Manuel: 'We have to get better hitting'
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Manuel: 'We have to get better hitting'
Daily News staff
Charlie Manuel spoke with the media today at Citizens Bank Park. (Clem Murray/Staff Photographer)
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel held a news conference Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park to wrap up the season. Here are some highlights:
On what Amaro said yesterday about changing the approach at the plate: “I think I’m definitely on board with what Ruben says when I talked to him. At the same time, if you guys listen to me during the course of the year and last couple of years, I touch on it when I talked about hitting. He would like to see us grind out more at-bats, learn how to work more counts, plate discipline. All those things he talks about, I talked about, I teach that … It’s a matter of keep reminding guys. We definitely will have meetings and things like that in spring training and carry it out during the season. We have to get better hitting … You have to know what kind of hitter you are. I’m definitely on board with what Ruben says.”
On the current hitters: “I take it very personal. I talk about the fact that we used to have .300 hitters .. If you have listened to me in the past, especially in the last two years you’ve heard me say that over and over again. Utley used to be a .300 hitter. He’s had injury problems … Victorino can be a .300 hitter. He can be better and can hit .300. He’s got talent and capable. Howard hit .300 hit one year. He hasn’t hit .300 since. I know he hit in the .280s … We’ve got some guys who can hit .300.”
On can these hitters adjust: “I go back to pitchers and scouting reports. You make adjustments, the pitchers make adjustments and the hitters have to make adjustments. If you don’t like to or are afraid to go deep in the count or to hit with two strikes on you, you are going to get anxious, you’ll be aggressive and chase bad balls. At times, we’ll take a fastball right down the middle, some guy will throw a breaking ball down and we’ll roll over it and swing at it and miss. That’s not good hitting. We talk about that all the time. That’s how I talk to our hitters and so goes [Greg Gross]. At the same time, pitching in baseball is getting better .. They know who likes to swing, who won’t walk, who doesn’t take pitches, who will go out of strike zone and take bad pitches. At lot of times they don’t like to go deep in the counts.”
Should the expectations be lowered moving ahead: “Absolutely not. That’s the way I like it. We play the every day game. You can put expectations on all you want to, it’s the expectations that they put on themselves and how we look at things. Right now when we go to spring training, what we will be talking about is getting to the World Series and win. That’s been our goal ever since we won after 2008."
Age of core players?: "From an offensive standpoint, with the core players, the health thing definitely comes into play, having them on the field for a period of time and instead of having a disarray of lineups. We would get a better look at how good they can do, the health part and being on the field counts as much or more than anything. Talking about guys anywhere from 31 to 34 years old. That’s at the backside of their career but near the top of what their production should be … When I say together, I don’t know how many lineups changes we had, if we have same guys in our lineup for a long period of time we get a better read on it. The last 2-3 years we just haven’t had that.”
Is the message getting through? “Do the players listen to me? Without a doubt. I know they listen to me. Do every one of them? There might be somebody who didn’t get to play or who’s upset or something, he’ll tell you. The only way to find out is if you ask them and I’m sure they will tell you. I think they listen to me.”
On can he make the changes happen? “I take a lot of pride in hitters. … I know how good a hitting coach I am and I don’t care whether you want to believe that or not. We will get better.”
What is the biggest need right now? “We have to wait and see what our roster is going to be. We have a lot of question marks. We’ve got some guys, Rollins, Madson, Ibanez, Gload. We’ve got guys like who are question marks at the moment.”
More on expectations: “When we added Hunter Pence, that improved our team and gave us a big lift and gave us a player that we desperately needed. We became a better team with Hunter Pence. Our expectation coming out of spring training, we wanted to go to the World Series and win. That was our ultimate goal. We did not fulfill that goal. We had a tremendous regular season, we got to the first round of the playoffs and got beat. I look at it that we didn’t reach our goal. We got into a 2-2 situation, we lost the third game in a shutout. Baseball is a game you’re asking a whole lot when you say we gotta win a World Series. That’s high stakes. With the talent assembled on our team people and the media put expectations that we had to win the World Series. It didn’t happen .. . I’m sorry for that."
On the home run total: “If we need to upgrade and we can, we should do it … Our home run production is down. I think Hunter Pence, he ended up hitting 11-12 home runs for us. I think we ‘re going to get 25 or 30 out of him. That will up our total … I think Utley can hit anywhere from 20 to 30, if he stays healthy. If we can stay healthy, it gets back to that being a key. Being healthy and being on the field is going to take care of a lot of things."
About the bench and whether that needs to be upgraded: “This year, I felt like that you’ll notice we carried Michael Martinez and Wilson Valdez, two utility players that are similar players. The reason we did that was because of the health problems of Chase and Polanco and Jimmy has missed time with injuries. If we had both of those guys in the lineup at the same time, it was good that we had those guys … Gload was our lefthanded hitter off the bench and we had Ben Francisco and at times we had Mayberry at times. We had Petey Orr. Any way we thought we can improve our team, I definitely will talk to Ruben about this. We can do some things, if we can upgrade our order. I had a meeting with Ruben the other day and it was very positive, him and I talking quite a bit about the team and our bench is one of those positions.”
