[Lefty Noob]

Is Charlie Manuel of the Phillies the NL's best manager? Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News seems to think so.

Bill Conlin | There's been no better crisis manager in '07 | Daily News | 06/28/2007
Posted on Thu, Jun. 28, 2007

HERE IS TODAY'S baseball exercise: Take a deep breath and empty your mind of all negative thoughts. Purge every preconceived opinion of Charlie Manuel's work from your head.

Look in the mirror. Now, repeat after me:

"As the Phillies cross the midseason mark and head toward the All-Star break, has anybody in the National League done a better job of crisis management than Charlie Manuel?"

If you can pin a "Yes" answer to that question, please supply names and specifics.

Remember, the criteria here is who had overcome the most adversity while keeping a team that has reeled from one catastrophe to another in contact with the pennant race. It is not about double moves, bullpen use, lineup decisions or any of the game-to-game flow of the long season. It is about keeping the confidence of the players you have and hanging in there with them.

Conlin thinks that Manuel has done the most with the least, and in my book, that would make him the Manager of the Year. Do you agree?

[EmpireWF]

Excuse me........*heavy laughter*........

Manuel is one of the worst managers in the league. He has routinely underachieved as manager and should have been fired some time ago.

As for this season, what have they achieved?

[Lefty Noob]

Over .500 and in 2nd place with an untested and injured pitching staff - doesn't that count for something? They're 4th worst in team ERA for cryin' out loud!

I think Charlie had done more bad thean good. And hopefully when he goes, thirdbase coach Steve Smith goes with him.

[legend]

I know that Manuel gets more than his share of criticism, but you have to give him credit this year. I for one think the Phillies are going to catch the Mets or at least be the Wild Card and the blowup Manuel had with that obnoxious sprots talk radio guy a couple months back may have been the catalyst.

[azrael492]

This writer wants him to be called th best manager because he is "hanging in there" with his players. I call it just waiting and hoping for the best.

He doesn't want his game management to be considered??? This writer is a moron!!!

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

^I agree. Hes an idiot whoever this writer is.

[Phils20]

Bill Conlin dead on with the article. He is one of the best sportswriters ever in Philly. I'd cut him a bit of a break.

It doesn't actually say he is the best manager, just that he has done a good, just good, job of managing the team during a time when the pitching has been riddled with injuries, and overcoming a 4-11 start.

BTW, note the last line in the article, which concedes that this could all fall apart!

"Now, let's give the old boy a nod for a half-season job well done, because in the final 3 months it could all come apart like a FEMA trailer in a Cat 5 hurricane."
*

[Lefty Noob]

Well, I'll tell ya what, he sure didn't look like the NL's best manager yesterday, coming out to have the umpires check El Duque for an illegal substance and getting Hernandez all fired up.

"Hernandez, who hadn't even finished his pregame warmup pitches, didn't like the stunt," Newsday.com columnist Johnette Howard wrote afterwards. "Not one bit. He wagged his cap toward Manuel. He chattered and gestured angrily. With his infielders and manager Willie Randolph gathered around him on the mound, he looked into the Phillies' dugout and spat out a couple more words when the umps inspected his cap and pronounced him guilty of nothing more than having rosin and dirt on the back."

"Then, still carrying a grudge, Hernandez throttled the Phillies, limiting their league-leading offense to two runs and three hits in six innings. He slapped an RBI single in the fourth after Manuel intentionally walked Ricky Ledee to pitch to him. He celebrated what he knew would be his last out of the day - a strikeout of Aaron Rowand with two outs and two on in the sixth - by thrusting both fists in the air and screaming as he walked off."

The Mets won that game, 6-5, swept the doublehead and now lead the Phils by five games.

[Phils20]

True enough. He is not the best, but he sure isn't the worst either. I think that was a shot back for the Mets manager having Garcia's Red glove removed when they were in NY. That didn't work out so well for the Mets, as the Phils swept them there!

Two games to go, but losing with Hamels on the mound last night hurt!

[EmpireWF]

And Phils, didn't Hamels go out of his way to make sure he would be pitching against John Maine, the Mets best starter?

[Lefty Noob]

Anyone want to revisit this topic now that Manuel's led his team all the way back and won the NL East championship?

[legend]

Piniella, Hurdle, Geren, and Manuel all deserve Manager of the Year. Every single one of them. It should be interesting to see who gets the award.

[Phils20]

It sure will be interesting. But the bottom line is getting in the postseason! I'm sure Charlie isn't worried about it! Just like the other managers aren't! Charlie hasn't been my favorite manager all the time, but he is the man who is leading the team into thier first post season in 14 years, so I'm sure backing him now!

[EmpireWF]

Just for arguments sake, I wonder if Phillie fans would be calling for his head if they were the ones outside looking in.

In the NL, I don't think it's a race at all. The Phillies surged like no other. Manuel has the award wrapped up.