Teflon Ed

Bad news, friends -- no "Morning Bytes" in today's Inquirer. Maybe Frank Fitzpatrick got beaten up on the flight back from Athens by someone whose nationality he maligned. Fortunately, one need look no further than a couple of pages back in the Inky's sports section to find a piece as difficult to read as Frank's weekly exercise in bad stand-up.

That would be Sam Carchidi's story confirming Ed Wade's return as general manager of the Phillies next year. President David Montgomery said the team is "in much better shape now than we were back" before Wade's tenure began, which is true enough but which also must be evaluated in terms of just how staggeringly inept the mid-to-late-'90s Phillies were. The bar, as they say, was pretty low.

Carchidi, who had a public run-in with Wade earlier this season, uses unusually sharp words --

Another year, another missed opportunity.

For the third time in the last four seasons, the Phillies -- who are now closer to last place than first place in the National League East -- failed to acquire a player near the July 31 trade deadline who would carry them into the playoffs.

In fact, for the third time in four years, the players the Phils acquired have contributed mightily to the club's falling out of contention. ... Most have been flops. ...

The Phils have a 534-570 record, including two winning seasons and no playoff appearances, in Wade's seven years as general manager.

-- to contextualize Montgomery's defense of his GM. What Carchidi forgot to mention was Wade's allowing Larry Bowa another year to screw up. Or his failure to provide players at the top of the lineup able to set the table for the big boppers. To name, you know, just a couple of things.

So Phil Sheridan was right. In holding onto Bowa, his human shield, Wade bought himself another year. Fine -- but next season, he and Monty should be the ones held accountable.