Do you need a more vocal leader in the clubhouse? “I think that might be the key to it. It’s the team and everything together. We do have some guys who can do that. That will get the message across too. That is one of the steps we are going to take to get better.”
On John Mayberry: "John Mayberry is going to get a chance to be a regular player. I think he will get to play more this coming season than he did this year. When I talked to John Mayberry last year at this time, Ruben Amaro and I thought it was time at his age and with the time he spent in minor leagues, to see if he could play in the big leagues. He proved that he can be a good big-league player. He will get every chance in the world to be a regular player.”
On Jimmy Rollins: “Jimmy has had some injuries that definitely have cut into his running and the fact that he was a top profile base stelaer. He was one of these guys to get on first base, raise his hand and say I’m going, throw me out. I don’t think he can do that anymore. When I watch him play defense and Jimmy knows his hitting, he is capable of having a better year than he had this year. “
On getting some older players more rest: “I’m a best lineup guy. Most managers are that way. The reasons sometimes you see us flip flop players or rotate players or run a platoon system, there are guys in baseball that do that and can be very successful at it. I have had success with it in Cleveland and here. I am a best lineup guy for that day, whoever’s pitching that day I want to put the best lineup on the field. That win on the first of April is just as important as the game in September. If you can give down time at the end of the year that makes some sense."
On being among the top teams in runs scored: “Runs scored can be very misleading. What I saw was a team that had good starting pitcher. Our pitching is better than what I thought it would be. Pitching covered over some mistakes. If we did score we had a chance to win games. We won 102 games, the most games the Phillies have ever won. What happened was we didn’t get it done and that happens a lot … Baseball is a funny game.”
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Comments (106)
This season ended the same way last year - with Ryan Howard coming up small at the plate! Yes, he gives you a big hit every now and then but nearly enough - and not often as he once did. Unfortunately, I doubt Utley, Polanco and Rollins are going to get any healthier with age and that upsets me because I like these guys alot. But the Phils may have to look to replace their entire infield (yes, Howard included, I would trade this guy for sure if we could) along with Ibanez.— CB4- Isn't Terry Francona available?— esesjay
- yeah if the team had bunted and hit to right etc. they wouldn't have lost ANY games. 162 and0. sure if they bunted more. and sure you're certain that if it weren't for Jimy williams they wouldn'd have won then.i guess you were in the dugout and clubhose all year long and overgeard every conversation.
also- anybody ever heard from Leo Mazzone? how well has he been doing lately? they won 102 games this year with a strategy that worked not only for Charlie but for earl Weaver and other mamagers. teams that manufacture runs do so because they have to!
Amaro will make some good moves and we'll see what happens. sometimes teams just don't hit and just don't win. the '27 yakees didn't win in 1930,31 or 32. this is baseball. if you want certainty then deal yourself 4 aces and you'll win every time.— benny1 
Comment removed.- Cholly has not choice but to echo RAJ's opinion...or find another job. I love JRoll and his bravado. But he is NOT a leadoff hitter any longer. Victorino is our lead off hitter. Healthy Polanco has to be #2 because he doesn't strike out a lot and makes contact. Healthy Utley is the prototypical #3 hitter..drives the ball and makes contact. Howard simply needs to make adjustments based on what pitchers have done to him...get closer to the plate..stop standing so upright (see John Mayberry Jr.). Pense is Pense and his .312 average is nothing to sneeze at. Ruiz needs some days off...meaning a better #2 catcher who can hit above the Mendoza line. Derek Lee is a good idea for a 1st base pick up, especially since Howard won't be back until May. In the end, its up to RAJ to get Cholly some consistant bats who can hit with 2 outs and runners in scoring position.— drhoffman
- Cholly has not choice but to echo RAJ's opinion...or find another job. I love JRoll and his bravado. But he is NOT a leadoff hitter any longer. Victorino is our lead off hitter. Healthy Polanco has to be #2 because he doesn't strike out a lot and makes contact. Healthy Utley is the prototypical #3 hitter..drives the ball and makes contact. Howard simply needs to make adjustments based on what pitchers have done to him...get closer to the plate..stop standing so upright (see John Mayberry Jr.). Pense is Pense and his .312 average is nothing to sneeze at. Ruiz needs some days off...meaning a better #2 catcher who can hit above the Mendoza line. Derek Lee is a good idea for a 1st base pick up, especially since Howard won't be back until May. In the end, its up to RAJ to get Cholly some consistant bats who can hit with 2 outs and runners in scoring position.— drhoffman
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- What a babbling illiterate buffoon. This team has underachieved greatly under Manuel. He should be recognized as the failure he is.— Edward L Norton
- Chuck, I like ya, but really, "best lineup guy" and your team limps into the playoffs, out of steam. Pitchers with loads of innings (hey, Doc is the exception to everyhthing) and guys old before their time. Give 'em a break.— Eephus
- Who's more passive Cholly or Obama!?— pedge
- Charlie "English as a Second Language" Manuel. Oh, my.— eman
