GaryMrMets
07-28-2004, 10:40 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/9259813.htm
Posted on Wed, Jul. 28, 2004
Rich Hofmann | It's official: The heat is on
By Rich Hofmann
hofmanr@phillynews.com
MIAMI - The first sign was Sunday, when general manager Ed Wade blew up at a reporter over nothing. The second sign came last night, after the Phillies made it an even dozen straight losses to the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium, this one by a 5-2 score.
"As a manager, I'm not even playing and I'm embarrassed," Larry Bowa said. "They should be embarrassed. They should be embarrassed. You guys need anything else? OK."
As he walked out of his office, through the group of gathered reporters, Bowa said, "Bleeping embarrassing."
Now, it is official: The heat is on. The team is foundering and the injuries are mounting and the trade deadline is approaching without any action. The bullpen is in tatters, and Arizona centerfielder Steve Finley apparently won't come to the East Coast, and Pittsburgh pitcher Kris Benson is now being rumored to Minnesota.
And, yes, the heat is on. And, yes, the only salvation at this point is a trade of some kind, and everybody here knows it. Still, given the history, you can only guess about what is going to happen. When Bowa and Wade talk on the phone, as they did yesterday, as they do most days, you wonder how the conversation goes.
Wade: Due diligence!
Bowa: Do something!
Bowa, though, continues to insist that it isn't like that at all, that he understands how hard Wade is trying to make a deal. At the same time, though, the manager makes it unmistakably clear what he thinks about the reality of continuing on in a pennant race with a bullpen that features three Triple A pitchers, and with a starting staff that has struggled to digest innings all season.
Your No. 1 need, Larry?
"Winning tonight's game," Bowa said, before the latest pratfall against the Marlins.
But as far as a personnel need, is it a starter? Is it a reliever? A pitcher?
"Pick one," he said.
But...
"Pitcher - that sounds good," Bowa said.
And so, the daily dance in Bowa's office has become a daily test, with writers arriving armed with sticks to poke the manager, and Bowa doing his best to resist. You ask him if Wade feels the urgency to do something, especially now that reliever Ryan Madson is on the disabled list, and Bowa won't bite.
"There's certain areas I don't even get involved in," he said. "I'm not getting involved in player moves and player trades - that's not my area. If Eddie asks me a question, he'll call me on the phone and say, 'What do you think of this guy?' I'll give him my honest opinion.
"Our conversation today, I told him that there's going to be some guys [pitching] in the sixth and seventh inning that we normally wouldn't go to. He understood."
So you try again. Don't you at least hope for something to be done?
"I could hope for five Cy Young winners," Bowa said. "I could hope for nine Vladimir Guerreros. It's just wasted energy. It's out of my hands."
And again.
"So what am I supposed to do about it?" Bowa said. "There's nothing I can do about it. We can sit here and talk about this until the cows come home. You've got 25 guys out there and you try to put them in a role where they're going to be successful. And if they're short on ability, there's nothing you can do about it. There's nothing you can do about it.
"Absolutely nothing," he said.
And the words just hung there.
Everybody knows the dilemma - that the other teams only value Gavin Floyd, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Madson in deals that would significantly help the Phillies, and that Wade isn't interested in including any of those four in a deal.
The arguments are well-known and oft-repeated at this point. The clubhouse is full of veteran players wondering when the cavalry is coming. The manager acknowledges a difficult reality if nothing gets done. Yet, Wade is in Clearwater with the braintrust and there is no news. As Bowa said, "He just said he's making calls. Nothing's close."
The fundamental divide - whether they should husband their prospects or use them as chips in deals now, whether they should be patient or overpay for today - remains in place. And we'll state the obvious again - that the Phillies need to do something now, even it means taking a dip into the pool of the untouchables. The team needs it. The clubhouse needs it. The fans need it.
Meanwhile, the clock ticks.
"A player's mentality is completely different than a front office mentality," Bowa said, of the win-now attitude among his players. "That's the way it's been - it's always been like that."
And you're in the middle?
"No, I'm not," Bowa said. "No, I'm not. I have a boss that I report to, and I try to do the best with what we have, and I try to make it comfortable for them out there. They've been very comfortable. That clubhouse has been as loose as it's ever going to be. I haven't screamed or hollered or nothing, all year."
That was in the afternoon. Then, last night, very late, came the first sign from the manager of where we all stand today.
And the clock ticks.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9262/85793580830.jpg
Larry Bowa called last night’s loss ‘bleeping embarrassing.’
