Philadelphia Phillies’ Charlie Manuel identifies areas for improvement – MLB News
Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel was content on the strength of his bull-pen even after an unexpected loss in the American League Division Series against St. Louis Cardinals, but expressed concern over the offensive failure and fitness issues of his roster.
Addressing to a press conference at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Manuel admitted that after a record-breaking regular season, the season should not have ended in this fashion. The St. Louis Cardinals qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the season and have since dominated the scene.
As a solution to the collapse, Manuel asserted the need for a vocal leader in the clubhouse. He advocated his viewpoint by saying that a strong leader will be essential for success. Although the team has qualified for the postseason regularly since the last five seasons, consistency and serenity has been missing barring the 2008 season, when the Phillies went on to win the World Series.
Manuel reiterated that he is a ‘best line-up guy’ and believes in continuing with one regular line-up. Explaining this, he stated that if the best players do not play regularly, the team can never perform consistently. Recalling his time with the Cleveland Indians, Manuel stressed that he has enjoyed success with this strategy previously and aims at replicating the feat here as well.
Emphasising on the need to inject young blood in the line-up, Manuel said, "John Mayberry is going to get a chance to be a regular player. I think he will get to play more this coming season than he did this year. He proved that he can be a good big-league player. He will get every chance in the world to be a regular player."
Nevertheless, he was quick to add that age does not matter as long as the players are performing on the field. Manuel ensured that the team will come up with improved results in the next season, even though the team managed to win 102 games in the regular season.
Commenting on Jimmy Rollins’ expected departure from the ballclub, Manuel stated that he used to be a stellar but has lost groove lately. Accepting that the shortstop’s departure will hurt the ballclub immensely, Manuel remained assertive that the team can do wonders without him.
Tags: