Phillies 2008 Reunion: Favorite Charlie Manuel Memories

Ryan Howard

Sure enough, Howard would eventually hit 50 home runs, just as Manuel predicted to Burrell. But, if it were not for the Phillies skipper, the 2006 National League MVP may never have become the player he was.

“My first experience with Chuck was down in Double-A,” Howard said. “The biggest thing with me [was] him helping me get straightened out hitting-wise.”

Manuel noticed how Howard would always close himself off at the plate, which is when he gave him pointers to use the same bat-point strategy that Thome was already doing.

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Manuel discovered the timing mechanism when both he and Thome were part of a Cleveland Indians’ minor-league affiliate.  “We were playing in Scranton and it was a Phillies triple-A team at the time,” Manuel tells NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I kept thinking of a timing mechanism of some kind, a waggle or something, what Thome could do with his bat where he wouldn’t tense up, where it would help him to relax and everything.”

Manuel said he came into their locker room early and saw the players were watching “The Natural.” He saw Robert Redford pointing the bat with one hand before bringing it back, looked over at Thome and said, ‘From now on that’s going to be your load.’

The two went to the cage and from then on that would be his iconic stance. Just years later, he would give the same advice to Howard. Clearly, it worked for both.

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Howard continued on the Zoom call that the stance helped him to realign with the pitcher and got him going well: “That was always one thing with Chuck was that everything that came out of his mouth was positive. He was always positive.”

“Chuck’s a guy who loves home runs. He loved them more when we hit them, but like even when other guys hit him if it was an impressive shot,” Howard reminisced. “I remember standing next Chuck and somebody hit a homer on the other team and he was like, ‘Son, that’s that’s how you [are] supposed to hit them.'”

“That was always Chuck. He was a fan of the game. He was a fan of us, always positive.”