Phils Get Good News on Field and Bad News Off of It

PHILADEPHIA - Twenty minutes before the game, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel sat alone on the dugout bench, staring out at the field. Only a few hours earlier, he had learned of the passing of his mother June, 87.

A half-hour after the game, Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee and catching instructor Mick Billmeyer consoled Shane Victorino at his locker. Victorino had just learned of the passing of his grandmother Irene Victorino, 82. He was crying.

Such a sad, emotional, draining, exhausting day.

Manuel, 64, managed the Phillies to their 8-5 victory over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National Championship Series. Victorino, 27, was one of the heroes, going 2-for-5 with four RBIs and making a leaping catch at the centerfield wall to rob Casey Blake of extra bases with two outs in the seventh inning.

Yet, never has a team been so subdued after taking a lead in an LCS, two games to none.

Manuel evokes as much affection from his players as any manager in baseball. Victorino elevates his teammates with his energy. Just the other day, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was teasing Victorino because the outfielder is always, always smiling.

The Phillies had plenty of reason to smile during Friday's game, particularly when right-hander Brett "Babe" Myers was going 3-for-3 with three RBIs. But before the game, as the news broke about Manuel's mother, one player quietly telling another, the Phillies were genuinely upset for their manager.

"I can't imagine the emotions he's feeling right now," third baseman Greg Dobbs said. "He's kind of like a father figure to all of us, the way he's treated us, the way he's managed us. It feels almost like you're watching your dad go through losing his mom."

Manuel is one of 11 children, the oldest son, and third oldest overall. His mother died in the same house in Buena Vista, Va., in which she raised her children. She was quite the baseball fan.

Phillies broadcaster Chris Wheeler recalled sitting in Manuel's office, listening to him talk to her on the phone.

"Mom, I can't hit for them!" Charlie would tell her, exasperated.

Manuel assumed his familiar and favorite spot during batting practice, leaning against the cage, watching his hitters work. Dodgers manager Joe Torre stopped by to offer his condolences. Manny Ramirez, apparently unaware of his former coach's loss, embraced Manuel and — surprise! — shared a chuckle.

Occasionally, a Phillies player or front-office member would tap Manuel on the shoulder, shake his hand, offer a few words. At one point, right fielder Jayson Werth asked for a hitting tip, practicing his swing while Manuel pantomimed the proper motion.

"I'm not real good when people pass away," Werth said. "I gave him a hug and told him I was sorry. I tried to do something to get his mind off it. It's something he didn't want to talk about. I know I didn't want to talk about it. So, I reverted back to hitting."

The game began, and a bizarre game it was. Myers hit better than he pitched. Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley allowed eight runs (seven earned) in 2 1/3 innings. Myers threw a pitch behind Ramirez, then allowed a three-run homer by the Dodgers' slugger with two outs in the fourt, reducing the Phillies' lead to 8-5 — and, as it turned out, completing the scoring.

Phillies closer Brad Lidge issued two walks to bring the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth but escaped the jam as the crowd at Citizens Bank Park let out one last roar. Victorino was typically buoyant in his postgame interview with FOX's Chris Myers, but when he retreated to the clubhouse, his father was waiting.

They met in the office of Phillies traveling secretary Frank Coppenbarger. Victorino's father Mike had learned of the death of his mother and Shane's grandmother death Friday morning but refrained from telling Shane until the game was over.

Again, the news spread through the clubhouse, player to player, reporter to reporter. Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson stood in one corner talking to reporters, speaking quietly, saying, "tough day," needing to say no more.

Manuel has survived a heart attack, a quadruple bypass, a blocked and infected colon and kidney cancer. A pitch crushed his jaw when he was playing in Japan, but he missed only 14 games, wearing a football face mask to protect his face after he returned.

He was quieter than normal in the dugout, Dubee said. Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro said that Manuel was free to leave the club to be with his family, if that was what the manager wanted. But Manuel, to no one's surprise, stayed with his team.

"He's a tough guy," Dubee said. "He's been around adversity. He knows how to deal with it, how to separate it."

After the game, the Phillies boarded a plane for Los Angeles. The team announced that Manuel would travel with the club and was expected to attend Saturday's workout in preparation for Game 3.

Victorino, meanwhile, intends to attend his grandmother's funeral in his native Hawaii without missing any games. Tuesday is a scheduled off-day. Game 5, if necessary, will be Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The postseason goes on, leaving little time to grieve.

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

Read more of Ken's columns here.