A reporter asked Manuel about the Reds task of trying to win three straight games, having to beat, Cole Hamels, Roy Haladay and Roy Oswalt in succession.
"I think sometimes when you play, and when you look and say, "There is no way that can happen," the more I think about it and the longer I've been in the game and how we talk about the day to day thing and how we're going to play on that day, it can happen. It ain't goin' to happen, but it can happen (laughter)," Manuel said.
And how about this exchange about Carlos Ruiz, who is nursing a sore knee.
"He's doing good. I just talked to our trainer a minute ago, and he's doing very good. He's not as sore as we thought he was. Actually, he's pretty good."
It is not grammatically correct but it is entertaining.
In spite of his tongue in cheek comment about Roy Haladay's no-hitter in game one, "I think it was good managin," Manuel is a good manager, who players love to play for.
In April 2007, Manuel and the Phillies came into Cincinnati with a high payroll and a 4-10 record. Their closer, Tom Gordon, came into a 1-0 game in the ninth inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Gordon gave up a game tying home run to Scott Hatteburg. Cincinnati beat Gordon in the 10th to put sink the Phillies to a 4-11 record.
The fans that commented on the Philadelphia Inquirer website wanted Manuel fired.
He held a meeting on Saturday morning. The Phillies won five games in a row and eventually won the first of their four straight and counting Eastern Division titles.
For the record the Colorado Rockies swept them in the 2007 NLDS.
Manuel doesn't sympathize with the Reds but sees the development happening the way it did with his team.
"I look at their team, and not only are they a good team, but they're going it get better. And I have a lot of respect for them and believe me, we don't take 'em lightly at all."
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