tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post114855920997225216..comments2024-01-31T17:51:12.213-05:00Comments on Swing and a Miss: Stronger MeasuresTom Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00816668232837298444noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1148642759833226842006-05-26T07:25:00.000-04:002006-05-26T07:25:00.000-04:00TG: You are right, of course. I am just feeling ...TG: You are right, of course. I am just feeling frustrated about Howard's defense. He is much better than that. His errors have all appeared to be ones of concentration not lack of skill. No one should show up a player.Tom Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00816668232837298444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1148605484019056572006-05-25T21:04:00.000-04:002006-05-25T21:04:00.000-04:00I know you mentioned it sort of in passing, but Ho...I know you mentioned it sort of in passing, but Howard can't be pulled when he spaces out in the field. First he has to learn himself, if that doesn't work [and I think it will], a player needs to pull him aside. Next the coach, then the manager. But yanking him mid-game is a last resort.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1148566232999718982006-05-25T10:10:00.000-04:002006-05-25T10:10:00.000-04:00I think it's both of them, the players and the GM....I think it's both of them, the players and the GM. We have players who won't go all out for a game while we have a GM who isn't very observant and putting the more talented guys, who do care, where they should be.MRLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683359403267162620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1148565147224473072006-05-25T09:52:00.000-04:002006-05-25T09:52:00.000-04:00I honestly don't think changing the manager is the...I honestly don't think changing the manager is the answer. <BR/><BR/>Do I think he is perfect? No I do not. But I think the teams' problems would still be there with any manager you choose. <BR/><BR/>I realy think this team should be much better than it is, but many players are not pulling their full weight and playing up to their capabilities. <BR/><BR/>The way this Phillies team is built, they need everyone to be as good as they can be in order to win. They are not the Cardinals, who can overcome a slumping Jim Edmonds and a less than productive Scott Rolen and still win. <BR/><BR/>When someone slumps on the Phillies, the team overall is not good enough to overcome it. When everyone is on their games, they win 13 out of 14. <BR/><BR/>That speaks to general makeup of the team. That to me goes on the GM. But Pat Gillick had a lot of problems to fix and may need more time to do that.The Revhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573551553863558468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610014.post-1148561209653795492006-05-25T08:46:00.000-04:002006-05-25T08:46:00.000-04:00If we're judging those potential moves on who's go...If we're judging those potential moves on who's going to lose more games, I say shift manuel. How many games are we going to lose on hits to rightfield? <BR/><BR/>Managing is about effectively using your resources, and one area he's definitely failing in is the guys who aren't everyday players. <BR/><BR/>A big difference between this year and last year has been the number of options manuel has to manage. Out of spring training, gillick gave manuel lots of players as options to solve problems like bell at third, or the bullpen.<BR/><BR/>Faced with more choices, it seems to me Manuel has come off worse. Last year his two problems were a platoon at second and a platoon in the outfield. He did okay. <BR/><BR/>This year he doesn't know what to do with nunez or delluci - how to get them decent time at bats and split time between starting and the bench - so he just sits them on the bench. He plays a sub-par offensive catcher twice in two days because the catcher 'has to catch those two pitchers' when the personnal catcher tactic isn't working. <BR/><BR/>I'm starting to think that he should go. Not because of the games lost to date (we're still only four games out), but because I think he's capable of losing us too many more.OisÃn Murphy-Lawless/Wizlahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13548868245296450507noreply@blogger.com