Myers' turnaround did not come without incident however. On Aug. 9, Myers was taken out of a game in which he had pitched seven-and-two-thirds good innings, and he and Charlie Manuel exchanged words as Brett came off the mound. Manuel then confronted Myers in the dugout, apparently chastising him for showing up the manager.
Analysis
If you’re going to play in this town, you have to be a man. You have to be accountable for your actions, work hard, and play to win. Like him or not, Brett Myers does all of those things. He didn’t have to accept his demotion to the minors (he’s been in the league over five years, so he could have just asked for his release), but he did.
He didn’t have to willingly move into the closers role last year or move willingly back into the rotation this year, but he did. He did those things because he’s a team player and true competitor. He regained his swagger in the minors and showed everyone he’s here to stay.
Did he show up Charlie Manuel that night he didn’t want to come out of the game? Perhaps. Could he have handled it a bit better? Yes. Should we vilify him for it, like much of this town did afterwards? Absolutely not.
Brett has the fire and desire to be a great pitcher, and if he’s going to be annoyed that he’s being taken out of the game, I’m fine with that. I want my pitcher to have that competitive spirit. I like Brett Myers, and I’m glad to see he’s finally starting to pitch up to his potential. He’s definitely one reason why the Phillies still have hope the rest of the way.
Jimmy Rollins
Recap
Charlie Manual has two rules for his players: hustle and be on time. Jimmy Rollins has managed to break both this season. He broke the hustle rule on June 6 when he failed to run out an apparent inning-ending pop-up in the third inning of a game against the Reds.
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