Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Charlie Manuel will be back...
First the Phillies news … the Phillies let go three coaches yesterday, a move that is seen by most as a prelude to the Phillies retaining Charlie Manuel as manager for 2007. Generally speaking I am pleased to see Manuel return as the Phillies manager. I find his calm demeanor and gregarious personality a more than welcome change from Larry Bowa, who burned his teams out in 2003 and 2004 with his brutal temper and screaming.
I think that 2007 will be Manuel’s make or break season: if the Phillies don’t make the playoffs, they will probably cast him off to make room for Gillick’s guy. I am mildly surprised to see Manuel return at all, in truth, because I figured that Pat Gillick would want to install his own manager with his own philosophy rather than keep the old regime’s man on the job. It is a surprising move to me, but I like it.
Long-time Phillies organist Paul Richardson died at age 74. Gayle Sims wrote a nice article about his passing here.
The Playoffs … this afternoon we get Game 2 of the Twins and A’s. I am stunned by yesterday’s 3-2 A’s victory. I assumed, like the rest of the baseball world, that the A’s were a sitting duck for Johan Santana is Game 1 and they’d have to salvage victories in the next three games to win the series. Not so much. Barry Zito out-dueled Santana for the win and the A’s picked up a 1-0 lead. Today’s match-up favors the A’s: Loaiza is a cagey vet and Bonser is a rookie who spent time in the minors. I think the A’s can win, which means they’ll be carrying a 2-0 lead going back to Oakland.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals and Padres take the day off after the Cards won Game 1, 5-1. The Dodgers and Mets kick off at Shea at 4:00 PM, which is a series that I definitely have my eye on. Game 1 is a good match-up for the Dodgers: Lowe against El Duque. The Mets are so short on pitching that they are going with a three-man rotation for this series, which I think is a major mistake on their part. If this gets into games four and five, El Duque and Glavine could be pitching with dead arms, whereas Brad Penny and Lowe will be fresh and ready to roll. I really think that the Dodgers are going to take ‘em.
Oh, and the Yankees and Tigers go again tonight. Yawn. Let’s get this mercy killing over with.
I think that 2007 will be Manuel’s make or break season: if the Phillies don’t make the playoffs, they will probably cast him off to make room for Gillick’s guy. I am mildly surprised to see Manuel return at all, in truth, because I figured that Pat Gillick would want to install his own manager with his own philosophy rather than keep the old regime’s man on the job. It is a surprising move to me, but I like it.
Long-time Phillies organist Paul Richardson died at age 74. Gayle Sims wrote a nice article about his passing here.
The Playoffs … this afternoon we get Game 2 of the Twins and A’s. I am stunned by yesterday’s 3-2 A’s victory. I assumed, like the rest of the baseball world, that the A’s were a sitting duck for Johan Santana is Game 1 and they’d have to salvage victories in the next three games to win the series. Not so much. Barry Zito out-dueled Santana for the win and the A’s picked up a 1-0 lead. Today’s match-up favors the A’s: Loaiza is a cagey vet and Bonser is a rookie who spent time in the minors. I think the A’s can win, which means they’ll be carrying a 2-0 lead going back to Oakland.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals and Padres take the day off after the Cards won Game 1, 5-1. The Dodgers and Mets kick off at Shea at 4:00 PM, which is a series that I definitely have my eye on. Game 1 is a good match-up for the Dodgers: Lowe against El Duque. The Mets are so short on pitching that they are going with a three-man rotation for this series, which I think is a major mistake on their part. If this gets into games four and five, El Duque and Glavine could be pitching with dead arms, whereas Brad Penny and Lowe will be fresh and ready to roll. I really think that the Dodgers are going to take ‘em.
Oh, and the Yankees and Tigers go again tonight. Yawn. Let’s get this mercy killing over with.
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