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Manuel will not manage Saturday

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Manuel will not manage Saturday

POSTED: Friday, May 7, 2010, 6:05 PM

Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel will not manage Saturday's game against Atlanta to attend to a personal matter, the club said Friday. It will be just the second time Manuel, who is in his sixth season as manager, will miss a Phillies game.

Bench coach Pete Mackanin will manage the team in Manuel's absence.

Manuel, 66, said the personal matter is not related to his own health.

"I'm OK," Manuel said.

Manuel said he would be rejoin the team Sunday morning.

Mackanin has been an interim manager twice in his coaching career, with the 2005 Pirates and 2007 Reds. He is 53-53 as a manager.

Manuel was suspended for one game in 2006 for aruging with an umpire. He also missed two games during spring training in 2009 for a medical examination.

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Comments (26)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:18 PM, 05/07/2010

Chollie!!

— rickm

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:30 PM, 05/07/2010

Maybe Romero will get to pitch and Ibanez will get a day off for Francisco to get some AB's...

— ronin32

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:31 PM, 05/07/2010

Weird. What do you guys think? Should we be told why he's not managing?

— Phillies2008WSChamps

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:42 PM, 05/07/2010

Hope whatever it is, isn't serious. If it is, I assume the team will eventually tell us. Charlie's done a heckuva job and I wish him well. He's not a strategist at La Russa's level, and he isn't an in-game manager at Scioscia's, but he gets the most out of the good talent Wade/Gillick/Amaro have given him.

— Dave Clemens