Phillies Joy Watch

Ditka 147, Piniella 12. And it wasn't that close. [/JTO cross-threading]

 

The best way to describe this weekend for a Mets fan:

 

The fans at CBP were excited and they love the Phils. Does this take away the ghosest of 1950, '64 or even '93? Of course not. The past is just that the past. Those teams had their shot and for whatever reason, blew it. This team is exciting to watch for a number of reasons but like that '93 club, they also have little in the way of pitching.
If they can keep Eaton off the mound and juggle the staff, they may have a chance.

 

So Charlie Manuel is pretty much a genius now, correct?

 

His overuse of the bullpen early in the season somehow didn't hurt him late in the season. If he can use the pen better in the playoffs, the Phillies could do well.

 

No, Charlie is not a genius. He is a motivator. He knows how to get his team inspired to play as a unit. He's always been that way.
No one will say that Charlie Manuel is not a good baseball man. He makes mistakes but he'll stand up and take the hit when he does.
I think there may be one incident that sparked this team. That was when Charlie threatened to beat the shit out of Howard Eskin, a Philadelphia-based sports personality. My money was on Charlie and the team responded by playing well.

 

Charlie's strategic mediocrity looked good, in comparison with the Mets' utter lack of respect for executing the fundamentals of the game.

 

If Charlie and the Phils had lost, this thread would be about his being inept. It goes with the territory ben. Managers are hired to be fired.

 

I don't think that a manager that takes his team to a 2nd-place finish is inept.
Unable to get it done in the crunch, maybe.
But not inept.

 

I was at the game yesterday with my brother and my dad. It was the greatest moment of my life so far. i've never been to a playoff game but that felt like one. We stayed for hours after the game was over getting doused with beer by Myers and Rollins, Werth and Victorino. It was special when they came back out on the field and partyed out there with the fans. Then Harry, who is baseball in this city, sings "high Hopes" with the fans singing with them. It was just special. If they go out and get swept, I'll even be okay with it, because yesterday was a day i'll tell my kids about. Sharing it with my dad and brother was awesome as well. couldn't ask for a better time. The players and the fans were one after the game. That is how it felt, call me weird, or call me out on that staement, because the players are millionaires, but I don't care. We were all one yesterday, because we both (the fans and players) were enjoying this truly special culmination of a hard fought season.

Here's to getting those 11 more wins, and making this season one for the ages.

 

Too bad you're not at the rally at City Hall.