Charlie Manuel upset with season

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WASHINGTON -- Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided it was time to let his real feelings out.

Yes, he was upset that he had to watch another team, the Washington Nationals, clinch the NL East title Monday night.

“

I've been mad for three or four weeks; hadn't really been coming out. We've got to regroup and we've got to play much better. We've got to play smarter. We've got to know the game better. And we've got to play better defense, have more knowledge of the game, what to do.

” -- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel

He also was not pleased about the way his team's season went.

"I've been mad for three or four weeks; hadn't really been coming out. We've got to regroup and we've got to play much better. We've got to play smarter. We've got to know the game better," Manuel said. "And we've got to play better defense, have more knowledge of the game, what to do."

His Phillies beat the Nationals 2-0 on Monday night. But that meant very little. The Phillies already were eliminated from playoff contention, while Washington earned a division title because second-place Atlanta lost to Pittsburgh 2-1.

Asked if it was odd that his team won the game but Washington was the club that was really excited, Manuel replied: "That's the beauty of the game, I guess."

When Michael Morse led off the bottom of the ninth, the PA announcer informed the crowd that the home team was the champion, and when the game ended red fireworks lit the night sky with the Capitol building off in the distance beyond left field. The scoreboard declared "NL East Division Champions."

"They've had a good season," Manuel said. "They broke out early and got on top early and played solid baseball all year long."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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