Posted on Wed, Jul. 28, 2004
Rich Hofmann | It's official: The heat is on
By Rich Hofmann
hofmanr@phillynews.com
MIAMI - The first sign was Sunday, when general manager Ed Wade blew up at a reporter over nothing. The second sign came last night, after the Phillies made it an even dozen straight losses to the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium, this one by a 5-2 score.
"As a manager, I'm not even playing and I'm embarrassed," Larry Bowa said. "They should be embarrassed. They should be embarrassed. You guys need anything else? OK."
As he walked out of his office, through the group of gathered reporters, Bowa said, "Bleeping embarrassing."
Now, it is official: The heat is on. The team is foundering and the injuries are mounting and the trade deadline is approaching without any action. The bullpen is in tatters, and Arizona centerfielder Steve Finley apparently won't come to the East Coast, and Pittsburgh pitcher Kris Benson is now being rumored to Minnesota.
And, yes, the heat is on. And, yes, the only salvation at this point is a trade of some kind, and everybody here knows it. Still, given the history, you can only guess about what is going to happen. When Bowa and Wade talk on the phone, as they did yesterday, as they do most days, you wonder how the conversation goes.
Wade: Due diligence!
Bowa: Do something!
Bowa, though, continues to insist that it isn't like that at all, that he understands how hard Wade is trying to make a deal. At the same time, though, the manager makes it unmistakably clear what he thinks about the reality of continuing on in a pennant race with a bullpen that features three Triple A pitchers, and with a starting staff that has struggled to digest innings all season.
Your No. 1 need, Larry?
"Winning tonight's game," Bowa said, before the latest pratfall against the Marlins.
But as far as a personnel need, is it a starter? Is it a reliever? A pitcher?
"Pick one," he said.
But...
"Pitcher - that sounds good," Bowa said.
And so, the daily dance in Bowa's office has become a daily test, with writers arriving armed with sticks to poke the manager, and Bowa doing his best to resist. You ask him if Wade feels the urgency to do something, especially now that reliever Ryan Madson is on the disabled list, and Bowa won't bite.
"There's certain areas I don't even get involved in," he said. "I'm not getting involved in player moves and player trades - that's not my area. If Eddie asks me a question, he'll call me on the phone and say, 'What do you think of this guy?' I'll give him my honest opinion.
"Our conversation today, I told him that there's going to be some guys [pitching] in the sixth and seventh inning that we normally wouldn't go to. He understood."
So you try again. Don't you at least hope for something to be done?
"I could hope for five Cy Young winners," Bowa said. "I could hope for nine Vladimir Guerreros. It's just wasted energy. It's out of my hands."
And again.
"So what am I supposed to do about it?" Bowa said. "There's nothing I can do about it. We can sit here and talk about this until the cows come home. You've got 25 guys out there and you try to put them in a role where they're going to be successful. And if they're short on ability, there's nothing you can do about it. There's nothing you can do about it.
"Absolutely nothing," he said.
And the words just hung there.
Everybody knows the dilemma - that the other teams only value Gavin Floyd, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Madson in deals that would significantly help the Phillies, and that Wade isn't interested in including any of those four in a deal.
The arguments are well-known and oft-repeated at this point. The clubhouse is full of veteran players wondering when the cavalry is coming. The manager acknowledges a difficult reality if nothing gets done. Yet, Wade is in Clearwater with the braintrust and there is no news. As Bowa said, "He just said he's making calls. Nothing's close."
The fundamental divide - whether they should husband their prospects or use them as chips in deals now, whether they should be patient or overpay for today - remains in place. And we'll state the obvious again - that the Phillies need to do something now, even it means taking a dip into the pool of the untouchables. The team needs it. The clubhouse needs it. The fans need it.
Meanwhile, the clock ticks.
"A player's mentality is completely different than a front office mentality," Bowa said, of the win-now attitude among his players. "That's the way it's been - it's always been like that."
And you're in the middle?
"No, I'm not," Bowa said. "No, I'm not. I have a boss that I report to, and I try to do the best with what we have, and I try to make it comfortable for them out there. They've been very comfortable. That clubhouse has been as loose as it's ever going to be. I haven't screamed or hollered or nothing, all year."
That was in the afternoon. Then, last night, very late, came the first sign from the manager of where we all stand today.
And the clock ticks.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9262/85793580830.jpg
Larry Bowa called last night’s loss ‘bleeping embarrassing.’