Fritz: Thomson should have sent Phillies a message by benching Turner
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a 4-6 road trip after a 12-5 shellacking at the Diamondbacks yesterday and Jack Fritz believes manager Rob Thomson should have sent the team a message by benching Trea Turner.
"I just couldn't be more disappointing in them. What was annoying about the really last the last two games...They got absolutely dog walked the last two days by the Arizona Diamondbacks and it makes me even more mad because the Diamondbacks are a team that embarrassed you last year.
"What was annoying about the really last the last two games...They got absolutely dog walked the last two days by the Arizona Diamondbacks and it makes me even more mad because the Diamondbacks are a team that embarrassed you last year.
"I don't know where the stones and where the backbone, where that's gone on this team...Right now it just really feels like they are on cruise control. On top of that, it's the sloppiness...I'm talking about the stars. I'm talking about Bryce Harper dropping a baseball yesterday for no reason that allowed another run to score. I'm talking about J.T. Realmuto not blocking a ball in the dirt that allowed another run to score. And I'm talking about Trea Turner.
"What bothered about yesterday, what bothered me the most of what happened in the game, is that I thought that Rob Thomson had an opportunity to send a message to his ball club that he's not happy. And I think that Trea Turner should have been benched when he didn't fully run out the double play ball in the seventh inning. Listen, that's a 9-5 ball game. He grounds out, that's fine. But if he beats that out you have Bryce Harper up next with a chance with one swing to make it a two run ball game. They just gave it away. And the fact that he feels OK not running that ball out, that's worrisome to me. I think this team needs a spark, I think they need a little bit of edge and you can't be afraid to hold your best players accountable. I thought there was a real opportunity for Rob Thomson to say, OK maybe he's serious now. Not that it's panic time. Not that it's time to freak out. That he's serious about turning this thing around...Yesterday was such a clear opportunity to right the ship for me. Charlie Manuel, we love Charlie. Everyone talks about he is a players manager, and that's true. But he also ruled with an iron fist."
Turner, who Fritz famously orchestrated a standing ovation for during his horrendous slump last August, is just 8-43 (.186) this month and 16 for his last 91 (.176).
