Charlie Manuel meets with Phillies fans at event in Media

A day after his dismissal as Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel was in a comfortable environment - with fellow baseball enthusiasts who were very much in his corner.

Manuel was given a standing ovation before signing autographs for more than two hours during a scheduled appearance at the Granite Run Mall in Media.

Fans paid anywhere from $50 to $65 per item for Manuel to sign, and he didn't just go through the motions. He told many of the autograph seekers that it was nice to meet them, and he seemed taken aback by the huge turnout and the fans' enthusiastic response.

"This is absolutely amazing," Manuel said. "Absolutely, totally amazing."

Despite the events of Friday, when he was fired and replaced by Ryne Sandberg, Manuel said the possibility of breaking his commitment at the Granite Run Mall never crossed his mind.

"I had a commitment today, and I wanted to make sure I did it," Manuel said.

Manuel made an impression not only on the fans, but also one of the organizers of the event, Eric Poppel of Chester Springs.

"Probably 70 to 80 percent of people would have broken the commitment under the circumstances," Poppel said. "It tells you about his character that he would honor his commitment."

The event was supposed to last an hour and a half, but Manuel signed for about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Aubrey Proud, the director of marketing for the Granite Run Mall, said approximately 400 people received an autograph.

"Charlie was gracious throughout," Proud said.

Before Manuel arrived, Dodgers first-base coach Davey Lopes signed autographs (for $20 per item). Lopes, who was a Phillies coach with Manuel for four seasons (2007-10), took the news about Manuel hard.

"I am still trying to get used to the fact that he is not managing," Lopes said. "It didn't seem the same when I looked over at the dugout [Friday] and he wasn't there."

On his first night as the ex-manager on Friday, Manuel still watched his former team play. The Phillies lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-0, in Sandberg's debut.

"I watched it on TV, and it was kind of different, but I was definitely pulling for them to win," Manuel said. "I was upset when they didn't win."