The critics and supporters are beginning to line up around Jerry Manuel.
The White Sox manager, whose given name for at least the duration of this season should be “Beleaguered,” finds himself on the hot seat until his hitters begin to hit and his pitchers begin to pitch.
Sunday night’s nationally televised 5-1 loss to Seattle–a five-inning, rain-abbreviated contest that completed a three-game sweep–did nothing to alleviate the pressure on a manager who is expected to lead his team to the AL Central title.
Manuel understands the fickle nature of his job.
“I’m here to win ballgames–I mean, that’s the bottom line,” Manuel said. “[Job security] is something that would be completely up to [management]. I’m confident in the group of men that we have that we can get it done.”
The Sox fell below .500 (15-16) for the season as they embark on a West Coast trip Tuesday to Oakland and Seattle. Bartolo Colon (2-3) yielded solo home runs to Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez and Randy Winn and a two-run single to Martinez as 15,413 fans roared their disapproval.
“When the team is not playing well and we’re not winning, [Manuel] gets all the blame,” said shortstop Jose Valentin, who was 1-for-8 in the series. “When we are winning, he doesn’t get the credit. I feel for him.”
The Sox, who entered Sunday night ranked 12th in the AL with a .245 batting average, have dropped 10 of their last 14.
