Second at best

After witnessing my third (live) Phillies game this season, I'm sad to say that the team will finish no better than second. With the division leading Mets (and about 15,000 of their fans) in town through tomorrow, the fight-less Phils are reeling. After another embarrassing loss, they sit 8.5 games back at 33-32.

The reasons for this season's demise are obvious. The starters can't pitch. There's only so much a fielder can do. Brett Myers (4-3) is promising and Cole Hamels (1-1) looked brilliant in his first three starts, though horrid in his last one.

Through today, seven different pitchers have started for the Phillies, going a combined 22-22. That's not exactly playoff material. They also boast a 5.91 ERA. Will it get better? We'll have to wait until Saturday to see if an eighth pitcher, Scott Mathieson of Double-A Reading, can help move this rotation to respectability.

But the problem for the Phillies goes deeper than the players. Charlie Manuel has lost the respect of the fans and seemingly the players. Just the other day, while discussing a certain pitch, he and Hamels had an "in-the-press" disagreement. The energy level of the players, with the exception of a few, has been lackluster. That's a sign of an unmotivated ballclub; one without respect for their mentor.

Case in point: Bobby Abreu is playing like the Phillies are sitting 30 games up in first place. To get the attention of fans and players, he should be traded for a talented arm (maybe Scott Kazmir of Tampa Bay). For the money Abreu's making, he should be lighting the place up every night.

Maybe it's me and maybe I'm sour over the taste of another loss to the Mets, but the Phillies have got to make a real change. Manuel and Abreu must go.

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