Should he stay or should he go?

Hola amigos! After a relaxing few days away from work and the Phillies to spend it with my family and gasp! watch television. Normally I watch two shows (I have never seen American Idol," he said proudly… if I want to see bad Karaoke there are places I can go to see it where they serve drinks) but this past I doubled that and mixed in a few innings of baseball, most of the last two rounds of The Masters as well as the debut of the HBO shows.

But the thing people wanted to talk the most about was not Tony Soprano, but Charlie Manuel. More stubborn than Machiavellian, it seems as if ol’ Charlie is back on the bull’s eye as the main problem with the Phillies. The question I’ve fielded hasn’t been, “what’s wrong with the Phillies? Are they ever going to make a deal to get a relief pitcher?”

Instead the question has been, “Is Charlie going to make it through the month?”

There is no indication that Manuel’s job is on the line despite the 1-6 start to the season that saw the bullpen take losses in three games, allow three costly home runs, issue 15 walks against 18 strikeouts, and compile a 4.57 ERA. When they said the bullpen as going to be the Phillies’ weak link, they weren’t kidding.

It should also be assumed that I think Manuel should be relieved as skipper. Far from it. I don't think the players have tuned him out nor do I think getting rid of the manager is going to do anything to make the Phillies win or make the playoffs. In fact, my thought is the opposite would occur. But that doesn't mean Charlie has managed any better than his players have performed on the field.

Though Manuel’s job doesn’t seem to be on the line now, it’s pretty safe that short of a World Series appearance that the Phillies will allow cannonaded Charlie’s contract to quickly expire before beginning a search for a new manager in 2008.

And no, Jim Leyland is no longer available.

The question I ask myself now is why is Charlie under so much more fire now than in the past? Did those 173 victories for one of the saddest franchises in sports history bide him some time? How about the notion that the players – one through 25 – love their skipper in the same way that they despised the previous manager? Does that count? Well, yeah. But the bottom line is one thing and the method to the madness is another. As previously discussed here in detail, success with the Phillies isn’t the same as with, say, the Yankees. Or the Red Sox. Or Mets. With the Phillies almost making it is reason enough to strut.

Be that as it is, if the Phillies love Charlie as much as everyone says, why don’t they show it by playing better? Or is it that the play on the field that mirrors the manager? Charlie Manuel, as a hitting coach and a mentor of ballplayers, is without reproach. He’s loyal and always, always, always has his players’ backs. But Charlie, God bless him, doesn’t appear to be the most organized guy in the world. A lot of his decisions are made on the fly or by instinct. Or, as he says, like the “Japanese manager” who has some sense of what a player will be able to do on any given day by looking at him.

Too bad he couldn’t foresee Shane Victorino’s inexplicable attempt to steal third base with one out in a 2-0 game with the reigning NL MVP at the plate. It’s been a week since that play and it’s still doesn’t sink in… what the hell was that?!?!

Then there was the decision to leave Geoff Geary in the game and allow him to hit for himself in Monday’s collapse against the Mets at Shea. If he wanted Geary to pitch in the eighth, why not double-switch (and don’t give us that stuff about wanting to save Michael Bourn to sub in for Pat Burrell)? The simple fact is Geoff Geary should never hold a bat in a regulation game.

Ever.

Forget about using the so-called set-up man to start the eighth…

Hey, maybe Charlie is some sort of soothsayer, but it appears as if whatever magic he conjured up during the past two seasons has escaped him so far in 2007.

Or has it? Perhaps things are simply catching up.

For instance, according to research Manuel has used fewer lineups than any other manager in baseball over the past two years. He rarely calls for a hit-and run, rarely bunts with any other player than the pitcher. As for the relief pitchers, Manuel finds their role buts them there and leaves them alone. Certainly the players involved in that compartmentalized type of thinking like it because they know their role and don’t have to look over their shoulders. But does this lack of competition help the team?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Meanwhile, Manuel also has not attempted a squeeze play since taking over the Phillies. Surely, squeeze plays don’t make one a good or bad manager, but thinking outside of the proverbial box is.

As for thinking outside of the box, who was it that claimed the Phillies were “the team to beat?” And we’re not talking about Jimmy Rollins, we’re talking about the pundits that dubbed this team as playoff bound. What was that? Yeah, yeah, seven bad games don’t make a season and there is a long summer ahead. But does anyone remember what Pat Gillick said on July 30, 2006 as he stood in front of most of the Philadelphia media?

Anyone?

Let me refresh your memory:

“Realistically, I think probably it would be a stretch to think we’re going to be there in ‘07.”

Really.