Manuel safe... for now

One of the more popular questions I’m asked these days is whether or not Charlie Manuel’s job is in jeopardy. Say, for instance, the Phillies’ skid continues to the All-Star Break and the team falls deeper into the middle of the pack – does the plug get pulled on Manuel?

People are always surprised by how quickly I answer.

"No," I say.

Of course, anything can happen. Who knows, if things continue on the current path, general manager Pat Gillick might have no choice but to make a change. And you can’t fire 25 guys who are playing without much passion, right?

Nevertheless, I don’t get any indication from anyone with the Phillies that Manuel is on the proverbial hot seat. Along those lines, I get the impression that Gillick had already chalked this season up as a “throwaway year” where he can gauge the organization, what he has and what he needs. Since the players all love Charlie so much, why rock the boat? Gillick is smart enough to realize that firing Charlie is a good way to start a mutiny which would make it very difficult for players to want to come play for the Phillies – or stay.

Besides, there is nothing in Gillick’s past that indicates that he will make a change in the middle of a season. In fact, just once during the venerable GM’s long career has he switched managers mid season and that was in 1989 with the Blue Jays when he removed Jimy Williams and replaced him with Cito Gaston.

That team won the AL East, too.

So, fans, get used to Manuel in the dugout for the rest of this season (and maybe next year, too).

Playoffs?
More important than whether or not Manuel remains on as the Phillies manager is whether or not the team has a shot at the playoffs. Well, yeah… of course they do.

There are still 95 games left in the season and though the Phillies really have no shot at winning the NL East – at least realistically they don’t – the team made a run at the playoffs last year when they were done and buried at the All-Star Break.

That’s where the Phillies checked in at 45-44, struggling to barely play .500 ball. Actually, at game 102, Roger Clemens beat the Phillies in Houston to send them to 52-50, yet the team still played for a playoff spot on the last day of the season.

Then again, it took a 43-30 record in the second half – 36-24 from game 102 on – just to get back into contention.

Is that the way it’s going to be again this season?