Running MLB Thread 2007 #1

According to the Philly papers, headbutt, Eskin apparently asked Charlie if it would help if he started screaming and tossing things in the clubhouse, and Manuel said something to the effect that you don't see me get mad but if that's what you want, come to my office and I'll show you how mad I can get. Obviously, the rantings of someone whose job is tenuous at best.

 

I'm not sold just yet. Most of that came in two starts against the Cardinals, who have been awful. And him being a lefty takes Chris Duncan out of that lineup, and he is one of the few hitters for St. Louis off to a decent start.

 

Two takes on Manuel's tirade from Philly papaers:

Sam Donnellon in the Philly News:


CHARLIE MANUEL knows he does not translate well on camera. And the advent of the postgame press conference has presented both a challenge for this baseball man of 45 seasons, and an opportunity for his harshest critics to provoke him.
Most of the time he answers those critics amiably and with little animosity, but last night was not one of those times. On the heels of a lifeless, 8-1 loss to the Mets, with his most incessant critic prodding him to throw a clubhouse tirade, Manuel instead unleashed a profanity-filled 10-minute tongue-lashing toward the critic inside his office, adding an extra dose when their eyes met in the clubhouse minutes later.
"I think they see me angry more than you think [they] do," Manuel said as his emotions heated up. "I think maybe you don't see me angry. I can show you that I can get angry."
"Maybe if you did that to a player, you think that would work?" taunted the critic.
The rest was not for family consumption.
Manuel's eruption seemed to have little to do with either the results of the day or the questions asked afterward. It was much more about the questioner, and what Manuel believes has been unfair criticism over his entire tenure as Phillies manager.


And from Todd Zolecki's gamer in the Inky:


Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's blood boiled afterward when he clashed with a radio talk-show host. Manuel was asked if he thought a clubhouse tirade might shake up his lifeless team.
"I do at times, but it's a timely thing," he said. "We're still hustling. We're still playing hard. We might be trying to do too much. For me to go in there and stand up and throw a fit, I can go in there and tear the whole . . . locker room up. I could come here and throw every . . . chair in here out. What the hell? I don't see how that's going to do me any good."
Asked if it could create some kind of urgency for his players, Manuel said, "I think they see me angry more than you think they do. I think you probably don't see me angry. I can show you I can get angry, if you want to. Why don't you drop by my office?"
The exchange with the radio host, who has been critical of Manuel since his hiring after the 2004 season, continued in Manuel's office and escalated later in the clubhouse, with Manuel having to be held back and eventually led away by coaches Milt Thompson and Mick Billmeyer.

 

who'd have thunk ramon ortiz would be pitching better than (or at least as well as) johan santana?

 

Ortiz is apparently worshipping at the altar of Anderson.

Last night he walked no one and pumped in first strike fastballs to almost every hitter he faced. By the time Seattle started jumping on those pitches, he was up 7-2.

Why it won't last: I think he gave up more hits than innings pitched and struck out no one.

But he will continue to be successful if he keeps pitching like that. Just not this successful.

 

How about those Blue Jays giving Boston's Dice-K his second major league loss? I wonder if the BoSox are thinking whether the 50 million dollar investment was worth it...

 

WTF is up with Manny? Is he a slow starter?

 

Just enjoy it while it lasts. It's not every day us Pirates fans have something to celebrate.

 

I think if he keeps up his 2.70 ERA and he'll be ok. They've scored a total of one run on eight hits in his two losses.

 

First time watching baseball, eh?

Yes.

 

Plus, it is April. Santana doesn't usually kick it into full gear until June. He is a very good pitcher the first two or three months of most seasons. From then on, he's the most unhittable starting pitcher in the game and it isn't even close.

 

There is also that, but Santana has actually been better than normal in April this season.

I don't see much of a logical reason for it, other than the cold making it harder to locate the change. And that can't be it, because two of his starts were at the dome and the one start he had in the cold (in Chicago) was his best outing.

He hasn't thrown a lot of changeups yet, that much I know. AL hitters should be very, very afraid.