Baseball: Phillies hire new skipper

Charlie Manuel will be the next manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, replacing the fired Larry Bowa, baseball officials told the Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Manuel will be introduced at a news conference Thursday or Friday, one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Two other sources also said Manuel was the team's choice.

The 60-year-old Manuel managed the Cleveland Indians from 2000-02. He takes over a talented but underachieving club that hasn't reached the playoffs since 1993.

Manuel spent the last two seasons working as a special assistant to Wade. He was the second of eight candidates interviewed by the Phillies after Bowa was fired with two games remaining in a disappointing season in which the Phillies finished 10 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.

Manuel, Jim Leyland and Jim Fregosi were the three finalists for the job, according to one of the sources. Fregosi managed the Phillies to the NL pennant 11 years ago. Leyland led Florida to its first World Series championship and guided Pittsburgh to three division titles in the '90s.

Manuel had a 220-190 record with the Indians and led them to the AL Central championship in 2001, but was fired after a 39-47 start in 2002.

Known as a player's manager, Manuel is close with Phillies first baseman Jim Thome, who thrived in Cleveland when Manuel was the Indians' hitting coach.

Manuel's affable personality and folksy nature make him the anti-Bowa. Though he was popular among fans in Philadelphia, Bowa wasn't well-liked by some of his players because of his fiery demeanor.

Manuel also beat out former major league managers Grady Little, Don Baylor, Buddy Bell, and Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton and Pirates third-base coach John Russell.

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[Edited on 11-3-2004 by ProudAmerican]

ya beat me to it...LOL

Is this a good hire for them?

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!
Is this a good hire for them?

From what I've heard he's a very knowledgeable baseball manager and an extremely likable guy so I guess only time will tell. I know he has been very close with Thome for a long time and I've also read he is one of the great hitting minds in baseball so again I will have high hopes for the Phils in '05.