Ex-Phillies manager Charlie Manuel thanks doctors, fans after stroke

Charlie Manuel has a special place in the hearts of Philadelphia sports fans, and with good reason. He holds the all-time record of 780 wins by a Phillies manager and led to them to their second ever World Series championship, in 2008.

As such, there was a mixture of shock and concern, when word got out that Manuel had suffered a stroke over the weekend. As per the Daily Times' sports staff, the stroke happened on Saturday while he was undergoing a medical procedure in hospital.

Positive steps towards recovery

Doctors immediately attended to the 79-year-old and removed a blood clot. The following day, it was announced he was making encouraging progress.

Manuel took to social media on Wednesday to thank everyone concerned, including the doctors at Lakeland Regional Health Network, in Florida. He wrote:

I want to thank all the people who are pulling for me. I am touched that you are showing me love. And I want to thank @LKLDRegional Critical Care team for hustling and being on time. You have kept me in the game.

One tough son of a gun

If there's anyone who can handle health complications, it's Manuel. As per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, he previously suffered three heart attacks, and underwent surgery in 2000 after doctors discovered a cancerous tumor on his kidney.

In addition, the Northfork, West Virginia native suffered life-threatening complications after a routine stomach surgery in 2019. To top it all off, he has also battled Type 2 diabetes.

Certainly Manuel is a fighter, which explains all the success he had while managing the Phillies between 2005 and 2013. He led them to five straight NL East titles from 2007-11, a second World Series appearance in 2009, and a single-season franchise record 102 regular season wins in 2011.