The Philadelphia Phillies and Charlie Manuel are reportedly parting ways. The team announced at a press conference on Friday afternoon that a managerial change is being made. Ryne Sandberg will take over for the remainder of the season on an interim basis. The news was first reported by CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury.
This is Manuel’s ninth season as manager of the Phillies. He is the winningest manager in team history and led Philadelphia to its first World Series win in 28 years back in 2008. He was the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball behind Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels and Ron Gardenhire of the Minnesota Twins.
The Phillies are currently 53-67 after finishing 81-81 in 2012. The team is going through a transitional period and has dealt with a plethora of injuries, so it makes sense that their 69-year-old manager will not be sticking around. However, it does come as a surprise that Manuel is leaving in the middle of a season.
Sandberg has been mentioned as a managerial candidate for several openings over the past couple of seasons, so this will give the Phillies a chance to evaluate him. He’ll be coaching for his job the rest of the way.
