Results tagged ‘ Charlie Manuel ’
Fightin’s Get Some Love In TYIB Awards
The fans’ votes are in:
Manager of the Year: Uncle Charlie
Executive of the Year: Pat “The Bat” Gillick
Closer of the Year: Brad Lidge
Postseason Moment of the Year: Chase Utley’s pump fake and throw home in Game 6 of the Series.
I don’t think any of these awards could have gone any other way. Matt Stairs’ walk-off homer in the NLCS against LA would be a very close second in the postseason category.
Check out the rest of the “This Year In Baseball Awards” here.
I’ll Take Uncle Charlie
In the interests of public relations parity, Chicago’s Sweet Lou Piniella beat out my skip, Charlie Manuel, in NL Manager of The Year ballots.
The Cubs had the NL’s best record this year and have won back-to-back NL Central Titles. Manuel’s Phillies had the best post-season record this year and have won back-to-back NL East titles. And. The. World. Series. (over AL Manager of the Year Joe Maddon’s Rays, a team that Piniella formerly managed to the point of a franchise name change. Please.)
Done in by the Dodgers? The same Dodgers the Phils outclassed and, though Charlie won’t admit it, also outmanaged? Piniella couldn’t outmanage Joe Torre. Uncle Charlie outmanaged them both.
Even though the Series doesn’t factor into these decisions, Manuel’s skill was also showcased in the way he totally neutralized Zen-master Maddon and his bag of Jedi mind tricks. Nicely done, Uncle Charlie. Nicely done.
Mike Schmidt in for Smith?
Does Philadelphia third-base coach Steve Smith’s departure make room at the hot corner for Mike Schmidt? Who better to coach runners at third than the greatest third-baseman of all time?
Number 20 follows these Phils closely and has had coaching relationships with many of them in minor league ball. Could this be the reason Uncle Charlie let Smith go? Perhaps. It might be hard to imagine Schmidt coming on board as anything other than hitting coach, but Milt Thompson and Charlie Manuel himself are great in that role. Ain’t broke, don’t fix.
wecfa
Recent Comments