- The self-proclaimed "hitting guru" and self-proclaimed "Marbles Champion of Virginnie" is delusional. I never heard a huckster holler "rotten fish" and that's what this BS merchant is trying to sell.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Can the Phillies just fire this bumbling fool already. He caught lightning in a bottle, and got lucky. That is it. This dope should have been gone last year. The players all laugh behind his back. He should be getting as much heat as Reid is. players probably can't understand a word he is saying anyway. Bring back BOWA. No wonder players want to stay here, nothing is expected from them as long as Boober Goober is the manager. Enough already. And while we are at it, lets put the buffoon at first on waivers, maybe a sucker team will pick up his salary, and we can get a real first baseman. Not this fraud.— shattereddreams
- Lip-service, from a guy who is too set in his ways, too stubborn, to see or accept the error in his ways. I'm being polite -- others may not be as polite. Charlie Manuel can't do it. He's been the luckiest MLB Manager over the last 5 seasons.... with a highly talented team which has heart, with a GM who is a wheeler-dealer, and with ownership willing to spend money. Charlie Manuel however can't imagine or visualize a line up card and batting order based on THIS DAY's starting pitcher...which may be different from yesterdays, and which may be different from tomorrows. PHils need to politely, respectfully, ask Charlie Manuel to resign as Manager.— ExiledinFla
102 wins still means something, folks. And so there is less of a reason to panic, here, than the sportswriters and resident bandwagon beer-leaguers understand. Charlie is like Bo Jackson. Charlie knows hitting. Charlie knows his players. Charlie knows that J-Roll should end up in SF with the Giants. Charlie knows Hunter Pence can hit more big flies. He even knows how to play small ball when his players are not hitting, but he needs the players who can do that. Charlie knows that Ruben better find him those players, or Charlie knows whose toukas is going out the door. And Charlie knows it won't be Ruben's. Sing with me now, "Amaro, Amaro, I love you Amaro, but get me some younger guys!!!"— pigday31- Comment removed.
- Sometimes you have to say to players thank you so much for the good times but it's time to try to win with different players now. Jimmy Rollins is only one of those players. They have to try a different approach, if ever it was going to work with him, it would have been this year. That goes for many others as well. Get some players who do not go belly up when players are in scoring position...and players who are willing to play for the team first. As for Charlie, he is who he is, if they want him to do better then get a knowledgable adviser and make him take the advice.— BCRock
- Move Cholly to the TV booth with Wheels. By the end of next season can you imagine how smart all of us educated haters will be?— dave13
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- Call it the Yaz line and it usually kicks in around age 30 for position players in the non steroid eras of baseball. After that age it is usually just trying to hang on by staying off the DL and the waiver wire. Yaz had his career year at age 30 when he hit .329 with 40 homers. After that he never approached those numbers again hitting around .270 with homers in the teens over the next 13 years in Boston. This is why a championship caliber team needs a mix of twenty something position players mixed in with with a few older players in their 30's. The problem is ALL the Phils position players are at or over the Yaz Line except Pence who is only two years away. They aren't going to learn anything new. They are unlikely to have better numbers next year than they had this year. They are on the downside as as professional athletes no matter how brilliant of hitting coaches Charlie and GG are.— Dull
- Too many excuses and too many high expectations. Manuel's lucky the organization likes him because it sounds like he should be fired.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- First, whether the Phils retain Rollins or not,...they need to aquire a leadoff hitter.
Second, hearing Manuel agree with Amaro, and saying he and GG can get it done, begs the question "why hasn't it been done already?"
I like Charlie Manuel and I like Greg Gross, ...but the poor at bats, failure to make adjustments etc, has happened on their watch.
To me expecting different results from those two experienced coaches is as unrealistic as expecting different results from guys like Victorino, Rollins etc.
Charlie creates a great atmosphere, but he was badly outmanaged, and made some critical errors in the handling of both his lineup and his pitchers.
It may be wise to keep him because of the atmosphere he creates with the players, but clearly the team needs a better bench coach or strategist to help him.
As for Greg Gross, like I said, I'm a fan, ...but the results just haven't been there during his tenure as hitting coach.— andyd - And it was pitching that lost this series, by the way. Not hitting.— rcm2233
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- Wow,
Philly fans suck. You are not going to win a world series every year. You're all just bandwagon jumpers and losers.— rcm2233 - "I mean, like ... we have to get better hitting ... I think I'm definitely on board with what Ruben says ..." Oh my!
Love the guy - but, it's time for him to go.— Copper34 - I hate to say it, but it may be time for Chuck to step down. This team clearly needs a manager who can motivate these guys to change their entire hitting philosophy. Love Chuck, but he isn't that manager.— dri_as_a_bone
- RAJ, You didn't win with 4 Aces. It comes down they have to hit just a little bit. Pence was a great addition. It's a shame he was hurt in the playoffs. The lineup has too many flaws right now. Move some pitching and get some hitters.— Pap
- JRoll scouting report: Look at the 1st pitch (called strike). Swing at the 2nd pitch in the dirt. Spend the rest of the AB protecting the zone until you meekly ground out or pop up. Does that sound like a good leadoff hitter? .... Want a new attitude with your hitters? Then get rid of the No. 1 hitter and problem-child: Goodbye JRoll..have fun in SF/Oakland!— Phront_Runner
- Charlie says he is a best guy lineup guy. I wonder how he explains playing Ibanez through several ptotracted slumps. Now he is alibing for Rollins being hurt. Put Francisco into starting job in right field and stayed with him long after it was obvious to eveybody elSe that Ben was not the answer.
