 |
Monday, September 8, 2003
Phillies revolt against Bowa
Manager's heavy-handed style grates on players; Philadelphia fans, team remain supportive
These should be happy times for the Philadelphia Phillies, a talented young team on the verge of the playoffs that will escape Veterans Stadium for a new home next spring.
But when the Phillies open that ballpark, it might be with a different manager.
Some Philadelphia players seem to be staging an open revolt against heavy-handed skipper Larry Bowa. Last week they had a meeting and apparently decided not to acknowledge Bowa in the dugout after a home run or any important play.
The breaking point came last Friday, when Pat Burrell hit a home run and took a circuitous path to the dugout, far away from Bowa. The next day, Tyler Houston, a fellow anti-Bowa conspirator, was released in a message-sending move to other players.
Philadelphia's official line was that Houston was unhappy with his recent playing time and was a "divisive clubhouse influence."
"It's all crap," Houston said, "and I'm sick of seeing these lies. They're covering it up with something about me not being happy with my role.
"Everyone feels the same way about (Bowa)," Houston said. "He doesn't give a crap about anybody in there. He doesn't give a crap about his players. Bowa only cares about himself. You see it in the negativity and disrespect that he has for his players, the way he speaks to his players.
"He's the first one to slam you, embarrass you, throw stuff in the dugout, throw his hands up in the air."
Not surprisingly, Bowa reacted angrily to Houston's comments.
"He's a loser," Bowa said. "He was an extra guy who causes problems. I had 15 (players) doing back flips when we let him go."
Bowa suggested reporters talk to team leader Jim Thome, apparently expecting support, but Thome deflected questions and didn't offer any praise of Bowa.
Bowa remains popular with Philadelphia fans, and general manager Ed Wade said Bowa "has great job security here."
The off-season will tell the real story.
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
· Madonna, Alex Rodriguez in Mexico City
· Tazawa moves closer to deal with Red Sox
moreAdd your voice to our most popular forum! Take part in our Mariners forum and talk about the team with other knowledgeable fanatics!
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
