Philadelphia Phillies’ Charlie Manuel vows for an improved performance – MLB News
The Philadelphia Phillies qualified for their fifth consecutive postseason helped by a record breaking regular season, but crashed out as early as the National League Division Series to give rise to questions on their ability to perform under pressure.
The Phillies became the first team in the history of Majors to win 102 games in a single season, improving on their own record of 101 wins. However, the ballclub failed to carry on with the momentum gained in the regular season, crashing out to the Wild
Card entrants in the five-game NLDS. Central to that defeat was Philadelphia’s offence, which has been undoubtedly the most inconsistent area of the team.
Even after setting a record of most wins in a single season, Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel ensured that the team will get better in the next season. When the measurement for success is the World Series, this surely is a failure.
Manuel emphasised that since spring training, the team had aimed to win the World Series. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee to bolster their bull-pen for the stated purpose, but the pitcher failed to perform when the team needed him. Philadelphia had a chance
to sweep the series in Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in their favour. The team’s offence fired in that game as well, giving a four-run lead to Lee upfront. However, the starter failed to hold on to this lead, allowing the Cardinals to breeze past the Phillies.
Halladay’s subsequent thrashing by Chris Carpenter in Game 5 ensured that the Redbirds go through to the NL Championship Series.
Addressing to a press conference, Manuel said, “We got into a 2-2 situation, we lost the [fifth] game in a shutout. Baseball is a game you’re asking a whole lot when you say we got to win a World Series. That’s high stakes. With the talent assembled on our
team people and the media put expectations that we had to win the World Series. It didn’t happen. I’m sorry for that.”
Nevertheless, the manager urged fans and players alike to stay positive for an improved result in the next season.
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