World Series: Each Manager is to Blame

Is this how it’s going to go down?

No matter how the World Series unfolds, one of the managers is going to take the brunt of the blame for their team failing to win the title.

Certainly, New York Yankees fans will want Joe Girardi’s head if they fail to win after being up 3 games to 1.

However, Charlie Manuel isn’t off the hook either if the Philadelphia Phillies fail in their attempt to win back-to-back World Series titles.

Where did Charlie Manuel go wrong with the Phillies?

Not pitching Cliff Lee on 3-days rest. – I don’t personally disagree with Manuel’s move to give Lee full rest before bringing him back for a second game in the World Series, but the fact is, CC Sabathia did just that, and Sabathia ended up being a big part of the reason as to why the Yankees won Game 4. While Lee came through with the win in Game 5, he won’t be available for a full game the rest of the way, while CC will be back to start Game 7, if necessary. With CC lined up for 3 starts, and the post-season greatness of Cliff Lee relegated to just 2, many people may look at that as having given the Yankees a superior advantage in the series.

Didn’t bring out his closer, so he has no closer. – By not bringing Brad Lidge out to close Game 5, Manuel effectively gave Lidge the old heave-ho. Lidge knows, and we know, that Manuel just doesn’t have faith in him right now, and rightfully so. But right or wrong, Lidge’s psyche is jacked up, and it’s going to be hard to bring him into the game and ask him to get 3 outs when Manuel didn’t have faith in him to save a 3-run lead on Monday Night. Now the Phillies are virtually left without any semblance of a closer except for Ryan Madsen, who was their set up man. Now, with possibly two games to play, the Phillies have no real closer, and will be scrambling to just to finish game.

Switch Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the order. – I’m no baseball genius, and perhaps I’m stupid for thinking this, but wouldn’t it be semi-smart to move Howard ahead of Utley. While Howard isn’t swinging the bat all that well, he still manages to get on-base, and if Utley is batting behind him, pitchers may feel forced to throw strikes his way. Certainly, switching up the batting order is rarely done during this part of the season, but this may be the Phils best move to get Howard involved in the series again.


Where did Joe Girardi go wrong with the Yankees?

Sending out short-rested pitchers 4 games in a row? – I understand that CC Sabathia is a beast, but is that any reason to send Andy Pettite and AJ Burnett out to the mound on short-rest in the two games between sending CC Sabathia out there on short rest? Of course, that can only happen if the series goes to a Game 7, but if Pettite’s Game 6 performance is anything like Burett’s Game 5 outing, then there probably will be a Game 7. One has to seriously question Joe Girardi’s decision to pitch CC on short-rest in Game 4, Burnett on short-rest in Game 5, Pettite on short-rest in Game 6 and CC again in Game 7. Afterall, the Yankees were up 3 games to 1 at one point, and yet here they are trotting out pitchers to the mound on short-rest as if they were in desperation mode.

Did Girardi even try to win Game 5? – If the reason behind Girardi’s decision to play Burnett on short-rest was because he wanted to the win the series in Game 5, then how come he didn’t act like it down the stretch? Bringing in Phil Hughes certainly wasn’t a move of confidence, and there were far too few substitutions in the 9th inning if Girardi really had intentions of winning that game. Sorry to get Girardi going both ways, but if we are to agree with his decision to pitch Burnett on short-rest, then how come he didn’t maintain with that feeling of urgency in trying to win Game 5?

Why were the Yankees pitching to Chase Utley? – At some point, the Yankees should have realized that pitching to Chase Utley isn’t a smart idea. If Girardi didn’t let his bullpen pitch to Chase in Game 5, they might have been down just 1-run with 2 outs in the 9th inning of that game, and who knows what could have happened from there? Besides, pitching to Utley makes 0 sense right now. Ryan Howard can’t hit the backside of a barn, so why not just pitch around Utley and go after Howard? Girardi and the Yankees will probably start to employ that strategy in Game 6, but they could have avoided 4 RBIs in Game 5 had they thought about that a little earlier.

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