Best guy in the lineup guy. Pure BS, Charlie!
Could it be that the players no longer listen to you - if that is true, you should know your time is up.
IF I WERE TO PICK UP A NEWSPAPER TOMORROW AND SAW THAT YOU AND THE PHILLIES HAD PARTWD WAYS, I WOULD AGREE THAT THE TIME HAD COME.— candidly - We feel for the fans down here, but how could y'all boo Howard as he was being carted off? None of my boys can figure out that logic.— BraveDawg
- I'm not necessarily questioning Charlie, but who in their right mind would consistently pencil in Ryan Howard at cleanup against ANY left-hander? Who would not sit Ryan against most decent left-handers? Who continue to bat a low OBP guy at leadoff? Who does not pinch hit Mayberry for Ibanez against a lefty? Or allow Polanco to continue to hit weak ground ball after weak ground ball against everybody?— MrPhillie
- Well Philly, congratulations, between a dominating pitching staff that only came through ONCE and the Michael Vick experience. You are now Atlanta.— BraveDawg
- We don't even have good BBQ. It sucks. — mrnmkr
- I."Talking about guys anywhere from 31 to 34 years old. That’s at the backside of their career but near the top of what their production should be."
II."If we can stay healthy, it gets back to that being a key. Being healthy and being on the field is going to take care of a lot of things."
III. “I’m a best lineup guy. Most managers are that way. *** I have had success with it in Cleveland and here. I am a best lineup guy for that day, whoever’s pitching that day I want to put the best lineup on the field."
Lunacy. I. may be true, but it is offset by II. These players are theoretically near peak but that has to be discounted by the greater incidence of injury and fatigue due to age. That problem is compounded by 3 -- the insistence on running the "best" ones out there day after day after day. Next year will be this year. They'll start off well, swoon, finish well, and then fold in the playoffs (if they even make the playoffs). Apparently it will take a last place finish to start improving by bringing in and developing younger players who are also near peak, improving, and not likely to be wheezing the end. The Cards seem to understand. Their team has some 31-35 players but a lot of younger ones and is younger on average than the 2006 Cardinals that won it all. Amaro and Manuel are living in a dream world.— mrnmkr - I like Charlie, but does anyone else have trouble following his words and logic? Sometimes he'll say a lot of words, but at the same time, say nothing at all to answer the question. Things often make no sense at all. But he is a good guy.— MrPhillie
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- They have not listened to charlie on hitting for the last 3 yrs or has charlie really not been stressing it.
This Phillies team has been a swing for the fences team for the last 3 yrs and I have seen nothing from this team to make me think they or Charlie want them to play smallball.— Bob65S - It's a blast watching frontrunning fans have a collective nervous breakdown over the Phillies lose. Blame Charlie, blast Ruben, point fingers in every direction. You act like little kids whose mother turned off their TV while they were watching cartoons. Does everyone forget the two straight years in the '70s that they won over 100 games and didn't make the World Series? I don't remember this kind of hysteria then. What a bunch of whinners...— Russ
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- There was less hysteria in the 70s because most fans expected losses from a team that had NEVER won anything in close to 100 years. More importantly, there was ACTION by management. Following the loss in 1976, they got Bake McBride. Following the loss in 1978, they got Manny Trillo and Pete Rose. These moves put them over the top in 1980 and might have in 1979 but for an unbelievable spate of injuries (they started out very strong). They also brought in Dallas Green to manage when Ozark seemed unable to motivate the team.
Do present ownership and Amaro remind you at all of Ruly Carpenter and Paul Owens?
Not me. Not in the slightest.— mrnmkr - No, Charlie's not on board, he just says he is.
This team will never improve with Charlie at the helm. A new approach is needed--they've already squandered too many post-season opportunities. How many more will they have?
Bring on Ryno--Please!— txstonemountain - "Fans have been SCREEMING for 2 years about this lineup that's only improvement has been Pence. Now cholly is just noticing this...please dump this load. His decision to stick with Ibanez, Polly, and maybe even Howard cost this team a run to the WS. And I'm certain he'd do the same thing all over again. I mean this is a guy who used John Bowker as a pinch hitter night after night.
XMAS List
New manager
New hitting
New 3rd baseman
Potential replacement for Utley
Shinny new bullpen.
Oh and just for the hell of it a O line and Lbacker" core for the Igles.
