Coach We Can Believe In

And yet somehow, Charlie is taking heat from some people today. THEY. WON. 

One of my favorite Charlie Manuel quotes came after the game, when addressing what former Phillies player and manager Larry Bowa said regarding how the current Phillies steal signs:

"If I can steal signs I will... We don't have their signs and we're not stealin their signs... But we are tryin'."

There was once a time when I cringed at the idea of a Manuel presser. Now I can't wait to see him in front of a microphone, and not simply because I think he has a great sense of humor. I'm also certain, beyond any doubt, that he's a genius.   (cover via the Daily News and Will Bunch)

Comments

[jd]

genius? maybe

savant? definately

[chris]

if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.

[Tom]

He is a bad coach. A really good manager though

[Tom Again]

Seriously a genius? How can he play a shift with a guy on first base and a pitcher that gets stole on all the time. You people forget too easily.

[Matt P.]

Tom, why is he a bad coach in your opinion?

[Matt P.]

well, genius is not synonymous with perfect. seems like if any mistake is made, people are all over Charlie, when it happens to both sides in just about every game.

also, he didn't throw the ball to second when no one was covering third on that play.

Charlie's getting attacked for not starting Lee on short rest. how'd that work for Burnett last night? attacked for the Shane Vic thing. it didn't go perfectly, but he gambled that they could suffer a bit defensively and still win, rest Shane once the lead was more comfortable, and now they're headed to New York with the whole lineup intact.

I think that is what has been forgotten too easily (by some).

[will.H]

if shane came up lame on a throw to homeplate due to his injured throwing hand.. everyone would be all over him. Its too easy to be against a manager in baseball. first you put the guys in the game, second.. they have to execute. if the player doesnt do his part, it always fall on the manager. thats why its so much easier to hate guys like charlie than it is to like him. i love him

[Bob]

Why is Charlie getting attacked for not starting Lee?

1. It wouldn't have guaranteed a Game 4 win
2. The Phillies came back on CC to tie the game 4-4 in the 8th of Game 4. Blanton did his job to keep us in it.
3. We would of had to throw Blanton last night.

-Overall the starting pitching has done a pretty good job in this series (sans Hamels).

[Johnny Goodtimes]

The Phillies have been in business for 127 years. How many Philadelphia managers have won 3 straight division titles? How many Philadelphia managers have led the Phils to back to back World Series? How many managers in all of baseball have outmanaged Joe Torre two straight years? How many managers have told Howard Eskin that they would kick his ass? Anybody in this town who is not fully on board the Charlie Express and wants to poke holes in him because, like most humans, he makes occasional mistakes, should either find a new team to root for or undergo some serious psychiatric counseling, because you're either a traitor or a lunatic.

[Aadam Aziz Ansari]

Seriously, with the lineup this team has, I could have been coaching and we still would have won the East this year. All a manager really has to do is not screw things up too badly, and hope that his players do their job. You always hear complaints of "over-managing", but never "under-managing".

Having said that, Chollie's handling of the Lidge situation this year is probably his biggest glaring mistake. I'm willing to give (half) a pass for the regular season, since we were able to win the division comfortably while experimenting with Lidge and his 11 BS. However, three IP before Sunday night without any disasters and he gets put into a nearly must-win situation? He is not our best pitcher, clearly. That is a spot you put your best pitcher in.

[Pelle]

When it happened, I wondered if it was strategy. When it happened, I didn't think Charlie was smart enough to have this strategy. In retrospect, there is no doubt. When Charlie challenged Eskin to a fight to protect his team, it was at a time when no one liked Charlie. However, his performance did 1 thing (if not more). It made his team realize he would literally fight for them. I think he has had them in his corner ever since. Hell, I've been a fan ever since. Challenging Esking to a fight. Classic. I am kind of surprised it is not talked about more. To me, it was a defining moment.

[jd]

AAA-
no offense, but i don't think you could have coached this team to a victory in the east this year.

[Johnny Goodtimes]

"Charlie's handling of Lidge was his biggest glaring mistake." Yeah, because when Charlie tried moving Ryan Madsen to the closer spot it worked out so well, and his other two options for closer (Myers and Romero) didn't break down due to injury. Good point.

Unfortunately, Charlie was unable to claim Dennis Eckersley off waivers. So instead he went with what he had, he believed that Lidge had the stuff to turn it around, and until Game 4 it actually paid off. Who would you have put in there? The only acceptable answer is Chan Ho Park, but he had already pitched the 7th. You say best pitcher, so do you think Cliff Lee should have pitched the 9th? Rookie JA Happ? I am dying to know who you would have pitched there.

Another thing about Charlie: since everyone is always on Joe Torre's jock, notice the difference in how Torre's team reacted to a devastating game 4 loss and how the Phillies reacted to a devastating Game 4 loss. I think last night's game speaks volumes about Charlie Manuel.

[Benjamin]

If I had the time and wasn't lazy, I'd go back to yesterday's post where I labeled Charlie a genius for his rotation decision. I liked it from the beginning and still do. The matchups now are the only thing keeping us alive and breathing. Of course, Sheridan had to steal my brainwaves to write his article today. Why do I feel like he wrote the opposite article the day before?

[Aadam Aziz Ansari]

I consider his coaching and managing abilities separately. I totally agree that he is a great coach. I also don't think he's a bad manager, but he certainly falls way short of "genius".

And I don't consider continually throwing Lidge out there while crossing your fingers to be effective managing, for the record.

[Aadam Aziz Ansari]

Also, why the hell not Happ? If Lidge got through the inning and we ended up in extras, who do you expect to pitch then? Not like Lidge can go more than one inning.

[will.H]

Aadam, this is why i think people blindly scold charlie because its really 'the thing to do.' Lidge can only pitch one inning, we're all aware of that.. so he was used in the top of the 9th because his spot led off in the bottom of the 9th. so if charlie used happ, hed either bat for himself in a tie game or he'd burn a long man for one inning.

so, why the hell not happ? thats why

[Aadam Aziz Ansari]

You really think I'm scolding Charlie? You must have very thin skin if you think that. Seeing as he helped make us WFC, I wouldn't trade him for a barrel full of Belichicks.

Anyway, I forgot about the batting order leading off the ninth. It probably wasn't worth it to double switch for Happ in that instance, so I'll concede that point. Also, I was complaining that Lidge was never used for more than one inning last year. Probably my only complaint about last year's managing is that Charlie never used Lidge for a >3 out save.

[Brandon]

Charlie is a certifiable Einstein. Love that guy.

[Sean]

It would be fantastic if they would pull it out tonight and then tomorrow we could get a newspaper cover of Joe Girardi with the caption FEAR.

[will.H]

"Seriously, with the lineup this team has, I could have been coaching and we still would have won the East this year." -aadam

"You really think I'm scolding Charlie? You must have very thin skin if you think that."--aadam

i got that impression from your first sentence in your first post. seems you were devaluing Charlie all together. When thats your first impression, its easy to think you're a charlie detractor. obviously you think otherwise given your last comment.

[Christina]

I'm with you all saying Uncle Cholly's a genius. It's really easy for detractors to point fingers after the fact.