Ha Ha At Least We’re All Back To Our Old Scapegoat

After two disappointing and depressing losses in a row, nobody really wants to get on the guys who are doing the worst — Ryan Howard and Chase Utley — but fortunately the manager made a stupid move and now we’re all back to hating him again. Yep, it’s all that yokel Cholly Manuel’s fault! He brought in Kyle Lohse to relieve Kyle Kendrick with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth with two outs, and all hell broke loose. A 3-2 Phillies lead evaporated, quickly. Badly. 3-2 became 6-3, and a few innings later, 10-3.

Now that Cholly doesn’t deserve any of it. Okay, if Lohse doesn’t throw an 0-2 gopherball to Kaz Matsui, maybe none of this happens. But he also brought in Jose Mesa and left him in after back-to-back walks. The Philadelphia Phillies cannot bring in Jose Mesa in the biggest game in 14 years and expect to be taken seriously by their fans.

And, anyway, yuk, yuk, Uncle Cholly, aka Cletus, will never be forgotten for this weird managing decision. (Unless the Phillies win the next three, of course.)

Another Phillies postseason meltdown, along with Black Friday in ‘77 and Mitch Williams in ‘93? Maybe. Ha ha now we can blame Charlie forever.

Bill Conlin | Playoffs are no time for making managerial mistakes [Daily News]