— ziggy26
Zig you are really, really funny...however, you have been very naughty this year (or smoking some wacky weed), either way I think Santa may just leave you a lump of coal (if you're lucky)...Merry, Merry anyway...— stan the man too - I appeciate Ruben and Charlie's honesty but it's the same exact rhetoric they spewed last year after they were eliminated almost word for word - "better approach", etc.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/Amaro_says_Phils_want_and_can_re-sign_Werth.html
J-Roll is gone so forget about him. He's not the face of the franchise anymore anyway. I'll take Halladay or Lee as the face now. Not too many #11 Rollins Jerseys out there at CBP anymore. It's appropriate that one of Jimmy's last at bats as a Phil will be him hitting a ground ball down the first base line and staring at the umpire instead of hustling up the line. Good luck to you in your next town Jimmy, something tells me they won't be as supportive of that nonsense as we were.— kse - Howard hit.300 ONE year, BFD. Time to get a proven cleanup hitter. Howard can't hit to the left side, pitchers have has number (hence his.253 avg.and his playoff performance in the last two years) and his fielding (although has improved) is still below what is acceptable at the major league level. If you want to improve the team this is where you need to start.— Borkey
- PHILLIES hitters stand in the same position in the batters box, no matter who is pitching.If a sinker ball pitcher is throwing, the batter should move up in the batters box. This way he can hit the ball before it sinks. Also, with 2 strikes, choke up on the bat for better control and bat speed. The hitting guru apparently doesn't know this.— tudj
- I think there are a number of knee jek reactions going on due to the devastating loss. This will forever be a season of what ifs. What if the Phillies gave the Braves one more one? What if Cliff Lee held that 4-0 lead? What if Oswalt held his 2-0 lead? At the end of the day we lost and we have no one to blame, but the guys on the field. I do not think Charlie has been tuned out. Charlie Manuel is one of the best managers in MLB. This team had the best record in baseball for the second straight year. He has more wins than any other Phillies manager. Come on guys, yes he's made mistakes, who doesn't but at the end of the day he is good for this organization.
There are some observations I have though, first the Division Series should be 7 games NOT 5. I really don't see the Cards beating the Phils in a 7 game series, even with their offensive issues. Second, why not bring Ryno up to be their hitting coach? He's a hall of famer and would instantly garner respect. Third I hope they don't bring Rollins back, he's a little thug who's trying to hit it out of the park every time as a leadoff guy AND more importantly he doesn't listen to any coaches. Go and make a run at Aramis Rammirez from Chicago. Fourth, they need to make a decision on Domminic Brown is he the super prospect some people thought or not? Lastly, Charlie has to be firmer with players in terms of plate discipline... ie benching, fining, etc.— jvmiii88 - Comment removed.
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- Yes.RAJ gave CHARLEY an ultimatum to teach his hitters better plate discipline. The problem is that RYNE SANDBERG will be long gone. Move CHARLEY upstairs and let RYNO manage this team. A team takes on the character of the manager. This team needs RYNO. Do not let him go.— tudj
- @ mainlinephan - All the things with Cholly being what they are, do you really think we were the best team in baseball in 08? Classic case of right mix at the right time. We see it with San Fran last year, Cards this year.— Sherm
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- I cannot believe all the negativity towards Charlie, he only managed the team to it's greatest victory total EVER (that's since back in the 1800s). Yes they lost a 5 game series to the HOTTEST team in baseball at the time. There have been so many years that I couldn't even watch the Phils because it was so depressing. Since Charlie came I've watched and enjoyed and gotten excited about my team more than I had since the late 70s early 80s. You can't define everything a manager brings to a team by statistics and you may have differing philosophies about hitting or pitching but you CANNOT deny the outstanding success of the Phillies with Charlie Manuel as manager.— fireandyreidnow
- Charlie is a good guy and he knows his business way better than any of us. He also knows his players. Unfortunately players with certain skill sets cannot make themselves over into players with different skill sets. Hopefully Charlie and Ruben have had a good conversation about the type of players they need and can find a way to get them. ADD players like Vic and/or RHoward just cannot resist swinging no matter how much you tell them not to...it's like throwing a tennis ball and expecting my golden retriever to just stand there and watch. He can't do it...he's drooling and spinning and chomping at the bit to run and fetch it! I know what kind of dog I have. I know what he does. I know what's in his nature. I can't change him. The GM and manager had better understand this or they are facing the same situation and the same press conference next October as well........— Mark1npt
- It's true we need offensive bats--this is not football defense doesnt score points--and we need to change are approach--the phillies have been no short ball-only long ball or no ball at all.basically--I am tried of this team losing by one point-.— phillyboymike7
- 1) We scored four runs early for one of our best pitchers and he couldn't hold it.
2) We got shut out by one of the league's best pitchers.
