Charlie Manuel Video: Phillies Manager Says He'd 'Knock Out' Reporter

Despite an 8-7 victory over the division-rival New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel lost his cool with local broadcaster Howard Eskin. 

As Manuel was walking away from the podium after his postgame press conference, Eskin asked, “When are you gonna score 10 runs?” The Phillies manager responded with, “When I knock you out, that’s when.”

Eskin is notorious for his outspoken style of journalism, and his comments on Saturday were baiting Manuel into an impassioned response. Instead of asking what the team is doing to get above .500 on the season, the reporter asked general questions about if the manager feels his team is “going to be fine.”

With such an open-ended question that provides little clarity, it’s clear that this was an example of Eskin simply trying to draw the ire of the notoriously honest and emotional Manuel. Instead of talking about a big win that could change the tide of the season, the desire to draw out a headline-worthy reaction resulted in Saturday’s blowup.

Manuel needs to understand what reporters like Eskin are trying to accomplish. The 69-year-old should know better after being manager in MLB for well over a decade. 

Clearly, that's easier said than done. 

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