It's official: Manuel and Phillies agree to two-year deal

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- After months of negotiations, the Phillies and Charlie Manuel have finally agreed to extend his tenure beyond 2011. The two sides have agreed on a two-year pact that will keep Manuel in Philadelphia through the 2013 season. The deal includes a new salary for 2011, so in essence the two sides ripped up the existing contract and signed a new three-year deal.

The deal is believed to pay Manuel between $7 million and $8 million for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, which should put him among the top five highest paid managers in the game.

"Charlie deserves credit for this," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We've talked about it quite a bit – changing the culture and the mindset… and it made it a more positive environment. Not just for the players, but regard to everybody, from the clubhouse people, the people on our training staff – it just made it across the board a new, different mindset was created.

"Instead of the glass being half empty at times, we've gotten to the point I think where the glass has changed to half full. I think Charlie certainly deserves credit for that in the clubhouse. And the environment that our ownership and others have created in the front office for the fans has also helped create that and kind of turned the fans to the positive side in a lot of ways."

Manuel, who never made more than $19,000 as a major league player before moving on to a lucrative career in Japan, acknowledged yesterday that the two sides were close to a deal. In 6 years with the Phillies, Manuel has compiled a 544-428 record. He should pass Danny Ozark's 594 victories for third place on the franchise's all-time win list this season.

Gene Mauch is in first place with 646 wins, followed by Harry Wright with 636.

Manuel's teams have never finished lower than second place in the NL East. The Phillies have won at least 90 games in three straight seasons, including a major league-high 97 in 2010.

"When Ruben and I talked, I made it pretty clear to Ruben that after this deal is up, it's time for him and I to sit down and for me to take a good look at myself and also the organization, set down and have a good talk and see where we're at," Manuel said. "I want to stay with Philadelphia as long as I'm in baseball, and I'm a Phillie. I look at myself as a Phillie. Yeah, I was with the Indians, and I was with Kinetsu Buffaloes, and I was with the Yakult Swallows, and I was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But I'm a Phillie. And if I cut my arm, it's going to be red blood and not blue."

The seventh-year skipper entered the 2007 season in the final year of a 3-year contract. He did not sign an extension until after the Phillies rallied to win the National League East, overtaking the Mets on the final day of the regular season.

"In some ways, I'm kind of glad to have it over with, because I want to stay focused on what we're doing," Manuel said. "I never thought about doing anything else."

During Manuel's tenure as manager (2005-10), the Phillies have had the best record among all National League teams at 544-428.  He has led the club to four consecutive division titles (2007-10), two NL pennants (2008-09) and one World Series Championship (2008).  Last year, despite six of his eight starting position players having stints on the disabled list, he guided the team to best record in the major leagues (97-65).

Manuel is one of only two managers in NL history, along with Bobby Cox, to win four straight division titles since divisional play began in 1969 (Cox won 14 straight with Atlanta, 1991-93; 1995-2005).  Overall, Manuel has a career managerial record of 764-618.  During the postseason, he is 27-19, which is tied for the third-most wins among active managers (with Jim Leyland), trailing only Tony La Russa (59) and Terry Francona (28).

"To know Charlie is to like Charlie," Phillies president David Montgomery said. "As our fans got to know him, as the people who cover the club got to know him, as all the people that criticized him from a distance, if you know him, he's a pretty loveable guy. I think we're fortunate to have him and we're pleased that we have him for this year and two more."