SIt's not our overall hitting. We just got beat, which is what happens in short series. End of story.— knebman - — s
I hope the same thing as well. I want to be completely wrong about Utley. In his prime, he was the best player this franchise has had since Mike Schmidt. It would be a real shame for his career to be over so soon.— Hemingway - I just logged on...someone please tell me Manuel and Dubee have been canned.. pleaseeeee tell me they've been fired....I beg of you..Someone....anyone...Tell me RAJ hasen't lost his mind and decided to keep this hick who has riddden the backs of the players for the past 4 -5 years... Tell me that Charlie and his faithful sit on the bench while your pitched gets shelled sidekick are unemployed... Ryne.................oh Ryne-O...where are you Ryne-O?
please save us...We're sorry for trading you 25 years ago...it was all just a horrible misunderstanding... We love you...See, the Cubs won't even talk to you.They don't deserve a class guy like you. .This is your best chance to win the ring big fella..please save us...we'll even let you spot Utley for old times sake.....— dedhed - Cholly......It's time to go with the rest of your coaching staff! nuf said!— Lynnwood
- They said they were going to change the way they hit this year and it didn't happen. It was a great ride but this lineup has passed its prime.— ArtieLange
- Say good bye to I-BOG (Ibanez, Bowker, Orr & Gload). I wish we can keep Rollins & I hope Polanco, Utley and Howard are healthy next year.— aNutter1inDgutter
- First off, listening to Charlie today I learned that he's a very good hitting coach. Ok. Then I learned he's been harping on better AB's for the past two+ years. Ok. Then I learned that Charlie believes the players are listening to him. Ok. This begs the question, WHY aren't our players having more productive at-bats? It must be 1) they are too old and too set in their ways to change, 2) they are incapable of changing their approach, or 3) despite what Charlie thinks, they are tuning him out. Any ideas on what it could be?— misterhman
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- Did anyone really expect Cholly not to agree with his boss? Get real!— oneway
- I agree, Amaro gave Cholly an ultimatum. He's just laying the ground work to make the firing of Charlie easier if the team doesn't response to the hitting approach. He knows they won't. Heck, Charlie is still a saint to some, judging by some comments. RAJ is not stupid. With the season tickets campaign in full swing, the last thing he wants is to fire a popular manager, who is also a media darling. That wouldn't be good business and he's a business major or something, right?— EL Zorro
- With the starting pitching the Phils have, all that is needed is an average of about 4-5 runs per game (witness 1-0 shutout to end season). Charlie still talks about home runs like that's the only answer. Pitching should be fine in 2012, but Phils need an offense that can manufacture runs.— baseballman
- Regardless of what we think about what could have been this year, facts are facts. Jimmy "Willie Mays Hays" is not a leadoff hitter. I agree with the comment of let him hit 6th.... While Ryan is on the shelf, he should watch some videos of King Albert. His hands are directly over the inside half of the plate when a pitch is thrown. This way he can reach the outside pitch, and turn on the inside one. If Ryan can figure out a way to get closer, maybe he will stop getting and swinging at sliders down and away... Right now, every at bat is seriously a repeat of the last. If Polly and Chase can stay off the shelf, we may be able to do some damage.
And GALVIS????? Are we really talking Galvis? If the guys was ready, would we really have Pete Orr playing utility all season?
Cholly is what he is. He makes no bones about it. We are all the sudden getting on him about this? Cliff Lee is what he is, and all we do is praise. If I am not mistaken, he blew a 4 run lead against the cards, which pretty much gave them life in that series.
Let's just get to next season, pray to god that RAJ doesnt sign Reyes, and see what happens.
— Sherm - Comment removed.
- yea none of you are coaches. he is. groveling sissys. maybe now that we lost some of you will jump off the bandwagon. haters.— PhillyCheeseSnake
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- Francona, who won one WS more than Charlie playing on a tougher league and division, was asked to resign when the players didn't response to him. Charlie said that for the last few years he has stretched patience and more disciplined (BS), and even if that is the case, obviously is not working. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, and that's include the manager, who never has been a fundamentally sound manager.— EL Zorro
- Comment removed.
- Charlie definitely says definitely a lot.— ObamaSolyndra
- Make Charlie a scout and hire RYNE SANDBERG to manage.— philsfansince1946
- Charlie the chimp— attila
- Color me skeptical, but I just don't buy that you can take a lineup of 30-something veterans and all of a sudden they all become disciplined hitters. As the old saying goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. They are what they are at this point (i.e. JRoll will swing at the first pitch and pop it up, Howard will swing 3-0, Pence will chase that outside slider and any pitch he thinks he can get his barrel on, etc.) Which all begs the question; why did it take an early playoff exit for the manager and front office to realize this??? If you want a team of smart .300 hitters, you need to go out and sign smart .300 hitters. Basically, the way I see it, if JRoll returns (for anywhere near the kind of length and dollars he wants), then all this talk about a new hitting approach is just lip service.— stikolaboloni
- The hitting guru got our managed AGAIN..Let's get Ryno up here to shake the tree— attila
- @Hemingway - I agree on Chase. He may break 20 HRs but that's probably his cap in even a stellar year. The only shred of hope is that he did surprise me the way he came back and played all year without going under the knife. You have to think he undertook quite a training regimen to get there. There could be a glimmer of hope there that he can somehow build leg strength even with those knees. Wishful thinking I know.
