I think this team will function better under Manuel than Bowa. Was there any doubt that Bowa’s yelling and screaming wore thin with this veteran team? By all accounts the Phillies player had simply started to tune Bowa out, which means they lost respect for him as a leader. I doubt any team can really be successful while regarding its leader as a distraction or an irritant. And you have to wonder how Bowa’s reputation played with Phillies efforts to recruit free agents…
Manuel’s relationship with Thome will hopefully help Thome recover from what was, for him, a subpar end to the year. The question will be whether or not the Phillies will be more talented in 2005, a question that will depend greatly on whether the team can resign Placido Polanco and if it has the common-sense to let Eric Milton go, as it should. Resign Polanco, upgrade the pitching (i.e., letting Milton walk: the whole addition by subtraction thing) and find a decent centerfielder, and the Phillies should win 92-95 games in 2005 under Manuel’s leadership.
Blog on...
Bowa was a classically Philadelphia kind of guy: tough, firey … but Manuel is a better fit for this team. He’s been successful in the past (remember, he took the Indians to the 2001 ALDS) and his personality meshes well with this team: he's calm, a good friend of Thome and a smart manager. This team needs a player's coach, who won't let the player walk all over him. I think Manuel is the man.
The differences in personality between Manuel and Bowa remind me of the differences in personality between Generals Omar Bradley and George S. Patton. Most people who watch the film Patton come away with two thoughts: 1) George C. Scott turned in a masterful performance as Patton (which I agree with wholeheartedly); and 2) Patton was a brilliant general, which I disagree with. Patton uniquely understood how technology had changed warfare, which made him a brilliant tactician, but as a strategist Patton was a poor general: he launched unnecessary attacks, took too many risks and failed to heed advice that countered his assumptions. Bradley, in contrast, was a savvy general who lacked Patton’s charisma, but was a better planner and a complex strategist. The Army Group (the 12th, I think) functioned better under Bradley’s leadership than it would have under Patton’s.
Similarly, I think this team will function better under Manuel than Bowa. Was there any doubt that Bowa’s yelling and screaming wore thin with this veteran team? By all accounts the Phillies player had simply started to tune Bowa out, which means they lost respect for him as a leader. I doubt any team can really be successful while regarding its leader as a distraction or an irritant. And you have to wonder how Bowa’s reputation played with Phillies efforts to recruit free agents…
Manuel’s relationship with Thome will hopefully help Thome recover from what was, for him, a subpar end to the year. The question will be whether or not the Phillies will be more talented in 2005, a question that will depend greatly on whether the team can resign Placido Polanco and if it has the common-sense to let Eric Milton go, as it should. Resign Polanco, upgrade the pitching (i.e., letting Milton walk: the whole addition by subtraction thing) and find a decent centerfielder, and the Phillies should win 92-95 games in 2005 under Manuel’s leadership.
Blog on...
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