This is great. I would suggest frontpage status for this one.

Funny how he thinks their core is more talented than ours. I would say it is equal at worst…more likely that our core guys have the slight edge. But with Rollins putting on a third-of-the-season-long suck clinic, its hard to say.

I always go and read the comment threads over at AA after a Mets’ loss. I was amused by the comments you highlighted above and thought about our reactions to similar managerial decisions. I think you hit it on the head there. Great post.

I think it’s hard to argue that the Phils aren’t well run.

They’ve got 2 MVPs who came through the system. The core of the team is homegrown. They’ve been consistently good for several years now. They’ve made shrewd free agent signings and some good(in one case great) trades.

And of course, the ultimate affirmation that you’re well run… They won the world F-ing series.

For the past few years, they’re well run.

I mean, our Manuel: continued his unhealthy obsession with bunting in any and all situations; again batted our hottest hitter/OBP machine fifth to basically guarantee that he would lead-off the 2d, 4th and 6th innings in front of our black hole of a lower-order; Omir Santos; and went to non-LOOGY Ken Takahashi to take on your left-handed batting core. So many reasons for us to vent.

“Baby rapers”, tho? I mean, she told me she was 18.

I doubt fans of any team often credit many wins to the manager. But I’m confident that Charlie is one of the best—even as I disagree with this or that move he makes probably a few times a week.

Look at the record, first of all—this year, over his whole tenure with the Phils, for that matter over his entire managerial career. He’s never had a full-season sub-.500 mark in the majors, and he was pretty damn good in the minors just to get a big-league managing gig. Then look at the performance of players before and after they get to the Phils; other than a few guys signed by Wade, Gillick or Amaro after career years (the Nunez/Helms types), most have improved. Finally, production from pinch-hitters and relievers—the actual in-game strategic decisions—suggests he’s had something on the ball the last 2-3 years, certainly.

I’ve written here before that I think Charlie Manuel is the best manager in Phillies history. That happens to be faint praise—otherwise it’s Gene Mauch, the recently deceased Danny Ozark, or I guess Eddie Sawyer, none of whom are exactly in the Casey Stengel class—but maybe a better way to think about it is this: are there five managers in baseball today you’d rather have running this team?

When I saw the title of the post I’d figured it would be another cliched mockery/fueling of a often irrational hatred between fanbases, but I’m happy to be completely off base. Nice write up and feel free to join in the discussion next rather than lurk.