In Philadelphia, we have a tendency to make quick, brash judgements on coaches and managers which usually result in wanting them out of town as soon as possible. There were cases in which the fanbase was correct in their assessment, (Chip Kelly, Ryne Sandberg), and other times that looked foolish, (Doug Pederson, Charlie Manuel). In the case of Joe Girardi who is in the middle of his third season with the Phillies, some may argue that it’s still too soon to cut bait but what is happening with this team is too alarming to not consider making a change.

It’s true that the manager is not the one on the field underperforming and producing below expectations. It’s also true that he’s not the one making boneheaded mistakes that are changing the outcomes of games (like the blunder we saw last week in Atlanta where Odubel Herrera grossly misplayed an overthrow trying to get a runner out.) However, the manager is responsible for putting his players in the best possible position to win, and he has failed to do so all season.

Let’s face it. This roster is too damn good to be five games under .500. The starting pitching has been pretty good, ranked in the top five in MLB. The bullpen has had it’s ugly moments, but overall is not the reason why they are sitting 9.5 games out of first. When upper management went out and signed Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, expectations went through the roof for the offense. Schwarber has been around the Mendoza line, and Castellanos’ slugging percentage is the lowest it’s been since 2014, his first full season. One could say it’s troubling for players to come right in and produce with a new team, and perhaps may need some time, but the guys who have been here for a few years are also struggling. JT Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins come to mind, who have both been battling to find their stride this season. So how is this the fault of Joe Giradi? As mentioned in the previous paragraph, his inability to put his guys in the best possible position to win is what will cost him his job.

There have been numerous times this season where a player has had a good game and when you look at the lineup the next day, that player is either batting in a different spot, or isn’t even playing at all. A good example of this occurred last week in which JT Realmuto hit a home run and scored two runs against the Braves. The next night, he was on the bench. HIs replacement, Garret Stubbs had a good game, but the issue here is Realmuto has finally been making some progress after a very slow start, gets momentum and isn’t given the opportunity to keep it going. This wasn’t a day game/night game scenario where you wanted to give Realmuto a day off from catching either. Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, and Nick Costellanos are the only constants in the lineup when it comes to batting order. The other six guys seem to change every single night. For someone like Hoskins or Schwarber coming to the ballpark unsure of where they are hitting every single day, it has to cause some issues. Where you hit in the lineup determines how a pitcher will attack you. If you have a somewhat consistent spot, you have a better chance to get into a groove, get out of your slumps, and get the results you want. Obviously, if you continue to struggle, then sure…make some changes. But night after night, Girardi is tinkering with the lineup and is not allowing any chance for fluidity.

That word “position” is physical too. Girardi’s obsession with analytics seems to be costly at times and during the May 20th game against the Dodgers, while in the stands, I saw it unfold right before my eyes. Mookie Betts comes up to the plate with a runner on. Betts, a right handed hitter steps into the box and I am assuming that he saw the same thing that I did. The entire defense was shifted way towards the right. This wasn’t a few steps, this was drastic. Bohm was close to the short stop position, and Herrera who was playing left field, was more in left center. Perhaps the Phillies pitcher that night, Ranger Suarez was to attack Betts outside hoping he’d spray it to the opposite field, but this isn’t a rookie at the plate. Mookie Betts is a multiple silver slugger winner and seems to always be in MVP talks. Betts drove the ball right down the third base line for a double. Freddie Freeman is the next hitter who shoots it to center and the Dodgers go up 3-0. There were two outs in the inning before Betts’ hit.

Speaking of Suarez, there have been times in which he has been pitching well but he hits that dreaded pitch count and out comes Girardi to yank him. Every pitcher on this starting staff has had this happen to them not only this year, but over the course of Girardi’s tenure. This isn’t just happening here in Philly, though. Across baseball, the number of complete games and innings pitched is eye-popping low. I can’t put this one on him, however, what ever happened for a feel of the game? He was a catcher in this league, and he of all people should know when a pitcher still has his stuff or not. The numbers are his bible and he can’t seem to sway from that.

Perhaps it’s unfair to put the blame solely on Girardi. Maybe his coaching staff isn’t striking the players the way they should be. Maybe this group was just a dream on paper and they just aren’t good together. Truth is, not only in this town, but all over the sports landscape, the coach or manager is the one that usually takes the fall first. If the Phillies’ brass really cared about the product more than just putting people in the seats, they would pull the plug on this failed experiment and try something new. Through his tenure here, the Phillies have hovered around the .500 mark. This team has the fourth highest payroll in all of baseball. It’s clear that Joe Girardi is not making an impression on the team, they aren’t getting the results they wanted and the fans aren’t showing up. Otherwise, now that summer has begun, everyone will be finding other things to do rather than to support this underachieving ballclub.