Charlie Manuel’s contract has been renewed for 2 years through 2009, with a club option for a third year.  In his third year as skipper, Manuel guided the Phightins to the NL East crown and into the playoffs for the first time since 1993.  That achievement was hard fought, as the team battled through many injuries to key performers. 

“We love what Charlie brings to the ballpark every day, which is an upbeat, positive attitude that rubs off on the players,” Gillick said in a news release. ”He helped lead our club back to the playoffs, and he and his coaching staff did a great job, especially with the injury issues they faced throughout the season with a number of key players.”

Even when things were looking their bleakest, Charlie never wavered publicly in his belief that his squad could make the playoffs. That positive vibe is his best quality, and is one of the big reasons his players like playing for him.

Ryan Howard said. “He’s a player’s coach, and he kept a lot of things together.”

Is this a good move by the Phillies?

The division title that the team won this year, in game 162, was a byproduct of the team’s offensive talent, tenacity and admirable late season focus, but also an historic flop by the division leaders.  The 7 game lead that seemed so large in the last couple of weeks would not have been such a gap if this team could just earn a winning record in April.  Charlie Manuel’s teams have not started the season well and it has cost them dearly in each of the last 3 seasons.

• 2007 April Record 11 – 14.  Phillies won division by 1 game after coming back from 7 down.

• 2006 April Record 12 – 14.  Phillies finished 12 back of the Mets in the division and 3 games out of the wildcard.

• 2005 April Record 10 – 14.  Phillies finished 2 games back of the Braves and 1 game out of the wildcard.

In each of his 3 seasons, Charlie Manuel’s team was playing from behind from the jump. After the first 2 seasons when their slow start added to the deficit that could not be overcome during a late season run for a playoff spot, a heavy emphasis was placed on a good start this season.  They were 5 – 11 in the first 3 weeks. If they had split those first 16, the late season drama would have been diminished and maybe the team would not have been completely drained when the playoffs begin.

Much has been made of his strategic failings, and rightly so.  One of the more significant issues throughout the course of the season was his use of the bullpen.  He would routinely remove his starters when they were leading in the 5^th and 6^th innings, if they allowed base runners to reach base.  This invariably put the game into hands of an unsteady bullpen that was staffed with too many cast offs, re-treads and never-weres. Many leads evaporated in his middle relievers hands.  With his bullpen, it seemed obvious that he needed to give his starters the chance to get the Phils to the 7^th inning or beyond, but he rarely did. Charlie was not responsible for player selection, but he did control how he used them. 

This Phillies team has a core that can make them a World Series contender for the next several years, if there are a couple of upgrades made.  They need a third baseman, a top of the rotation starter and 2 good relievers.  I would have also liked an upgrade in the manager’s office.