THANK YOU, CHOLLIE: Five straight NL East titles, winning more games in each than the previous season. Exactly one thousand career wins as a manager, and a .556 overall winning percentage for the red and white. 2008 World F'n Champions. Charlie Manuel should've been allowed to end this season on his own terms, rather than be pushed out the door as the Phillies have done today.
As a 700 Level commenter said during the run, "You follow sports hoping that one day you'll be rewarded and get to root for a team like these Phillies." Charlie Manuel was a key part of that, a brilliant manager of people, and the most beloved beloved and successful** Philadelphia coach during my lifetime. He'll be missed.
**Buddy may have been more beloved; Fred Shero and Billy Cunningham, at least as successful. Only Manuel combined both.
Not a Phillies fan, obviously, and this sucks. Was there any reason not to let him finish out the season, lost as it is?
ReplyDeleteThe timing is just odd. I guess the front office may want to see Ryne Sandberg in action, but how much can you take from what a team does 20 games back with six weeks to go?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget it'll be done with a shitty lineup, a horrible bullpen....
ReplyDeleteI feel terrible for Cholly, but hopefully this was on his own terms (in some weird way - like "Ruben, you're gonna have to fire me."). As much as he deserved a more graceful farewell, he also doesn't deserve to be saddled with this team. And if nothing else, maybe this fanbase can finally reflect on where we are vs. where we were even three years ago, and sound the clarion that even more serious changes had better be made.