"PHILADELPHIA — There's a stock answer Charlie Manuel has probably given a thousand times in his career, one that, if deployed with the right emphasis and delivery, promptly ends a debate over a failed decision.

Why did Manuel leave Roy Halladay in long enough to blow a lead and lose Tuesday's game?

"Because I'm the manager," Manuel said.

Most days, Manuel plays by the book, and when it doesn't work out, he takes the heat.

Some days, he goes with his gut, and when he's wrong, the backlash is expected.

"I don't lose no sleep," Manuel said. "I do know there are times I'm going to be second-guessed, but if I let that bother me, I'm not a manager."

Manuel leaves no question -- he isn't just a manager, he's *the* manager.

But there will be no second-guessing after Wednesday's 9-2 win over Arizona. The debate may rage on over Manuel's handling of his ace a day earlier, but on Wednesday, the grizzled Phillies manager made all the right calls."