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Friday, November 21, 2008
High Cheese: Phillies name bench coach

The Phillies have named Pete Mackanin as their bench coach. He replaces Jimy Williams, who opted not to return after two seasons with the Phils.

Mackanin, 57, spent this past year as a pro scout for the New York Yankees after managing the Cincinnati Reds for the final 3 months of the 2007 season. The Reds went 41-39 (.513) and had the second-best record in the National League Central Division during his tenure.

In 2005, Mackanin was interim manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the team’s final 26 games.  He spent seven seasons on the major league coaching staffs of the Montreal Expos (third-base coach, 1997-2000) and the Pirates (bench coach, 2003-05).

Mackanin appeared in 18 games for the Phillies over the 1978 and 1979 seasons as a player during a 9-year big-league career that also included stops with Texas, Montreal and Minnesota.

With Mackanin’s hiring, Sam Perlozzo has been named the third-base coach. Perlozzo had ben hired last week to an unspecified role. He replaces Steve Smith, who was fired.

Posted by Daily News staff @ 11:43 AM  Permalink | 31 comments
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Comments
Posted by MTbelly 11:55 AM, 11/21/2008
This is huge.
Posted by RichNC 12:23 PM, 11/21/2008
Really, it is important that Charlie have someone advise him who knows what he is doing. Notice that when Williams was hired, Charlie became a lot smarter. Mackanin is a solid, National League guy who will help with decision-making. Hiring an AL buddy of Charlie's would have been a mistake.
Posted by ksam 12:40 PM, 11/21/2008
Yeah, Charlie is so dumb he has finished second in the division twice, made the playoffs twice ands won a World Series...
Posted by JayW 12:42 PM, 11/21/2008
Great choice. Mackanin did a tremendous job with the Reds.
Posted by JayW 12:42 PM, 11/21/2008
Great choice. Mackanin did a tremendous job with the Reds.
Posted by 76er 12:48 PM, 11/21/2008
You make great points, RichNC. He needs someone who will knows the NL game and will speak up. The bench coach before Jimmy Williams, Gary Varsko, I believe, never did that.
Posted by wcgiles 12:51 PM, 11/21/2008
Hey Dave -- Spellcheck is an amazing tool. "Hee ..."
Posted by wcgiles 12:55 PM, 11/21/2008
Ksam - Let's not kid ourselves. The Phillies won this year IN SPITE of Cholly being at the helm. This was a team that Ed Wade and Larry Boat build, and Gillick and Manuel rode to success. Wade and Bowa deserve all the credit for 2008.
Posted by Drummerboy79 01:03 PM, 11/21/2008
It's Gary Varsho that was the bench coach before Jimy Williams. And you call yourself a Phillies fan.
Posted by imafanregardless 01:25 PM, 11/21/2008
wcgiles- don't continue to be a fool. Ed and his staff brought in some great players, but without gillicks moves and charlie at the helm we would have no title. I love bowa, but he wasn't able to unite the players. Over a 162+ game season and 8 months of the year talent and chemistry are both key
Posted by wcgiles 01:46 PM, 11/21/2008
"imafanregardless" - your name says it all. blind faith. Fact is without Ed Wade and Larry Bowa, there would be no world series in Philly this year.
Comment removed.
Posted by SilliBilli 02:25 PM, 11/21/2008
Gary Varsho couldn't manage himself out of a paperbag.
Posted by Doubtful 03:04 PM, 11/21/2008
wcgiles and without Gillick and Charlie the Phillies wouldn't have had the sucess they have had the past few years. Wake up and smell the coffee. Bowa had the clubhouse in revolt, Wade could never pull off the trades needed to get the Phillies over the hump. If both were still here we would be lucky to finish third.
Posted by BobbyD 03:16 PM, 11/21/2008
I don't remember much about Pete Mackanin being a Phillie other than him being part of that Topps/Burger King Phillies team set from 1979.
About David Murphy
David Murphy joined the Daily News as its Phillies beat writer in February of 2008. Born in Upper Merion and raised in the Poconos, he attended college at La Salle University before taking jobs with the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News and the St. Petersburg ( Fla. ) Times.

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