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Full Phillies coaching staff returning

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63 comments

Full Phillies coaching staff returning

POSTED: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 5:04 PM

Daily News staff

Charlie Manuel and the rest of the Phillies coaching staff will return in 2012. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)

All six of the Phillies’ major league coaches have agreed to contracts for the 2012 season, the Phillies announced today.

Mick Billmeyer (bullpen), Rich Dubee (pitching), Greg Gross (hitting), Pete Mackanin (bench), Sam Perlozzo (first base) and Juan Samuel (third base), along with bullpen catcher Jesus Tiamo, will resume their respective positions.

“I couldn’t be happier to have the whole staff back for another season,” Manuel said in a statement. “Their dedication and work ethic speak for themselves and they were a huge part of our 102 wins.”

Billmeyer, 47, is the longest-tenured member of the coaching staff after joining it in 2004 as the major league catching instructor.

The 2012 season will be his ninth with the Phillies and the eighth for Dubee, fourth for Mackanin and Perlozzo, third for Gross and second for Samuel.

63 comments

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Comments (63)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:16 PM, 10/20/2011

They should have found a different hitting coach. Not sure why Gross gets a pass but Milt didn't.

— kwasi2323

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:28 PM, 10/21/2011

Me either. They sure didn't get any better since Gross has been here.

— justacarpenter

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:18 PM, 10/20/2011

Who does Greg Gross have to kill to get fired? His cleanup hitter .105 in the playoffs, 3rd-baseman .105, catcher .059 and on and on.
The Philly hitters don't even make pitchers work for outs. Did the Philly hitters do better under Milt or Gross? What a joke. Every hitter on the team regressed in 2011.

— jhjack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:10 PM, 10/22/2011

I agree 200%. I would love to have Milt back, he got hosed.

— jburd641

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:27 PM, 10/20/2011

It doesn't matter who the hitting coach is, people. Charlie overrules him. Just watch clip of the team taking batting practice and you could see old Cholly talking to players before, during and after their batting sessions. Just watch everytime they hit a home run. Who are they talking to? 'Nuff said. Gee, are you guys blind?

— EL Zorro

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:34 PM, 10/20/2011

It doesn't matter who the hitting coach is or if Charlie overrules him. These guys are established in their own ways and will do whatever they want. That's why Rollins still thinks he's a 30HR guy, that's why Howard looks at more called strikes than anyone in the league--especially if they're right down the middle--that's why Chase Utley still tries to pull the ball almost exclusively to RF. That's why this team needs a massive shakeup--I don't even think they should re-sign Rollins to begin with. Amaro hinted that they were going to go outside the organization for some professional hitters.

— bobbyuk

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:36 PM, 10/20/2011

Case in point: When Ryan Howard first arrived at spring training last month, he joked that he was "still negotiating" with manager Charlie Manuel about what his approach at the plate should be this season. Manuel wants Howard to stand closer to the plate to improve his balance on balls outside. Howard feels more comfortable away from the plate. Manuel wants Howard to pull the ball more. Howard likes hitting homers to the opposite field. But after the Phillies' slugging first baseman hit his first homer of the spring -- yes, an opposite-field shot in the sixth inning of a 7-4 win Friday over Pittsburgh -- he said his approach is less about negotiating and more about progressing. "I've been looking at this"

http//www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/howards-swing-progresses-472191.html

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/phillies-howard-working-on-moving-closer-to-the-plate-466285.html

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/manuel-to-howard-on-the-sluggers-hitting-woes-try-standing-closer-to-the-plate-466282.html

— EL Zorro

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:52 AM, 10/24/2011

....And where did Howard stand?? Off the plate, just like he wants. The general rule is that major league hitting coaches are there for the hitters if they choose to ask for an outside opinion. 90% of players do their own thing, all the time. Rudy Jaramillo got tons of credit for the hitting success the Rangers had during his tenure. Turns out steroids helped as well. Mike Gminski could be the hitting coach. Its of no consequence.

— CornerPretzelGuy

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:56 PM, 10/20/2011

Point is, the hitting coach might bring a good hitting philosophy, but the so called hitting guru will always have his last say. If you don't know or understand that you need your head examine. Just read what I just posted. Where is the name of Gross in the conversation? And who fixed Mayberry's batting stance? Enough said. Charlie has to go or nothing will change.

— EL Zorro

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:34 PM, 10/21/2011

Chill with the Mayberry love. Yea he got better but still had big R/L splits in avg and OBP. He only had 296 PA last year....let's see if it continues.

— TeamAwesome

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:55 PM, 10/20/2011

You know my point... Charlie has led this team to 5 straight NL East titles, 2 NL Championships, and a WS Championship.

Do you honestly call for the head of the team that just finished with the best record in the majors after the success we've had? Any true fan would appreciate, sit back, and enjoy the current run by our Phils... because you know what? We were this team for the past 25 years when we flat out sucked and had guys coaching a group of players to the bottom of the NL East on a year-in-year-out basis.

But hey, what the hell, let's "shake" things up because by all means, the success of the Phillies over the past 5 years is just disgraceful.

If any coach needs to leave town it's Juan Castillo and Andy Reid...someone who's actually taken a perrenial playoff team and made us the laughing stock of the NFL - should never happen with the talent on that roster.

— PhillyIllini

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:11 PM, 10/20/2011

He didn't do squat, he just was there for the ride. For the last three year when he had to manage, he was outcoached badly. He was lucky he got a great core of players, then Amaro gave him a great pitching staff and he couldn't get out of the first round. He's a joke. Period.

— EL Zorro

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:36 PM, 10/21/2011

Yea totally all on Charlie. Let's just blame him for the players not getting on base. 111000%. You should become the GM.

— TeamAwesome

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:54 AM, 10/24/2011

My bad Zorro. I dignified your above comment with a legitimate response. I didn't realize you were such an idiot.

— CornerPretzelGuy

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:33 PM, 10/20/2011

The hitting instructions for the Phillies are to take the first 2 pitches and then swing at next pitch in the dirt. The team instructions are to extend other team pitchers but the only problem is they get 2 strikes and the hitters swing at garbage.

— tulsaphil