If you had April 10th in your Charlie Manuel Rumor Pool, you just won a bunch of money. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated's website begins the speculation after a 1-6 start by the Phillies:Baseball people are already starting to wonder whether Manuel could take a quick hit for the Phillies' abominable start, providing it lasts a little while longer (he isn't working for George Steinbrenner in the '80s, after all).I dare say that no manager needed a quick start more than Manuel ... certainly no manager in the N.L. East, where Willie Randolph has helped guide the Mets to a complete 180 degree turn in two seasons, Fredi Gonzalez took over a young team in need of stability, Manny Acta takes over an impossible roster to win with, and Bobby Cox isn't going anywhere unless he decides to.We didn't need Jimmy Rollins to point out that this is one talented team. The Phillies, who seem historically hampered by slow starts, certainly don't want this season to get away from them.
But are the Phillies to blame as much as Manuel? Heyman goes on to point out that the team hired experienced bench coaches such as Jimy Williams, Davey Lopes, and Art Howe who joined Ron Washington in Texas before ever wearing a Phillies uniform. Whether it was a way to cover themselves in the instance of a bad start, or a thinly veiled message towards Manuel, it's easy to conclude that the players have picked up on that. And while it's silly to think that the Phillies have quit on their manager after seven games, how easy would it be for them to do so, when the hirings of Williams and Lopes sends a message that the front office already has?
