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Phillies History: 9 of 55 Managers That Won World Series

By Matt Rappa

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: Dallas Greene shakes hands with manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies before taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five of the NLCS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park on October 21, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: Dallas Greene shakes hands with manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies before taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five of the NLCS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park on October 21, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) /
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5. Mayo Smith, 1968

Former Phillies manager Mayo Smith.
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1968: Manager Mayo Smith #10 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout during an Major League Baseball game circa 1968. Smith managed the Tigers from 1967-70. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
  • Years as Phillies Manager: 1955-58
  • Years as Manager: 1955-59, 1967-70
  • Year(s) Winning the World Series (Team): 1968 (Detroit Tigers)

Mayo Smith was the 32nd manager in Phillies history, succeeding right after the No. 4 manager on this list, Steve O’Neill. Smith is the third on this list to have started his managerial career with the Phillies.

In 548 games as Phillies skipper, Smith managed the team in apprise of four seasons to just a 264-282-2 (.484) record. With the Cincinnati Reds in 1949, he posted a 35-45 record, before being replaced.

The third time was the charm for Smith, when in his second season as the manager of the Detroit Tigers, 1968, his team topped the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3. While O’Neill helped the Tigers to their second-ever championship, Smith helped them to their third-ever. The Tigers have won just once since (1984).

Smith also managed the 1969 American League All-Stars, which featured greats Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski, among others. As a player, Smith was among those on the 1945 Philadelphia Athletics roster as an outfielder. In 73 games, he slashed just .212/.333/.236 with five doubles, no triples, no home runs, 11 RBI, 36 walks and 13 strikeouts spanning 203 at-bats and 244 plate appearances.

Smith’s name has been recently remembered in the Tigers organization, as he is the namesake of the “Mayo Smith Society.” The Society remembers the Tigers’ 1968 World Series-winning manager and acts as a fan club for Tigers fans around the world. Its annual “King Tiger Award,” given to players for their contributions on and off the field, has been given to J.D. Martinez, Victor Martinez, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and former Phillie Placido Polanco, among others.

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