There are going to be definite changes. It's going to be hard to assess the team until the smoke clears on free agency and offseason moves. I think it's possible to build around the core -- you have no choice really since key pieces can't be easily traded. Without changing some players in the lineup I don't see all this talk of changing approach going very far.— s - in sports the more you play for a coach a team becomes complacent. he is right that our pitching was so good it disguised our hitting mistakes. we need to change our approach is correct. but the make up of players are not capable. Rube has to say right things on camera but knows age/resistance to change is on deck with Phillies team.
all our free agents i would not sign. rollins is not a lead off hitter worth a 5 year contract. madison not worth rivera money. can you say heath bell for two year deal!
our bench is so weak. sign vets with only goal is to win a world series!!
finally upgrade LF and 3b thru trades. be bold if it means to move Lee for a huge return do it!!— sammybeans - Do we need a Batting Coach? Why do we take so many first pitches, recent game of the 37 batters, 30 of them took the first pitch? Why don't we bench those in a slump? Why allow those who bat left and can't hit left hand pitch continue to play vs left handed pitching? Why are we not more aggressive while on base? Should we have "Doc" warm up more prior to the game because he seems to have a rough going in the first inning? What hitting talent do we have in the minors (Don't mention Brown, please)? Do we have any catching prospects in the minors? Keep Ibanez (ask him to take a pay cut), Rollins (if he can lower his demands), force Howard to take more batting practice; feed hima steady diet of inside and low and outside and low. Fix the medical issues with Pence and Polanco. And pray that we score some more runs, especially for Oswalt!.....Thanks— ox
- An awful lot of fans asking for Charlie to be fired, even though the Phils won 102 games. Disappointing that they didn't do better in the playoffs, but I doubt that's all Charlie's fault. At least he is truthful and answers the questions thrown at him. That will keep the press happy with him, at least for now.— dlscholt
- Now we're back to uncle Cholly. Guess the shine of the 08 win has worn off. Actually, if you have listened to Manuel's press conferences over the last couple years, he has been harping on a better approach at the plate. He also has not denied that the lineup has problems with pitch selection. There are two reasons for this: 1.) the pitching has gotten better around the league and hitting has gotten worse. 40 homeruns have become a rarity when just a few years ago, it was pretty common. 2.) the best players on this team are power guys who like to swing, yet they are older now, so they just don't have the same pop. Combine these two things and you get an inconsistent, middling offense that can only come to life when a pitcher makes a mistake and throws a fastball. Manuel is wrong about one thing, though, Utley will never hit 20-30 homeruns again. Nothing in his play over the last two years gives you the indication that he can ever be healthy again. He is a little guy, which means a great deal of his power came from balance and leg strength. Gimpy knees take that away. This NLDS, he looked like a guy at the end of his rope, trying desperately to summon some of the former juice but couldn't. You watch sports long enough, you begin to recognize the signs. The closest comparison I can think of is Andrew Toney, who looked like a sure fire hall of famer until his injuries.— Hemingway
- Charlie needs to approach the lineup differently. Being loyal is one thing, but in a business the name of the game is win. That line up for game 5 should have never been.— cahris
- With the talent this team has, you'd think a halfway dencent manager could have at least got them to the playoffs 5, maybe 6 yrs in a row, and with a couple breaks maybe even have won the pennant a couple times and with luck possibly have a WS ring, but nooo, all the phillies have been able to do is wait, what?— tnphil
- Here's a name for you. How about Derek Lee for a year at 1st base? I know he's 35 or whatever, but after a horrible April and May, he hit well and he wouldn't break the bank. It would only be for a couple months and allow Mayberry to play Left Field. Then he would add to the bench. If Gload gets that hip healed up, maybe a platoon at 1st. Either that or bring in J D Drew to play outfield (hahahaha)...— scootch
- Someone such as Kirk Gibson would have produced a championship with this team.— Justin Case
- CM JUST FILLS OUT THE LINE UP CARD AND LETS THE PLAYERS PLAY --HE HAS DONE THAT FOR YEARS!!!--- you can see THAT HE DOES NOT PLAY FOR THE BUNT--MOVING RUNNERS,INSISTING ON HITTING TO THE OPPOSITE FIELD OR HIT AND RUN-OR EVEN SQUEEZE BUNT -because during the course of the season IT DOSE NOT OCCUR !!!!HE JUST Talks and talks and talks--you got to ENFORCE YOUR TALK-WITH CONSEQUENCES!!! -HE DOES NOT--- (HTML deleted)— carmen2
- CM JUST FILLS OUT THE LINE UP CARD AND LETS THE PLAYERS PLAY --HE HAS DONE THAT FOR YEARS!!!--- you can see THAT HE DOES NOT PLAY FOR THE BUNT--MOVING RUNNERS,INSISTING ON HITTING TO THE OPPOSITE FIELD OR HIT AND RUN-OR EVEN SQUEEZE BUNT -because during the course of the season IT DOSE NOT OCCUR !!!!
HE JUST Talks and talks and talks--you got to ENFORCE YOUR TALK-WITH CONSEQUENCES!!! -HE DOES NOT---— carmen2 - In the '70s, the Phillies had great players. They didn't have a team. They needed a leader [Rose] and a driver [Green]. This team needs a leader and a driver. Why did they all stop hitting at once?— Justin Case
- Comment removed.
- “the hitters have to make adjustments. If you don’t like to or are afraid to go deep in the count or to hit with two strikes on you, you are going to get anxious, you’ll be aggressive and chase bad balls. At times, we’ll take a fastball right down the middle, some guy will throw a breaking ball down and we’ll roll over it and swing at it and miss. That’s not good hitting. We talk about that all the time. That’s how I talk to our hitters and so goes [Greg Gross]. At the same time, pitching in baseball is getting better .. They know who likes to swing, who won’t walk, who doesn’t take pitches, who will go out of strike zone and take bad pitches. At lot of times they don’t like to go deep in the counts.” Absolutely right. First pitch hitting should only happen when - as it often does - they get a fastball down the middle. Rollins & Utley are the worst at this but all of them need to be prepared to stop pitches from getting the first strike. When the pitchers start throwing junk up there, these guys have to stop chasing. Ryan is amazingly impatient. And when they put on the shift, hit it "where they ain't" as the saying goes. It will take a few at bats but that shift will soon disappear. Smart hitters make the pitchers throw strikes. Watching this team for the past 2 yrs., I get the impression that they're over anxious at the plate and watch them swing at ball 4 so often, it's disgusting
— jjthree - Cholly and Ruben need to read the papers from the day after Milt Thompson was fired. Jimmy Rollins said that it didn't make a difference because he was a major leaguer and didn't need a hitting coach. I think that was coming off a season where he had the 3rd lowest OBP in the NL (or you can call him the 3rd best outmaker in the league that year if you want to look at it another way). Look it up. I'm sure others feel the same way.— jtj10
- "Garsh, I dint evn see dat dey wernt hittin. Shucks I gess dey better hit da ball better next year."
Fans have been SCREEMING for 2 years about this lineup that's only improvement has been Pence. Now cholly is just noticing this...please dump this load. His decision to stick with Ibanez, Polly, and maybe even Howard cost this team a run to the WS. And I'm certain he'd do the same thing all over again. I mean this is a guy who used John Bowker as a pinch hitter night after night.
XMAS List
New manager
New hitting
New 3rd baseman
Potential replacement for Utley
Shinny new bullpen.
Oh and just for the hell of it a O line and Lbacker core for the Igles.
— ziggy26 - Zig... you are really, really funny...however, you have been very naughty this year (or smoking some wacky weed), either way I think Santa may just leave you a lump of coal (if you're lucky)...Merry, Merry anyway... — stan the man too
Ryan Howard definitely is not afraid to hit with two strikes. He just needs to get a lot better at it.— jp8899- Galvis— justacarpenter
- Phillies never bunt, don't move runners, play basically station-to-station baseball waiting for the 3-run HR. Nobody who sees a lot of pitches, one big thing they lost in Werth. It was a great season but when you come up that short with this team, something's gotta give. With Chuck, he seems to ride his team too hard. The Aces were gassed from what I saw; too many CG's and innings. And Hamels ended it hurt. It's not gonna be easy but you have to trust Amaro with this one given the moves he's made in the past. They're in good hands.— PhillySubsMac
- PhillySubsMac: You called people "dopes" this year when they questioned the Phils' ability to win a WS, which tells us all we need to know about your qualifications to comment. — n62
- I don't have to trust anyone, and I don't trust RAJ. He is OK with Uncle Chollie, and that says all I need to know about him.
As far as who leads off...— justacarpenter - So who bats leadoff?— cliff1954
- Be upfront with J Roll. If you re-sign you are going to be hitting sixth in the lineup. JRoll IS NOT a leadoff hitter, last 3 years avg only 25 stolen bases, .320 OBP. You cant have him leading off. Let him swing out of his shoes in the sixth spot or let him go.
Cholly needs to tighten that ship up. Ruben gave him 3 hall of fame starting pitchers since the WS team and the team has regressed every year in the playoffs. Rube has the patience of a Saint, I would have already brought in a new manager.
This window is closing quick, there already should have been multiple championships.— argonne - Sounds like ol Cholly has been harping on his boys to be better hitters for a long long time. Clearly they haven't listened. Who takes the fall for that? Is he too easy on them? Do they need to start getting fined for not moving runners, etc? I don't expect much to change next year...— skipintro
- For guys who are over 34, they spend a LOT of time on the DL. We could build a hospital just for Phillies players. These guys are only part-time players.— 4thand10
- Cholly the players dont listen to you. Case in point is your horible lead off hitter. He wants to hit a homer most times and fails to get on base which your lead off hitter is supposed to do. Time for a change cholly. you had the best team in baseball 2 years in a row and blew it.
- i'd say 3 years in a row. if he didn't blow out lidge (pitching him 4 days in a row on two separate occasions BEFORE august) in 09 like he did durbin in 2010, and contrearas, bastardo and stutes this year, we would've beat yanks. i think hitting comes and goes,but pitching is a more known facet of the game. and i know people in phils scouting hierarchy told me RAJ was furious when he blew out Jose in April when it was cold and Chol ran him out there day after day. Managing a bullpen better may have led to Cliff Lee not having to labor through game two and a series 2-0 lead.
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