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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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8. Charlie Manuel, 2008

Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
PHILADELPHIA – OCTOBER 29: Manager Charlie Manuel #41 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates on the field after their 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays during the continuation of game five of the 2008 MLB World Series on October 29, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
  • Years as Phillies Manager: 2005-13
  • Years as Manager: 2000-2002, 2005-13
  • Year(s) Winning the World Series (Team): 2008 (Philadelphia Phillies)

Charlie Manuel was the 51st manager in Phillies history, and in 2008 joined Dallas Green as the only two managers to ever win a World Series championship in a Phillies uniform.

Manuel took a Phillies team that had not made the playoffs since 1993, to a perennial contender. The Phillies won five consecutive division titles from 2007 to 2011, and won back-to-back National League pennants for the first time in franchise history in 2008 and 2009.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury describes what Manuel went through around the time he helped lead the Phillies to just their second-ever World Series victory:

"October 2008 was the high point of Manuel’s career, but it came amidst personal grief. Five days before the Phillies won the NLCS in Dodger Stadium, Manuel’s mother, June, died at the age of 87 back in the family’s hometown of Buena Vista, Virginia. Manuel spoke to his mother daily before her passing and she wanted him to stay with his team. He celebrated the Phillies’ punching their ticket to the World Series and the next day flew to Virginia for his mother’s funeral. Phillies players adored Manuel because he never complicated things, never got in the way and always had their back. There was a sense of “Let’s win this for Chuck,” throughout that postseason and it shined brightly in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium."

In eight-plus seasons as Phillies skipper, Manuel posted a combined 780-636 (.551) record. His 220 wins over 410 games managing the Cleveland Indians from 2000 to 2002 gives him 1,000 all-time managerial victories.

He is just one of 64 managers all-time to reach 1,000 wins, and, while leading the Phillies to a franchise-best 102 wins in 2011, he began its all-time winningest manager.

Since being replaced by Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg as Phillies skipper, Manuel continues to serve many roles in the organization, including special assistant to the general manager, and, most recently, hitting coach in 2019. He will return to a front office role for the 2020 season.

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