Manuel: I trust my bullpen, just not around my wife or a baseball
Charlie Manuel answered questions on Friday about his decision to go with potential Game 3 starters Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ out of the bullpen after Cole Hamels — who apparently couldn’t wait until February to knock his wife up — left after five innings in the 5-4 loss to the Rockies.
Some have said Manuel brought in his starters because he no longer trusts anyone out of the bullpen.
“Everybody says I don’t trust my bullpen and that’s just not true,” Manuel said. “Just because I don’t want them anywhere near my wife or to pitch in a game ever again doesn’t mean I don’t trust them with other things…like driving to the ballpark and dressing themselves.”
Though Blanton and Happ’s use in Game 2 doesn’t prevent either from starting Game 4, it does mean that Pedro Martinez will start for the Phillies on Saturday for Game 3. It also means that Kyle Kendrick and/or Brad Lidge’s spot on the playoff roster could have been filled by John Mayberry Jr., who could have pinch run on Thursday instead of risking Cliff Lee with the game on the line.
Manuel also suffered a mild stroke in the seventh inning when he was forced to bring in Scott Eyre to replace Happ, who took a line drive off of the leg and had to leave the game.
“It’s not that I won’t use the guys from the ‘pen,” Manuel explained on Friday. “They’re just last on my list after I’ve used the starters and asked all 46,000 or so fans if they want to take a crack at it first.”
Lidge blows 23rd blown save of season to finish off Braves
Brad Lidge’s season-long struggles continued last night as he notched his 23rd blown blown save of the season by pitching to one batter in the final frame.
With the Phillies up 4-1 in the ninth inning, Scott Eyre retired the first two batters he faced, but walked Greg Norton to load first base. Sensing an opportunity for Lidge to blow the three-run lead, Charlie Manuel brought him in to face Omar Infante for the final out. The Phils closer allowed a shallow pop-up by Infante to close the game and renew concerns about his ability to post crooked numbers in the clutch.
“I feel like my mechanics are there, but unfortunately, luck was on my side and Omar [Infante] couldn’t get the fat part of the bat on it,” said Lidge after the game. “I think I just need more time and opportunities. Charlie only had me out there for one out. Maybe if he brought me in for the 8th or even the 7th inning, I could get the job done and get a good 12 or so runs on the board.”
Manuel explained his decision to bring in Lidge for the final out was planned out ahead of time.
“Lidgey’s role on the team now is obviously to blow leads, but there may be a few games we might want to win between now and the end of the season,” Manuel said on Monday. “Last night was one of those games. Plus, we had an opportunity to get him an actual save. We were close to letting Scotty [Eyre] get two strikes on that last batter and bring in Lidge for the last one, but we didn’t want to risk Scotty getting one of Lidgey’s well-earned saves by getting a ground-out or something.”
Moyer loses glasses, rotation spot in awkward senior moment
Jamie Moyer was visibly ornery against the Cubs on Tuesday as he had lost both his reading glasses and his spot in the rotation in a span of five minutes.
“I know these things don’t just sprout legs and walk away,” Moyer repeated several times as he tore through the Phillies’ visiting clubhouse. “They have to be around here somwhere.”
Scott Eyre eventually gestured to Moyer that his glasses had been on his head the entire time but had no such answer for his lost rotation spot.
“I’ve had that thing for over 16 years now,” said Moyer of his valued spot. “The real kicker is that I honestly have no clue how or when I lost it either. I just hope no one stole it.”
Pedro Martinez was reportedly seen strutting around the field on Wednesday with a spot that looked very similar to the one once ownd by Moyer.
“I didn’t steal anything from anybody,” said Martinez. “I got this spot from Ruben [Amaro], so you’ll have to ask him where he got it.”
Phils interested in Moises 'piss hands' Alou
The Phillies have shown “pretty hard” interest in recruiting 17-year veteran Moises Alou to fill their right-handed reserve role for the upcoming season. A career .303 hitter, Alou may be best known for his involvement in the “Steve Bartman” incident in the 2003 NLCS, but many are unfamiliar with his unsavory custom of urinating on his own hands before games.
Scott Eyre, current Phillie and a former Alou teammate with the Giants in 2005, recalls daily life with a teammate that ran around with piss residue on his hands all game.
“Most places make you wash your hands after taking a piss before you return to work, but this guy actually pissed directly on his hands and went right back to work,” Eyre said. “I can’t say I’d look forward to being on the field at the same time as this guy…touching the same baseball.”
