Charlie Manuel visits Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard and scouts Chase Utley, too
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Charlie Manuel visits Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard and scouts Chase Utley, too
Ryan Lawrence
In three weeks and two days, Charlie Manuel will stroll along the diamonds at the Carpenter Complex as pitchers and catchers take part in their first workouts of the spring.
But Manuel has already made a trip to Clearwater to get first-hand progress reports on a few of the Phillies most important players. Shortly after getting inducted into the All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey in Bridgeton on Monday, Manuel gave his personal scouting reports on Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
Manuel was in Clearwater just a week ago.
"(Halladay) looks real good. He looks strong," Manuel said of his two-time Cy Young Award winner, who missed almost two months last summer to a right shoulder injury. "I could tell he’s been doing some work with his upper body, his back and shoulders. He looked a little bigger and stronger. ... Halladay of course has thrown a lot of bullets. But at the same time, too, I think the time he’s had off and the conditioning program he’s been on, if anybody can bounce back and do it, I think it’s Halladay.
Manuel also saw Howard taking live batting practice, something that the first baseman did sparingly while coming off Achilles' surgery last spring.
"I saw him hit," Manuel said. "He said his Achilles’ doesn’t hurt him and he said his ankle is much better."
Utley, who hasn't played a game in either of the last two spring trainings, was not in Clearwater when Manuel visited. But head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan happened to be working out with Utley in Northern California last week and he sent Charlie a DVD of one of Utley's workouts.
"He looked good," Manuel said. "It showed him exercising, jumping and grasping at this bar, things like that, and he really looked like he was in good shape. He emailed me at Christmas and said, “You’re going to have a healthy second baseman.” Knowing him, that’s means a whole lot."
One other interesting tidbit came from Manuel's comments on Monday.
Manuel has pretty much been married to three spots in his lineup when he has had a healthy lineup: Jimmy Rollins at leadoff, Utley third and Howard fourth. But on Monday he at least opened up the conversation to using new third baseman Micheal Young to split Utley and Howard.
"I’ve always looked at Utley as a third hole hitter, but it depends on how good (we are) or how we set up," Manuel said. "I could hit Utley second and Young third, but at the same time I don’t know. I like Young second or third."
Anybody watch Howard in batting practice ?
He barely swings. Bet Utley wasn't even there.— dmn- A healthy second baseman would be nice!! It would also be nice if Howard has learned how to hit lefties and breaking balls!! It is kind of insulting to the knowledgable sports fan that Uncle Charlie is still managing this team. Don't know if Ruin Tomorrow Jr. is to blame. But, he is the GM. You'd think he'd have some say. Maybe not, though. He did get the job with no credentials. Maybe he agreed to let the owners decide. It's a shame that Werth hasn't been replaced in the lineup (or in the field ... or in the clubhouse). We need some guys who can work the opposing pitcher, get on base, etc. Last year at this time Ruin was talking about how the team was going to play "small ball." LOL ... — Copper34
- Sounds like the Phillies are back using the juice. ANd King Kong Bundy and Nature Boy Buddy Rodgers are also in the SJ Sports HOF so the silly, old fool is in his element.
— Wilhelm Von Humboldt - Easy does it. Buddy Rodgers was a good athlete and entertainer. — escapedcamden4monterey
- Whats Chally gonna say? They all look outta shape and old? useless article waste of time and space— finkel
- Who is leading off?— jerseyshorefan
- If Young can provide any kind pop, splitting up Utley and Howard would be a terrific move. The steady dose of late-inning LH relievers they have faced kills their productivity. Splitting them up mitigates that problem, even if it doesn't totally eliminate it.— kef98
Did Howard have an ankle injury?— zubzub- Initially I don't think he did. But when that ankle had to carry around the added weight from cheesesteaks and hoagies it stressed his ankle out. hahaha — Momjeanz
- Oh my, they're going to suck. What am I going to do besides complain everyday on message boards that my team sucks. My life has no meaning beyond sports championships. Oh god. Please help.— retzlaff
- Don't get too upset.
But don't spend money on the team. And you might as well get a Nationals ballcap, the Phillies are likely to be in their rear-view mirror the next 2-3 years.— fmMD - To all you sports writing Manuel apologists, allow me to be blunt; how LONG do Phillies fans have do endure this moronic, travesty of a field manager named Cholly? He's not only an embarrassment to Philly sports teams but to Philadelphia in general. How long must you bow to him just because he "happened" to be in the dugout when the Phils scraped their first world series championship in 28 years despite Manuel’s bungling incompetence rather than due to any field tactical wizardry. Lets cut the BS and finally rid the organization of this clueless, speech challenged Appalachian cretin. Sure, this sounded callous and mean…..hey, grow up, winning is a big business and I wouldn't cry for an organization that willingly takes your overpriced ticket money then stabs you in the back by keeping a managerial travesty, plus using a suspect GM who has turned a championship team into a bush league AAA team at best which in 5 short years, has become a second division team when, with the slightest artful development, more cautious trades and for once, an intelligent field manager, could have still been a viable contender....its like Brando's On the Waterfront Speech, "I could have been somebody...I could have been a contender". Apparently, you sports writers are content with has-beens.....which means you must love the story about the Hoboken Zephers:-)— daystrum
- How do you really feel kimosabe? — Romus
- @finkel - it's "chollie" not "chally" :-)— johnandursula
