Sandberg promoted to Phillies staff
Less than 48 hours ago, Charlie Manuel didn't sound like a man with a plan to overhaul his coaching staff.
Sandberg promoted to Phillies staff
Ryan Lawrence, Daily News Staff Writer
Less than 48 hours ago, Charlie Manuel didn't sound like a man with a plan to overhaul his coaching staff.
"I’m comfortable with the coaches," Manuel said before Tuesday's game in Washington. "I’m definitely not sending them a message that they didn’t do their job. I’m just saying that, what I see, we’ve got to improve."
But less than 24 hours after the Philies season ended, the staff has been given a facelift, including adding a Hall of Famer to the bench.
Ryne Sandberg was named the Phillies third base coach and infield instructor on Thursday morning, a day after the season ended with the team dismissing three coaches: first base coach Sam Perlozzo, bench coach Pete Mackanin and hitting coach Greg Gross.
Sandberg has spent the last two seasons managing at Triple A Lehigh Valley. But after being interiewed for the St. Louis Cardinals manager's job last winter, the Phils obviously felt it was imperative to add Sandberg to the major league staff this year to keep him in the organization.
Other coaching moves announced Thursday:
- Juan Samuel, who has acted as the third base coach in the last two seasons, has been offered the first base coaching job, which has been vacated by Perlozzo.
- Steve Henderson and Rod Nichols have been promoted from within the organization to hitting coach and bullpen coach. Mick Billmeyer, who had been the bullpen coach, has been promoted to catching coach.
-The Phillies will not have a bench coach in 2013. But with pitching coach Rich Dubee back for his ninth season as pitching coach, and 12th in the Philies organization, he is Manuel's de facto right-hand man.
But the biggest news is Sandberg joining the staff. The 53-year-old had spent the last six seasons in the minor leagues, being groomed as a major league managing candidate.
He has been widely rumored to be the heir to Manuel, who is entering the final season of a three-year contract extension he signed in March of 2010.
Like Sandbergs pedigree but wonder why Cardinals didn't hire him— Johnny Callison- It doesn't matter who the coaches are. It doesn't matter who the manager is. This team is suffering from a lack of on-field talent, pure and simple.— Jeff Dowder
- Maybe now that Nichols is on the major league staff, he'll be there to help the pitchers that Dubee screws up, and maybe Dubee will leave with Charlie at the end of next year, and Nichols will become pitching coach. I'm glad that the Phils hired someone other than Milt Thompson or GG to be hitting coach, they've recycled the same 2 guys for the last decade and the players approach at the plate is still stupid. Samuel won't be able to kill them at 3rd anymore. But Charlie and Dubee are now one entity, that means Sandberg will have no problem with firing Dubee when he assembles his 2014 caoching staff.— drbob1
- Put Cholly up in a senior office position. Sandberg time is NOW!!!— PhillyTerm
- Ω Scootch, HappyBob, and others. I've been preaching the same sermon for two years. Sandberg was an excellent second baseman, but that does not equate into being an excellent manager. Ted Williams was one of the elite players in history, but was a failure as a manager. I'm old enough to remember how the German people chanted, and saluted a leader until he was completely in charge. I'm not equating the character of Sandberg with the little corporal, I'm just drawing attention to mass hysteria on a much larger scale, but none the less similar to how almost everyone is clamoring for change.. I had great respect for Sandberg until he openly with support from Amaro, was pleading for Charlie's job.
If he succeeds, I'll wish him well, but to me, his honor is tarnished.
— phineas - Ω Scootch, HappyBob, and others. I've been preaching the same sermon for two years. Sandberg was an excellent second baseman, but that does not equate into being an excellent manager. Ted Williams was one of the elite players in history, but was a failure as a manager. I'm old enough to remember how the German people chanted, and saluted a leader until he was completely in charge. I'm not equating the character of Sandberg with the little corporal, I'm just drawing attention to mass hysteria on a much larger scale, but none the less similar to how almost everyone is clamoring for change.. I had great respect for Sandberg until he openly with support from Amaro, was pleading for Charlie's job.If he succeeds, I'll wish him well, but to me, his honor is tarnished. (HTML deleted)— phineas
- To me, the big story here is the new hitting coach. I'm not sure why that's getting buried in the story other than to satiate the baffling Sandberg frenzy.— guyguy4
- As I have said before, as long as Chuck and Amaro are in charge, we will never see another pennant in Philadelphia.— nagrom
- In moving Samuel from 3nd base coach to 1st base coach we will see more tag outs at 2nd base instead of at home plate. Yeah thats an improvement!— Borkey
- Keep Charlie! Extend his contract!— damageboy
- WHY is Juan Samuel promoted to first?
He was the worst third base coach in the league and the players dont appear to be very affectionate with him anyway.
Ever since Davey Lopes left, Rube the Boob has been an abysmal failure in choosing coaches..— astroqueen0 - Red Sox have asked the Phillies permission to talk to Sandberg for Manager job since they just fired Valentine. Changes might not be over. Bring Valentine here to be Charlie's bench coach!! That will surely bring hope and change!— sonnybuoy01
- I think Manuel would be an excellent choice for the Red Sox job! Maybe
RAJ can work out a trade and then he could move on Sandberg for Mgr.— larryv - Actually from a players standpoint in Boston, Charlie would be a welcome change from Bobby V. He could take Dubee with him, since Dubee is from Boston. Take Samuel while he's at it. — sonnybuoy01
- Manager in waiting?— Boto
