2009 Philadelphia Phillies - Season's Over, Time to Move On

[PhillyGirl]

Does anyone want to alert IGY that both the Marlins and Braves did not, I repeat...did NOT...win the division?

[PhillyPhreak54]

Phillies' Manuel lets players celebrate

By Ray Parrillo

Inquirer Staff Writer
A Phillies official motioned toward Charlie Manuel to join the champagne-spraying celebration in the clubhouse across the hall from his office last night.

Manuel shook him off and said no. He later said the Phillies' third successive National League East Division title was not about him. It was about the players. And, besides, he'll be there for the big one.

It was a gesture that said so much about the homespun manager.

"I let them celebrate because it's more their celebration and I like it that way better," he said. "They're the ones who play. They're the ones who got it done and that's kind of how I like it."

Earlier, Manuel had made a move that also revealed much about him and how he genuinely cares for his players.

There were two outs in the ninth inning of the Phillies' 10-3 win over Houston at Citizens Bank Park. The title was wrapped up when Manuel took that familiar, slow amble toward the mound and signaled for Brad Lidge.

As far as Manuel was concerned, he was already looking ahead to the postseason, and his beleaguered closer - or, for now, former closer - needed a confidence boost. As Lidge prepared for his warm-ups, the din from the towel-waving crowd increased. And everything went the way Manuel figured it would. Juiced by the supporting crowd, Lidge threw one pitch to end the clincher.

"I wanted him to pitch in front of the crowd," Manuel said.

"I thought it would be good for him and the crowd. They responded kind of like the way I thought they would. First of all, I've said all along I didn't want to get away from Lidge. That I wasn't going to shoot him or anything. It was an ideal situation to put him in. My whole intention all along was to get his confidence back up because I know he's got talent and ability.

"You know," he added with a grin, "when he came in and threw warm-up pitches, he was throwing the ball harder than he had the last few days."

Meanwhile, Manuel continues to grow in stature in a city that took a while to embrace him. He became the second Phillies manager to win three straight division titles, joining Danny Ozark, whose teams won three in a row from 1976 to '78. Ironically, Manuel did it on the same day the Cleveland Indians fired manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff. Manuel was fired as the Indians' manager midway through the 2002 season, even though the Tribe won 90 and 91 games the previous two seasons under him.

"Maybe I was part of the problem," Manuel said with a shrug before last night's game.

Manuel said that this division title felt just as good as the previous two, but that it seemed this one came a little bit harder even though the other two were clinched later in the season.

"They all feel good, but I felt like this one was a little bit harder than the others because all year long I heard people talk about how good we were and everything," he said. "We do have a great team, but at the same time we've had pitching problems all year long. Our bullpen went down on us from the start of the season, and we played short all year."

Manuel was pleased but far from satisfied. That will only happen if the Phillies can go on to successfully defend their World Series championship.

Asked if that was the message he would tell the players, he said he already had when he held a team meeting before Tuesday's win.

"I did a lot of that [Tuesday], if you want to know the truth," he said. "They know it's the first step. They've been there before. They know what it's all about."

Apparently, the message got through. The Phillies won the next two games

Two solid moves by Charlie.

Unlike that douchebag Tony LaRussa, and many other MLB managers, Charlie doesn't seek the spotlight.

[MDS]

Ho hum...another division title.

Dodgers down 5-0 to the Padres in the 4th.

They could be .5 game out of first in the NL after tonight is over.

its 2 back

dodgers have tiebreaker.

phillies have tiebreaker over stl so they really have a 1.5 game lead over them.

You lost me. They currently show as being 1/2 game out of the NL lead. (didn't sleep much last night)

if they are tied at the end of the year, the dodgers get the 1 seed because they have the head to head tiebreaker over the phils. so its basically a 1.5 game lead.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Werth could barely stand up, and wasnt it EaglesLegendz here that said Werth yelled to him to throw a bottle of vodka up to the float, where Werth was drinking straight from the bottle?  He's a good fit in this town clearly. 

Yeah I have a pic of him taking the bottle of vodka and chugging it and then more or less refusing to give it back while the float is driving away.  He also didn't have that red hulk fist at that point in the parade.  He must have gotten that from someone else along the route.

[Drunkmasterflex]

Two solid moves by Charlie.

No surprise Charlie is all class. 

[BigEd76]

[Sgt PSN]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290930122

Midway during the celebration, the team jogged together to the outfield wall and poured champagne on the sign that honors late broadcaster Harry Kalas.

[mpmcgraw]

Coste was on WIP and said that Utley studies so much tape that he found something wrong in Lidge's delivery and told him about it.  It got to the point where Utley would walk up during a mound visit and say "you're doing it again".

This was all earlier in the year, but pretty cool.  It also does not speak highly of Dubee.  He needs to be shtein canned after this year. 

[PhillyGirl]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290930122

Midway during the celebration, the team jogged together to the outfield wall and poured champagne on the sign that honors late broadcaster Harry Kalas.

I posted that pic on the previous page.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Coste was on WIP and said that Utley studies so much tape that he found something wrong in Lidge's delivery and told him about it.  It got to the point where Utley would walk up during a mound visit and say "you're doing it again".

This was all earlier in the year, but pretty cool.  It also does not speak highly of Dubee.  He needs to be shtein canned after this year. 

Cool story.

[Munson]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290930122

Midway during the celebration, the team jogged together to the outfield wall and poured champagne on the sign that honors late broadcaster Harry Kalas.

I posted that pic on the previous page.

Yeah, when I watched that happen it was pretty awesome.
The pic of the lone Philly out there leaning on the wall is awesome too, I can't tell who it is though. I wanna say it's JRoll.

[phattymatty]

try googling the jersey number. 

[ice grillin you]

[ice grillin you]

Rollins: "We get to Broad Street again, you'll see HK's jacket and shoes on my back and feet. There is no doubt ... I will be rocking it."

and thats why hes a top 5 all time athlete in the city

[PhillyPhreak54]

Just bought this:



and this: