Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Perfect Storm

The planets rarely line up for your Philadelphia Phillies but in at least one regard there are signs and portents suggesting something extraordinary is in the works.

Not a single member of the Phillies’ ownership or front office has gotten the Brett Myers case right from day one.  From the decision by GM Pat Gillick to let him pitch the day following his arrest and release for spousal assault to the pitcher’s own statement that he was, in essence, sorry he was caught, to the general managing partner’s lame attempt to clarify the team’s decision and response, to Bill Giles’ third-hand statement that someone saw something that didn’t happen, to the latest fumble by David Montgomery that, gee,  Mr. Giles may have misinterpreted what he was told, the Phillies have made a bad situation worse.

Now they have their perfect storm.

Everyone is focused on their ineptitude.  Oh, sure, Ryan Howard’s triumph in the All-Star Home Run Derby provided a temporary respite from all the vituperation and contempt, but two days later the Phillies’ alleged brain trust is backtracking yet again with David Montgomery announcing that Bill Giles got the story wrong because "Obviously... I didn't explain it very well."

Oh, now I get it, Dave, you didn’t spin it right.  Which part do you think Giles didn’t understand?   Myers did it or he didn’t do it?

No one knows how this mess will finally shake out, but I am going to make a prediction:  by the end of the year or, perhaps, before the July 31 trade deadline, so-called public relations guru Scott Palmer will be given his unconditional release.

8 comments:

Oisín Murphy-Lawless/Wizlah said...

my mind is easily boggled this time of year because of work, but I am astonished at the Bill Giles article and subsequent low-key response. Late last night (my time) I checked to see if there was any news on the wire - not a peep from the phils. No major fire extinguishing.

Even if giles gets this inteview out before the phils could do anything, it costs them nothing to sharply reprimand him in public, refute him in the strongest terms. this morning's bumbling response continue's to put them in a terrible light.

If I were palmer, I'd leave and declare them the most unworkable organisation I've ever had the misfortune to deal with. No one's going to believe the phils if they say its all his fault.

Anonymous said...

The Phils are clearly operating on the "any publicity is good publicity" theory. By this time of year, everyone is usually talking about Eagles impending training camp. Not this year - you have to admit that people and the media are both talking a whole lot about the Phils. No one could possibly bungle things this much accidentally, could they?

Tom Goodman said...

Interesting notion, kuff6, but you give them too much credit.

The Rev said...

We should be much happier about Ryan Howard's win in the derby. But this crap has distracted us from it.

There's no way this is Scott Palmer's fault, and if they get rid of him it will be a huge mistake.

First of all, there is a reason David Montgomery is the face of the organization. Bill Giles was completely out of line in giving that interview.

I wish the owners would sell already and make their profit. It's the best thing they could do for everyone. They have no business owning this team anymore.

Anonymous said...

It'd be one thing if Giles was just speaking for himself, and just shrug it off as the coming from the mouth of someone we've all long regarded as a buffoon. Why this is a bigger story than has been portayed thus far (some excellent columns notwithstanding) is because it is not distantly believable that Giles simply 'misunderstood' Montgomery's briefing. I don't see how it is possible to misinterpret something like this, whether it's stated in fifteen minutes or fifteen seconds. It obviously is Montgomery's opinion, despite what he wants to state for the record, that what happened in Boston was blown out of proportion and is not cause for serious concern. If you read Giles' comments, they are strongly worded:

"It really didn't happen." "I do know what really happened was a lot less than what the public thinks happened." "All the reports were untrue, from what I understand."

Giles isn't pulling that out of the clear blue sky. He may have possibly misheard or misrepresented a few details, but it is not plausible that he could have totally inverted what Montgomery said to him. Therefore, this reflects not just on Giles but on the entire organization. That's why it's a big story. That's why it shouldn't die. Montgomery needs to do more to address reality here, and not just say Giles "got it wrong."

Tom Goodman said...

RSB: Very well put. In the end, I think you are correct: the organization does not view the incident in Boston as serious; does not and does not want to. Kim Myers' distress is a distraction to them, a nuisance that interrupted their plans. Thus, they sent her husband right back out there because, after all, he is their best pitcher and, well, business is business.

Anonymous said...

I am so effing vituperated!

Anonymous said...

Now that Monty's set the record "straight", wouldn't a subsequent apology from Giles be the logical next step...?

I mean, come on. This really isn't obvious?

As fired up as everyone was over the Phillies bungling the Myers situation three weeks ago, I'm really surprised more isn't being made of the Gilkes bombshell. I guess it's just not "hot news" anymore.

Okay, I'll talk about something baseball-related. The deal today that sent Austin Kearns, Ryan Wagner, and Felipe Lopez to Washington for Royce Clayton and two middle relievers is about the stupidest trade I have ever seen, on the part of Cincinnati. Not even Ed Wade could have pulled off one that myopic and desperate.