It’s not exactly a secret that Roy Halladay left the Blue Jays because he wanted to pitch for a team with championship prospects and who has been hotter than the Phillies? I mean all the millions the Phillies are giving him didn’t influence him as greatly. (Right!) When he signed, I mean. And I guess he hardly gave a thought about batting or to what kind of manager Charlie Manuel might really turn out to be.
‘Cause in my opinion Halladay is gonna die young. The way things are going and of course I mean the way Manuel refuses to trust his bullpen and keeps him pitching complete games, he won’t make it to September. And maybe not even the 4th of July.
What’s with that?
Last Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates Halladay got three batters up to 3 and 0. He only had done that 46 times during his entire previous career. He left the game after the 8th inning with a 132 pitch count. 132 pitches, the most in baseball this season so far! Yes we know relievers Lidge and Madson are out. But there’s Romero, Durbin, Baez and Jose Contreras. And Manuel knows how to win without Lidge, who was pretty terrible last season.
The fault lies how Manuel’s managing right now. That game, that pathetic loss to the hopelessly Low-Road Game Pirates – 2-1 – was a lousy harbinger. Why did Manuel let Halladay become so exhausted? Phew! You could really see it! His fabulous ability to locate his pitches wasn’t there as the game progressed as those 3 and 0 counts showed along with the sweat we could see. Still Manuel kept him in. Not a crime, a stupidity. (And the Phillies hitters didn’t deliver either. Did Utley’s night off cast a hex on everybody else?)
Manuel is in his 10th season as manager. His experience comes from being a hitting coach and great hitter himself. He deserves tremendous credit for bringing Placido Polanco back because Polanco - he’s wonderful! He does everything well, with panache! He makes baseball look so easy! He’s the kind of player who inspires children, a lodestar to get them playing young enough so that those who hone their talents do, some of them do make it to the bigtime.
I’ve gotta log onto MLB and order my Polanco shirt. And remember starters Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, Kendrick and Moyer in my prayers while Manuel’s around.
