Bye Bye Bowa

Kerrigan resigns and Bowa to be let go

 

copy and paste, i aint gonna sign up for that.

 

Sources: Bowa, Kerrigan gone

Say skipper to be fired, pitching coach has quit

By MARCUS HAYES

[email protected]


THE FIRST AX falling amid the expected coaching-staff casualties was a self-inflicted wound.

The next round of dismissals likely will be less voluntary.

Phillies pitching coach Joe Kerrigan resigned Thursday, effective after tomorrow's season finale, team sources said.

It preceeds what was expected to be his firing. And it preceeds what several team sources said would be manager Larry Bowa's firing, too, after four seasons. Indeed, while Bowa indicated that he knew nothing official, his postgame comments, which blamed injuries to the pitching staff, indicated otherwise.

"It was a tougher road [than the first three seasons] because I didn't have my team," Bowa said. "We went out with our weapons the other years. I can't say that this year."

Kerrigan declined to comment directly on the issue before last night's game, offering only, "I'm still here, aren't I?"

General manager Ed Wade also declined to comment directly, saying that any staff changes would be decided upon and announced after tomorrow. Wade would not confirm anything and said he would let Kerrigan choose the time and place to announce his resignation.

Typically, Kerrigan - occupying a dream job as a native Philadelphian and Father Judge product - has been hard on himself this season and last season. He chastised himself in the offseason for being too involved, especially with veterans. This year, too, he has said he failed to do his job as well as he should have.

The resignation ends Kerrigan's 2-year tenure as Vern Ruhle's replacement. Ruhle's departure was predicated on what the Phillies said was his inability to communicate effectively with pitchers, especially young pitchers.

Interestingly, Kerrigan's communication skills have been the pitching staff's chief complaint since Kerrigan took over. The problem, they say, has been condescension - similar accusations levied by the staffs in Montreal and Boston. Randy Wolf once even called him "Joe Almighty."

"Some guys, you can talk to like that," Bowa said, "and other guys take it personally. And sometimes when young guys have success early, when they get to a period when things don't go right, because of the lack of experience, they don't want to do anything differently.

"The bottom line is, coaches, managers, when you point out something that's not getting done, a player can take it as constructive criticism or they can take it like, 'He's getting on me.' "

Several pitchers yesterday promised to snipe heartily if Kerrigan sought to sully his pitchers' efforts on his way out (which is highly unlikely). They also scoffed at his resignation, its breaking some unwritten code of theirs that getting fired for an unsatisfactory job would be more honorable.

Kerrigan inherited Ruhle's young pitchers - Carlos Silva, Brandon Duckworth and 1999 first-round pick Brett Myers - and all struggled at times with him last season. Myers, amid a lousy second half last season, had a memorable, profane postgame shouting match Aug. 28, 2003, in Montreal. Myers proceeded to go 10-11 with a 5.53 earned run average this season, a serious step backward. Silva and Duckworth were traded before this season.

While Kerrigan's exhaustive work ethic and thorough research awed observers, catchers and pitchers alike chafed under what they consider Kerrigan's micromanaging reign. The bottom line, aside from a rash of injuries, is that:

• Kevin Millwood, in his first shot at being a No. 1 starter, had two disappointing seasons under Kerrigan. His fade, along with that of Wolf last season, dearly cost the Phillies in their failed run at the National League wild-card slot.

• Former closer Jose Mesa foundered late in 2003 and, this week, partly blamed Kerrigan's tinkering for his inability to rebound. Kerrigan said the problem really was that he was too hands-off with Mesa for too long.

• Myers' mechanical and mental problems continue.

• Kerrigan has been unable to rein in bullheaded starter Vicente Padilla (but then, perhaps no one can).

Kerrigan's successes might be minimized as he leaves. Among them, he salvaged Rheal Cormier's career in 2003 and oversaw the establishment of rookie Ryan Madson as the team's top reliever this season.

But then, minimizing success is what happens when a coach's tenure ends.

 

with all the injuries, I feel bad for him. They turned it on late, but he'll be a good bench coach somewhere.

 

pp is a happy man today. :xyzthumbs

 

Does that mean we won't have to hear him bitch anymore?

 

Count on it :xyzthumbs Charlie Manuel come on down!

 

You think so?

 

Naw it'll be Steve Carlton and they will just kick butt and not say a word.