Sources: Manuel out during All-Star break

By Jared Trexler

Sometimes it pays to know people in important places. It also may pay to know a few people with great seats.

Two Philadelphia Phillies season ticket holders with access into the Diamond Club told The Phanatic in confidence late Sunday afternoon that they overheard a conversation between several Philadelphia area media members and organizational staff about Charlie Manuel's impending dismissal.

From what they could gather, the conversation dealt with the club going "in a different direction" based on what the organization feels is a nonchalant attitude that begins with the on-field staff and has leaked into performance on the field.

Obviously, they did not hear the entire conversation, but did state that the dialogue took place in a public area where many people could hear pieces of the conversation if they were paying attention.

The sentiment that they gathered from the dialogue was this: Manuel will be fired as Phillies manager sometime during the All-Star break.

At no point did they hear a name, interim or otherwise, that would take over the club starting Friday in San Francisco.

Manuel's dismissal has not been reported in either of the Philadelphia area newspapers nor on any area sports talk radio station.

General manager Pat Gillick last spoke of Manuel's status in an article on CNNSI.com Friday. In that interview, Gillick seemed to contend the club's lackluster play was not a direct reflection on Manuel, and that the manager's job was safe for the moment.

That moment may have passed when Manuel looked lost on the podium while talking to the press later that evening. He told a stunned press core, "if you guys are very religious, please go to church. Pray for us."

Those The Phanatic have talked to said Manuel looked like a lost soul, almost begging to be relieved of his misery as manager.

He may now get his wish.

Again, two season ticket holders told The Phanatic late Sunday afternoon that they overheard a conversation between several members of the Philadelphia area media and members of the club's organizational staff (the sources said that two people were referred to as "club staff" at one point in the conversation, though they were not recognizable, i.e. Gillick, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro or media guru Scott Palmer).

The gist of the conversation brought about one resounding conclusion: The club is prepared to fire Manuel.

If any other information becomes available, we at The Phanatic will report it to you.


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