Marlins' McKeon, Phillies' Manuel go way, way back

At 67, Charlie Manuel had been the oldest manager in baseball.

Now, with the return of 80-year-old Jack McKeon to the Florida Marlins, the Phillies have the second oldest manager in baseball.

"Jack just put about five or 10 more years on my managerial career," Manuel said jokingly before Tuesday night's game against St. Louis. "I think Jack might be older than 80. You guys better check that."

McKeon is so old that Manuel played for him in 1963 at Wytheville, a Virginia-based Minnesota Twins farm team in the Appalachian League.

"We had a [manager] named Red Norwood that started the season with us," Manuel said. "He was a school teacher and baseball coach. He was with us for about a month and when school started, he had to go back to school. McKeon managed us the last month of that season."

- Bob Brookover