Manuel Makes Sure Phils on Even Keel

by Jeff FletcherFiled under: Phillies, National League Championship SeriesIf there was any doubt that Charlie Manuel is all about making his players comfortable, it was answered by the rubber ducks. During the Phillies run to the World Series last year, Chase Utley had a line for players who might have been playing tight under pressure: "Get the rubber duck out of your [rear]." Sure enough, Manuel picked up on it. And during the World Series, every Phillies player had a rubber duck delivered to his locker. Some of them were even customized to fit the personality of the player, like a skull-and-crossbones on the duck belonging to heavy-metal fan Brett Myers. Episodes like that one helped convince reliever Scott Eyre, who had just joined the Phillies a few months earlier, that Manuel is the last man he ever wants to manage him. NLCS Coverage: Dodgers-Phillies Home Manuel Makes Sure Phils on Even Keel originally appeared on Fanhouse MLB Blog on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:30:00 E...