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| Photo by USA Today |
Falling short of expectations for a second consecutive season, the Philadelphia Phillies are letting go of longtime manager Charlie Manuel.
The firing was first reported by CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury after the Phillies announced an impromptu news conference on Friday afternoon.
Manuel leaves the Phillies after taking them to a World Series title in 2008 and a National League pennant the following season. In nine years with the Phillies he never had a losing season and won at least 90 games four times. This year, however, Philly was sitting in fourth place in the NL East with a 53-67 record.
The Phillies hired Manuel in 2005 after he spent three seasons as manager of the Cleveland Indians. He leaves Philadelphia with a 780-636 (.551) record with the franchise and an even 1000 wins during his career overall.
Manuel, 69, led the Phillies to five consecutive postseason appearances, most recently in 2011 when they won 102 regular season games. Three times they reached the National League Championship Series during his tenure and advanced twice. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 to win the title and lost to the New York Yankees the following season.
Phillies third base coach and Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg is expected to be named as his replacement.
31 comments:
Interesting. I admit that the thought crossed my mind that the Phillies did this because they were afraid that the Nationals would go after Sandberg in the offseason and could offer him a better positioned team.
Could be. Seems to me that Charlie did more with the broken down Phillies than most managers could.
Eh, who knows. He might be glad to be out.
The man from Byooona (Buena) Vista was old school to the end.
They probably should do the same with their general manager. Hope they don't though.
shhh...on their GM, Sonny. We want him around for a good, long time. :-)
Low class, Ruben Amaro. Be better than that, Mike Rizzo.
The Filles weren't expected to contend. The Nats were. In October (or November) we'll figure out what happened. Don't fire Davey.
Now what was the point of that? The Nats aren't/wouldn't go[ing] in on Sandburg so long as they have a manager, i.e., until the last day of the regular season, which will come for both teams on the same day.
As soon as Manuel wins his 1000th game, they can him; seems like that was the plan all along. How bush. Not to mention the fact he got 1000 wins is a fairly good argument for keeping him.
I doubt the Nats even have an interest in Sandburg. But if they did I'd pay to watch the first Ryan S. to Ryan Z. jaw-to-jaw.
Arguably the best manager the Phillies ever had and they're canning him after two losing seasons with lousy personnel?
No wonder Phillies fans are so obnoxious. Must wake up mad every day.
Nats106 said...
Tcostant, First, it depends-is it a Cub or a Grizzly? Second, I respectfully disagree, even though the odds are against me. Realistically, I'm seeing Red(s) because that's our only hope. I won't believe it's over until it is September 9th and we are more than 5 games back. Reds hit the easy part of their schedule at that point for 9 games before they finish 6 of 9 against the Pirates.
If we can make it less than 4 by mid-September, it goes to the last week of the season.
Me: Ironicly Nats106 is the one who convinced me that the Nationals were out of it.
Theophilus, Charlie's at least a couple of seasons away from winning 1000 games.
But he's more than 100 wins ahead of Gene Mauch, who's in second place.
The more I think about it, the madder I get, and I couldn't care less about the Phillies and their business. VERY LOW CLASS on the part of Amaro. Not going to change their season, no point. Just classless.
Hope it is Sandberg.
Still don't understand why the Cubbies didn't hire Sandberg when they had the chance. HOFer, and a guy that paid his dues in their minor leagues. Sorta a no-brainer, if there ever was one.
Look, as far as our schedule. Take 2/3 from Atlanta. Sweep the Cubbies (or 3/4). See what happens in KC. THEN worry about Cincy or STL.
Tcostant, what can I say. I'm a contrarian.
Agree with the lack of class of the Phillies on Manuel. Maybe he did want out, but that's just not the way to go. I did talk to some Phillies fans a few weeks ago and they all felt that Manuel had to go. It's never easy when you're sub 500 and gasping for air.
Sandburg will be the "interim" manager. Fine. Wish we could have done that with Bo Porter, but water under the bridge, I don't think he's coming back. He lives in Houston and they love him there. Our question is, Randy Knorr or an outsider?
106, the thing is, they were never expected (seriously expected) to be contenders with their roster, especially once Doc went down. Nothing to do with Charlie, and why fire him this late in the season? Makes no sense.
If Joe Girardi is available (and he will be unless he resigns with the Yanks before the season ends) I'd sure take a good long look.
Me too, on Girardi.
He didn't get that high a rating by MLB Network when they did their managers' ratings. But I still like him for the Nats.
Natslady, that was the perspective of Phillies fans, not mine. And let's face it, since when did common sense have anything to do with rooting for the Phillies? Full disclosure, my oldest son is a Phillies fan. Oh where did I go wrong?
106, how on EARTH did that happen? Where does he live? Is there any hope you can bring him into the Nats fold?
I hope they hire Manny Acta.
What did you expect. The only thing good ever came out of Philadelphia was an empty bus. The Nats second season one of the Nats got something in there eye while batting. Manuel got impatient while the batter recovered and starting screaming at the ump to replace him. Charlies an old fart and frankly I hope he gets hemroids.
He already does, SWM--except they are in his brain.
haha, Natslady. At least I have a younger son that is a die hard Nats fan. He always liked Ryan Howard (who hails from St Louis which is my family's home town) and back in 2007 we went to the Phils 2nd home game against the Braves after the Nats home opener. That was the beginning of a spring break baseball odyssey that took us to Cooperstown and Cleveland's famouns "Snowpening Day" game.
The Phillies game was also College night, so the stadium was full of drunk students. When my two boys went down to get autographs all the Phillies fans asked them where they were from and they basically insulted all the players until they signed autographs for them. He had a Howard jersey on and the other one had an Utley shirt on. The Phillies fans worked over Utley when he left to warm up for the game until he came over and signed both their hats. That night they scored Utley, Moyer, Rollins and Burrell's autographs. Just missed Ryan Howard.
Unfortunately, try doing that at Nats games. Seems the only guys out there signing for kids back then were Jamie Carroll, Chad Cordero and John Patterson. All very classy guys. And that, in an exceedingly long narrative is why my oldest is a Phillies fan.
And if you stuck with my Tolstoy explanation, here's a fun story. I'm a lifelong Cards fan and had the opportunity to meet Lou Brock 20 years ago in Chicago. Asked him to sign a baseball and address it to my oldest, who was 1 at the time. Brock asked if I wanted to have him put anything special and I said. Put "to Joe, hope you break Rickey's record". Well he did it, and underneath he signed it Lou Brock, Hall of fame 1979. Then underneath that he wrote "Rickey who". I still get a kick out of it whenever I see the ball.
Go Nats (until the end) and then GO Cards.
Candide, I wouldn't want to see anyone who's a decent person saddled with that GM. Amaro has to be delusional in the extreme to hang onto one-year rental Michael Young when they could get at least a plausible prospect from someone in contention for him. Look at C. Guzman turns into Tanner Roark. I know a few Phillies fans at work, and they all roll their eyes and shake their heads about Amaro.
The Phoolies are old. How is that Charlie's fault. Amaro has bigger problems than his manager.
steady eddie, young has a NTC.
FS -- Understood, but the only teams that would want him in trade are contenders. You really think he would block a trade to a contender to stay with that basket case?
Wow. Charlie so did not deserve this. Ugly management.
He and I have common friends, though he and I never met.
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