Phillies 2008 Reunion: Favorite Charlie Manuel Memories

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Nine Phillies 2008 World Series champions hold Zoom reunion

More than 11 years have passed since the Philadelphia Phillies won their second-ever World Series championship in franchise history. Nine members from the championship team recently reunited, virtually through Zoom, and discussed their favorite stories, memories and moments from the magical season.

Among the topics discussed included reminiscing on the skipper who would go on to become the franchise’s all-time winningest manager, Charlie Manuel, who was on the call along with Brad Lidge, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Mick Billmeyer, Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, Scott Eyre, and Shane Victorino.

Pat Burrell

Before the days of Howard and Utley as the faces of the Phillies franchise, and even Jim Thome slightly prior, there were Burrell and Jimmy Rollins.

“Pat the Bat” had been drafted first overall in the 1998 draft out of the University of Miami; he quickly rose through the system before debuting at age 23 on May 24, 2000. He finished so strong over his first three seasons, slugging 95 doubles, 82 home runs and 284 RBI spanning 423 games, and even had a top-four Rookie of the Year and top-14 MVP finish along the way.

Then came Thome in 2003, who took some of the “slugging” spotlight away from the Arkansas native. Burrell said he met Manuel early on, around this time when Thome came over, and remembers one conversation the two had, in particular, that is “pretty relevant” to the Zoom call group.

“It was early on and we were starting to get things rolling. We had a pretty good team,” Burrell said. “We needed some pieces and he came up to me one day late in the year and he said, ‘Hey, just so you know, you’re going to be sliding down a spot next year.'”

In 2004, even with Thome on board, Burrell still logged more than 100 plate appearances in the cleanup batting order position. Howard was showing promising signs down in the minors, and Manuel wanted to give Burrell advanced notice that things might look different the following season.

Burrell continued: “I said, ‘Charlie, I’m having my best year!’ He said, ‘Yea, but Howard is coming. He’s hitting fourth.’ I said, ‘He’s in Double-A. How are you going to tell me this guy’s in Double-A and he’s going to hit fourth for us?’ He goes, ‘He’s going to hit 50 homers!’ Sure enough, he did.”

“That’s the first I’m hearing that story,” Howard said.

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.

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.

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.”

Chase Utley

Unlike Burrell and Howard’s favorite memories of Manuel, the subject of Utley’s deals with a player that never even donned red pinstripes, despite them playing 23 seasons up to age 48.

“I do remember a story, maybe Charlie remembers this,” Utley said. “Picture Citizens Bank Park right now [and] picture center field … like the wall in center field that Ryan hit a bunch of balls over. Then picture like the Liberty Bell clock that is way past the center field fence.”

Utley said that Manuel once claimed early in batting practice that then-Atlanta Braves first baseman Julio Franco hit a ball off the Liberty Bell.

“Charlie, are you still sticking to that that you actually did see that?” Utley asked.

“I said he hit one completely over the center field pavilion out there,” Manuel replied. “I said he hit one over the backdrop in center field and out of the ballpark.”

Howard and Victorino backed Utley’s memory: “He said it was off the clock. Even if he had a 40 miles per hour wind behind you, there’s no shot!” Howard said.

Charlie found a way to change the subject that got all of the Zoom call attendees to laugh: “I did talk about the Liberty Bell, but I would always tell you guys, ‘That’s what I was going to hit if I was playing!’

Utley played in parts of 13 seasons as a Phillie, earning six All-Star appearances, four Silver Sluggers. Without Manuel, who knows how his career may have unfolded.

“I think we all know how positive Chuck was and I think that’s the reason he was able to get the most out of all of us,” Utley said.

Jayson Werth

The Zoom call’s host, Lidge, then turned to Werth to share his favorite Manuel memory.

“Everybody’s talking about how positive Chuck was. All I remember was him tell me I’d be a good player in like 5-6-7 years!” Werth joked.

Manuel replied, “Hey, J. Dub. Do you remember I [said] you gotta beat somebody out? … You said you want to play every day. … You said, ‘How do I do that, I got to play regular?’ I said, ‘Well, if you play good enough, you’re going to play regular.'”

In 2007, Werth’s first season with the Phillies after Pat Gillick signed him through free agency, he appeared in just 94 games. Of those, he fielded 76 and started in just 63. Werth even played one inning at first base and recorded a putout that year.

With Burrell in left, Victorino in right and Aaron Rowand in center, there simply was not enough playing time for Werth that year, as the Phillies made the postseason for the first time since 1993 but were swept by the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS. However, Werth’s impressive 49 RBI and .298/.404/.459 slash line that year in a platoon role convinced the Phillies that he can take on a full-time role the following year.

Werth replied to Manuel, “Then you batted me for four days after I got four hits. I remember them days.'” Manuel answered, “I was a frontrunner. I used to say that all the time. I’m not two-faced, I’m 1000-faced. What the heck?”

“I give you credit, Chuck,” Werth said. “You finally let me play. I appreciate it, man. You hooked me up.”

Shane Victorino

What made the 2008 Phillies roster great was how it was put together. Of course, you had the home-grown players, and even those that were acquired through trade or signed that turned their careers around, like Werth.

But then, there was Victorino, who to this day is considered among the best rule 5 players not just to don red pinstripes, but in the entire league.

The Phillies drafted Victorino from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the December 2004 rule 5 draft. While he appeared in only 21 games with the Phillies in 2005, he slashed .294/.263/.647 and produced eight RBI. Manuel instilling confidence in Victorino prior to that, however, is what contributed to turning him into the player he came to be.

“I just remember coming over as a Rule 5 kid walking into camp,” the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” said. “When I got sent back after spring training, just Chuck being a positive manager, telling me, ‘Hey, just go to Triple-A. Stay positive. We brought you here for a reason.’ I think that’s a testament to him.”

“Chuck was always positive,” Victorino continued. “[He] always made us play at our best. There’s nothing like playing for a manager like [him].”

Scott Eyre

It is easy to forget, but Eyre produced some excellent numbers throughout his Phillies career, before retiring following the 2009 season.

In 19 appearances in 2008, in particular, after he was acquired from the Chicago Cubs, the southpaw reliever posted a 1.88 ERA and 0.767 WHIP.

“I got traded there from a place I wasn’t too welcome I guess anymore,” Eyre recalled on the Zoom call. “My first day when I got there, I passed the physical and did all that stuff. We went into your office, Chuck. [Rich] Dubee was in there, Mick [Billmeyer] was in there, and the trainer was in there.”

Eyre said he had not pitched in eight or nine days at that point, and that the Phillies had recommended at the time that he be placed in the disabled list, backtracked a couple of days.

Eyre said he replied “I really just want to pitch. I don’t want to go on the DL.”

Manuel granted his request, and said, “We’ll get him in there tonight!'”

The 13-year veteran continued on the Zoom call that everything was “cool from there” and that he had been given confidence.

“I was good to go. It was like a whole new world for me,” Eyre said.

“I think I pitched well, but a lot of it was because of that.”

Overall, Eyre went 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA across 61 appearances in a Phillies uniform. Combined, across two appearances each in the 2008 and 2009 World Series, Eyre tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed no hits and just one intentional walk while striking out three batters.

On baseball’s biggest stage, Eyre was near perfect. And, Manuel played a big part in making that happen on his first day with the team.

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