I missed the last two weeks of the Phillies season because my summer travel plans had to be postponed from the beginning to the end of September. By then, I knew that there wasn't much that the team could do to affect any of the division races.
I also knew that manager Terry Francona would most likely be history before I returned. I learned of Francona's inevitable fate on Tuesday of last week while perusing a copy of USA Today at London's Heathrow Airport. My one regret was that I never had a chance to wish him well.
I had stated several times in this column that it's not the manager's fault when a team goes into a slump, and in this case, we might be talking about one that lasted a full season. However, when changes have to be made, the skipper is usually the fall guy. That's how the system works, and all managers know it.
In retrospect, Francona deserved better. All bets on this season seemed to be based on the premise that everyone would duplicate last season's output. A look back at 1994 should give an indication of how that kind of planning can suddenly go wrong.
The Phillies have some studs on the roster — third baseman Scott Rolen, catcher Mike Lieberthal, right fielder Bobby Abreu — who have been consistent over a few years, but it's going to take some time to fill in the gaps around them.
Defensively, there are question marks at three of the four infield positions. Marlon Anderson may be set at second base, but he's still unproven at this level. Despite his injury and subsequent trade, I'd still rather see Rico Brogna at first base than Travis Lee. Jimmy Rollins may be given a chance to contend, but my guess is that he won't be the regular shortstop next season.
In center field, Doug Glanville may have just had an off year. At least, that's what I'm hoping. As for left fielder Pat Burrell, he shows signs of developing into the player everyone expects him to be. Let's hope any growing pains that he has to endure (slumps, living up to high expectations, etc.) are short-lived.
On the pitching staff, Robert Person and Randy Wolf have proved their worth, and Bruce Chen was probably the best acquisition during the flurry of roster moves in July.
What's missing is a Curt Schilling. The team desperately needs to obtain a staff ace/stopper of his caliber, and it's going to take a lot of money or a major trade to pull it off. If Kent Bottenfield returns to his 1999 form, when he won 18 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, it would certainly help, but he is a free agent, so it's anybody's guess where he will end up next season.
The bullpen was the team's undoing in the last two years. Signing Mike Jackson was a gallant effort to correct that problem last winter, but we all know how that turned out. A front-line closer is again a paramount need, but they are in short supply. Clubs that have good ones won't part with them.
General Manager Ed Wade will have his hands full this winter.
The process to find a new skipper has already begun. John Vukovich, Darren Daulton, Bob Boone and Ruben Amaro Sr. are scheduled for interviews this week, and Larry Bowa and Willie Randolph will speak with the brass sometime soon. Of those six, I'd put my money on Boone or Randolph.
This column will once again go on hiatus for the winter. However, a new manager will be selected in a few weeks, and the stadium issue is heating up again, so it may pop up from time to time.
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