From this moment on, no more late-September radio or television appearances for me, rehashing those grim memories, those 10 nightmarish losses in a row, the Phillies squandering that 6 1/2 game lead with 17 to play. The 2007 Mets own that piece of baseball infamy now, blowing a seven-game lead with 17 to play. It's a New York story now, how that talented team wobbled to the finish line. Let them gag on it.
Gene Mauch was four times more cunning than Charlie Manuel, five times more devious. Stood behind the batting cage looking for clues while the opposing team took batting practice until Leo Durocher fired fungo shots off his shins before a game against the Cubs. Utilized the double-switch four times a week, before other managers even caught on to what he was doing. Buried Culp, embarrassed Baldschun, belittled Mahaffey and traded Ferguson Jenkins because he thought he was too timid.
Mauch could fill your notebook with eloquent baseball talk. Reporters are lucky if Manuel fills a page. Mauch was city, Manuel is country. Mauch would yank his cap off twice an inning. Manuel only does it when his pitchers walks the leadoff hitter with a three-run lead.
Manuel played the hand he was dealt, a pitching staff with a sky-high earned run average. Kept running Jose Mesa and Antonio Alfonseca out there, even in those last 2 frantic weeks, trying to spot them against hitters they had a chance to get out, trying to buy rest for the back end of his bullpen. And when they didn't get 'em out, he moved on, until he could get to J.C. Romero and Tom Gordon and Brett Myers.
