Baseball Musings: Focus on Manuel

June 19, 2006

Focus on Manuel

Pat Gillick is sticking with Charlie Manuel:

Manuel "can't go out there and play for them," Gillick said. "There's been inconsistency with our pitching, and pitching kind of sets the tone."
But Gillick has noticed that pitching isn't the only problem. He characterized his team's poor play of late as "a lack of concentration," and said his manager and coaches "have kept the guys focused as much as possible."

It strikes me that getting players to focus is the manager's job. What Gillick appears to be saying here is that no one could get the players to focus more. I find that tough to believe. If it is true, however, maybe it's time to make a "you're not so good that I won't move you" trade. Send one of the good, non-concentrating vets to a team like Kansas City to make the others take notice. If it's not the manager, maybe it's time to remake the club. As the Marlins showed over the winter, there's plenty of prospects to be had for good talent.

Posted by David Pinto at 08:38 AM | Management | TrackBack (0)

Comments

"Send one of the good, non-concentrating vets to a team like Kansas City to make the others take notice."
Isn't that against the Geneva Convention?

Posted by: rbj at June 19, 2006 08:49 AM

A lack of consequences for poor performance is something us Phloggers have noticed as well. I don't think Gillick feels he can get fair value in trades right now though.

Posted by: Tom G at June 19, 2006 10:18 AM

Firing Charlie might do the same thing for the Phils as it did for the floundering Astros last year.

Posted by: pawnking at June 19, 2006 11:05 AM

Garner managed the Astros all year last year. The year before, Jimy Williams was fired mid season while the team was .500 and Garner led them to the playoffs.

2004 had way more to do with Jimy Williams being the worst manager ever than anything else. Last year's turn around was fueled by getting Lance Berkman off the disabled list and Morgan Ensberg starting to hit at the same time.

Posted by: MH at June 19, 2006 12:10 PM

Please, can we get Sweet Lou in red pinstripes?

Posted by: MAW at June 19, 2006 12:47 PM

Gillick is talking about Charlie to take a little "focus" off the sorry job he himself has done. Other than acquiring Aaron Rowand and Tom Gordon, Gillick has done little to improve the club. One suspects that Pat has a "no-trade" clause.

Posted by: John Salmon at June 19, 2006 06:32 PM

re: Pat Gillick Charlie Manuel & Phillies

Manuel has been here before, with the 2000-2001 Indians. He did not win with that club to the extent that he should have. Based on his underperformance with that Indians club, one should not have hired him as manager. Many in the local press felt that Jimmy Leyland, the ex-Pirates skipper and a long-time National Leaguer with NL East experience, was the logical choice last year. Leyland wanted the job and campaigned for it.

Well, now Leyland is showing that an NL manager can succeed in the AL, a la Sparky Anderson, but Manuel last year and this year has made a number of AL manager mistakes related to the lack of the DH. Numerous times he has only thought out the pinch-hitting scenario through to one batter, rather than thinking it through 2-3 batters ahead, as most NL managers do routinely, which ends up in a bad matchup in the key point of a ballgame.

His bench is all wrong. When Gonzalez retired, he was left without a righthanded pinchitter with power. Last year he lacked a lefthanded pinchhitter with power. He doesn't know that he needs one of each in the NL.

Moving onto the players. the Phils have been fortunate in that Victorino has developed into a skilled player rapidly after being MVP inthe AAA International League. He is fast, can play defense, is a switch hitter, and has a high OBA with strong line drive and power numbers.

This gives them the option realistically of moving Abreu, the best outfielder in the NL, to the Yankees or another contending club, for a starter and prospects, which would solidify the Phils rotation and beef up their farm system.

This would leave the Phils with this starting lineup;

Victorino - RF
Rollins - SS
Utley - 2b
Burrell - lf
Howard - 1b
Roward - cf
Bell - 3b
Fasano/Lieberthal - C

If Victorino can amass at least 15 win shares, and the Phils can get at least 10-15 win shares from the starter they get in return, then the trade will make up the 30 win shares Abreu routinely puts up. My own suspicion is that Victorino can put up 25 win shares over a whole season--he is fast, he can hit 30-40 doubles, and he has home run power for 20 homers in CBP. He's the leadoff hitter they need, as well.

Utley, Burrell and Howard will each hit 20-40 homers and drive in 100 runs, and each earn 20-30 win shares in that role. Rowand is on his way to 20 or more win shares playing a solid CF and also hitting well.

Also, and don't forget this, David Delucci can come in and spell any of the outfielders for a day. His numbers are very very good, he has an OPS of nearly .900 in limited action.

The Abreu trade scenario makes sense. At 32, Abreu can only be expected to decline with age.

Victorino is young, and will be cheap for the next six years. Such a trade as proposed will make the Phils young, add to their starting pitching corps, strengthen the farm system,and improve their lineup by unclogging the middle of sluggers and adding a speedy flier to the top of the lineup.

--Arthur John Kyriazis
--philly

Posted by: arthur john kyriazis at June 20, 2006 09:56 AM