Phillies fire three coaches
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Phillies fire three coaches
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — Moments after Game 162 ended, the Phillies commenced what could be a winter of change. First-base coach Sam Perlozzo will not be retained, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. announced at Nationals Park.
An hour later, the team revealed bench coach Pete Mackanin and hitting coach Greg Gross were not returning.
The three moves ostensibly create a chance for Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg to join the staff in 2013.
Coincidentally, team president David Montgomery traveled from Philadelphia and spent time meeting with Amaro and Manuel on Wednesday.
Perlozzo was a member of Manuel's staff for four seasons.
"It's definitely not what he did," Manuel said. "I look at him as a great teacher and tremendous coach. When you want to do some things, people on your staff, they're the ones who have to be let go or moved. That's the position it's in. It's something the organization felt we're going to go that way."
Manuel and Amaro were not available for comment following the announcement of Mackanin's and Gross' fates. Mackanin was bench coach for four years. Gross was hitting coach for two and a half seasons.
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Gee, they can replace Sam with some coatroom clerk...all he ever did was collect batting gloves and helmets. And yet the head moron of all still remains..........Cholly. So doesn't matter who is on the coaching staff, you have an idiot at the helm— jingles- The real risk is that a fearful Amaro becomes aggressive and further shows his (and his staff's) inability to identify talent and to sign appropriate contracts. You want BJ Upton who struggles to hit .250, or Bourn, who produced much less this year than last? I was shocked to learn that last year the Phillies let a minor-leaguer go for a sandwich, Brandon Moss -- he hit .287 with 21 home runs for the A's this year -- and the A's are in the play-offs, of course. Then there's Gio Gonzalez, who also played for the Phillies at one time; memories of Ferguson Jenkins. Talent evaluation is the big problem. You can play Dom Brown and John Mayberry all you like -- and pray Ryan Howard can invert his declining trends since 2008, but prayers aren't wins. And coaches are spectators. That's not the problem. — PeterG
- From Dubious Dubee's twitter feed: "I knew there was something wrong with these coaches back in spring training."
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— Quixote II - This is a move that Sandburg will make with ownership to have HIS coaches in place for 2014— putmeinnow
