Charlie Manuel not Happy with Ben Revere’s Performance, Will Keep Playing him

Ben Revere hadn’t hit a ball out of the infield in 10 at-bats at the close of business Tuesday.

Apr 1, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Ben Revere (2) reacts after striking out against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Phillies 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

He also hadn’t walked in a while (Nobody walked for the entire time they were in Cincinnati) and wasn’t getting hit with the ball a whole lot.

So you can guess what this line is going to look like.  You might want to bite down on a wooden spoon: .194/.242/.194

And all of this is emphasized by all the leading off Charlie Manuel has him doing.  He is setting no tables, he is stealing no bases, as he can’t seem to even get to the first one as of late.  But Charlie Manuel is sticking with him, because he is old school and an advocate for the time-proven “60 strikes and you’re out” rule.

"“0 for 14, that sounds bad and stuff like that. Nobody wants to go 0 for 14. But at the same time, too, I feel like he’s gotta keep playing a while to see if he can help us and hit and get on base.”–Charlie Manuel, via Matt Gelb"

I think what Charlie means to say is, “I’m sorry, who in the hell else should I be playing in center field?  John Mayberry?  Okay, yeah.  Great.  The guy whose supposed to be the team’s premiere ‘right handed power bat’  but is actually just half an outfield platoon will take over for the guy who can at least make a catch of the year every now and again.”

And Revere will get on base, eventually, you’d think.  His value comes from that and that alone – get him on base and watch him fly.  But the Phillies aren’t doing anything right in that way that “anything” means literally that, and sadly, Ben Revere is one of those things.