Roy Halladay and Phillies Lose in 9th Due to Manuel’s Questionable Decisions

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel does not always make the right moves from a baseball standpoint.  It’s his way of showing his players respect.  It’s his way of putting players like Roy Halladay, who have earned his trust, first.  It’s one reason players love playing for him.

It also loses games from time to time.  Last night’s ninth inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks was the latest example.

In Charlie Manuel’s words, “It’s kind of his game, isn’t it?…That’s my ace.  That’s kind of the way I looked at it.  If I was going to make a move, how come I didn’t make a move to start the inning?”

That is a good question Charlie.

Here’s another good question: if it’s Halladay’s game, why would both Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo be warming up to start the ninth inning?

Also, if both Madson and Bastardo are warm, why wouldn’t you use Bastardo to face left-handed hitting Lyle Overbay with two runners on base and one out in the ninth?  Overbay was 2-for-3 off Halladay and had driven in the only Arizona run in the game.

Thirdly, do we really need Roy Halladay throwing 122 pitches on a night in August when the Phillies bullpen is rested and ready?

I don’t question Manuel’s decision to send Roy Halladay out to start the ninth inning.  Halladay earned that right, not just in this game (he had retired the previous 12 batters) but over the past two years.

I do question Manuel’s judgement in having both Madson and Bastardo warming up and then not using them when the situation called for it.  Either warm them up and use them or don’t warm them up at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not writing this as my final act before jumping off the Ben Franklin bridge.  I recognize that this loss does not change the Phillies current status as the best team in baseball.

In fact, losing to Arizona might help the Phillies overall chances by keeping San Francisco out of the playoffs.  Arizona currently has a 3.5 game lead on San Francisco.  Every Phillies fan would agree that Arizona is a better playoff matchup than San Francisco.

As someone who grew up watching some of the worst teams in Phillies history, it’s still hard to see the Phillies lose winnable games.

Every Phillies loss bothers me, especially the ones where the manager does not put his players in the best position to win.  That’s what happened last night—Manuel didn’t put Roy Halladay (or his teammates) in the best position to win the game.

Charlie Manuel is not worried about winning a game; he’s worried about winning a World Series.  And he believes that investing in his players is the best way to do it, even if it costs him a game from time to time.

I have got to admit, it’s hard to argue with the past five years worth of results.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Ways August and September Could Wreck the Playoffs

The Philadelphia Phillies are on track to finish with the best regular season record in MLB, but that won’t matter once the playoffs start.

Actually, it could be a problem.

Consider these facts, based on an analysis of the 16 years since MLB introduced the wild-card format:

–  The team with the best record in MLB made the World Series in 7 of 16 years, winning only 3 times

–  The team with the American League’s best record made the World Series in 7 of 16 years

–  The team with the National League’s best record made the World Series in 3 of 16 years

–  The teams with the best record in each league made the World Series in the same year only twice (in 1999 and 1995)

The bottom line—for playoff teams, what happens during the last few months of the season matters more than regular season record.  Teams win the World Series because they have momentum, a healthy and hot lineup, and great matchups.

For the Phillies, August and September are all about avoiding these five worst-case scenarios.

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Soul Mates: How the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies Mirror the 1980 World Champions

Philadelphia Phillies fans have been spoiled over the past five years.  The team has made the playoffs every year from 2007 through 2010, and they’re a virtual lock to make the playoffs in 2011.  For many Philadelphia fans, 2011 is World Series or bust.

Phillies fans must go back 30 years to find the last time the Phillies had a streak of success like this.  The Phillies of the late 1970s and early 1980s were perennial contenders.  The 1980 team finally broke through to win the World Series.

It’s only natural to wonder how this 2011 version of the Phillies compares to the 1980 World Series Champions.  A comparison reveals some startling similarities.

So let’s take a walk down memory lane to see which players from the 1980 Phillies would be the soul mate for each 2011 player.

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did researching and writing it.

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