The Phillies took extra looooonnnng to lose in Washington on Wednesday night thanks to a rain delay that lasted just under two hours. But lose they did. Again. It was their fifth in a row which is the longest losing stretch of the season for Ryne Sandberg's boys. Jim Salisbury wrote about how the looming fire sale seems more and more likely with every passing day.
Fun times in the Phillies baseball world.
But something else that will surely cheer Phillies fans up happened on Wednesday night: Charlie Manuel popped up on Twitter and it is wonderful.
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The former Phillies skipper's account (@CMBaseball41) is verified and it's even been dishing out some good old fashioned hitting advice. Perhaps Ryan Howard, Dom Brown, and the boys should open up TweetDeck on the next flight out of DC.
A sampling of Cholly's wisdom:
Hitters: "Know Thyself" be comfortable and confident in your abilities before all else, then maximize them! #CMBaseball
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 8, 2014
Wanna be a better ballplayer? STUDY THE GAME! Master fundamentals of the game to boost your value to any club #HoneYourCraft #CMBaseball
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 10, 2014
News
Hitters, before you worry about mechanics, lock in on these: Commitment, Work Ethic, Focus, & Discipline. Little makeup goes a long ways!
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 22, 2014
Who says you can't cover the plate? It's only 17", the ball HAS to cross it! Keep it simple "On the ball & in the BIG part of the field".
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 23, 2014
Workable set up hitters: Position in the box, can I cover the plate? Athletic position? On balls of my feet? Can I use my leverage?...
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 25, 2014
...Hands in a spot to get to a good hitting position? Can the barrel easily get to spot to fire? Can both eyes see release point? SelfCheck
— Charlie Manuel (@CMBaseball41) May 25, 2014
BRB, gonna go rake at my softball game tonight thanks to Manuel's tweet advice.
Charlie will also be in town in August for a roast. Might be worth getting tix to that one.