Message #1135282

[PC]

Chris Perez's take on Manny:

In a 15-minute meeting with reporters, Perez listed his complaints with Acta.

• "The Manny [reporters] saw and the Manny we saw were different guys," said Perez. "He's not a very confrontational person.

"In this game we're men. We can handle it. Sometimes we need a kick in the butt. He did it this year, but it was a couple of weeks too late.

"Last year we didn't get it at all. He only gave us two speeches, one at the start of the season and one at the end and we were playing for first place up until September."

Perez said the Indians took on Acta's personality.

"It sounds like a cliche, but a team does follow its manager, good or bad," he said. "If a manager has no activity on the field. If he doesn't argue calls or get upset, why would his team?"

• Perez said Acta seemed to push the panic button in certain series.

"We'd play the Yankees and have to change our whole lineup around," said Perez. "Why?"

He questioned how Acta used the bullpen at times. "OK, it's May and there are only 150 games left," said Perez. "Why use the whole bullpen against Detroit when we're going to play them 15 more times?"

• Perez said he'd go seven to eight days at a time without talking to Acta, unless he was coming into a game in the ninth inning.

"We're a family," he said. "We're together so much. It was just a weird dynamic. I have a great deal of respect for Manny. From what he's accomplished and the charity work he does. I just disagree with some of his baseball tactics and strategies and how he runs the ship."

• Perez said he felt Acta should have been fired on Aug. 8, when pitching coach Scott Radinsky was dismissed following an 11-game losing streak.

"The easiest way to get out of the kind of losing streak we were in is to get a new manager," said Perez. "It shakes things up and gets a new voice. They made the decision with six games left in the season.

"They had their reasons. ... I would have liked to seen what happened if they'd done it after that losing streak when they fired Rad. I would have liked to seen what happened with a month and a half to go. Who knows?

"It wasn't my decision. I stand by what they did. I respect them."