Ranking the Top 5 greatest Phillies managers in franchise history
Who are the greatest Phillies managers of all time since the franchise's inception in 1883?
Throughout Philadelphia Phillies history, there have been some excellent managers, along with some who were average and some who were not good at all. The franchise has had several seasons without making the postseason, and the managers who have had playoff success are few and far between. Ultimately, that's what makes managers remembered fondly by fans.
In case you missed it, we've already ranked the five greatest catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, starters, relievers, and outfielders in Phillies history.
Here are the top five greatest Phillies managers in franchise history.
No. 5: Eddie Sawyer
Eddie Sawyer had two stints as Phillies manager from 1948 to 1952 and 1958 to 1960. He had a bit more success during his first period as Philly's skipper and is most remembered for managing the 1950 team known as the "Whiz Kids."
The 1949 Phillies went 81-73 during Sawyer's first full season as manager. The 1950 club relied upon young players such as outfielders Richie Ashburn (23) and Del Ennis (25), shortstop Granny Hamner (23), and starting pitchers Robin Roberts (23) and Curt Simmons (21). Ashburn, Ennis, Hamner, and Roberts are all in the Phillies Baseball Wall of Fame.
The 1950 Phillies would end up having many parallels from a general perspective to the 1993 club. Both teams made unexpected runs to the World Series but came up shy of winning championships. The 1950 franchise was known primarily for its youth, while the 1993 team was comprised of seasoned veterans.
Sawyer had a 296-292 record during his first few years as manager. He struggled more during his second term as skipper, with a regular season record of 94-131. However, the 1950 club continues to be remembered fondly in Phillies history.
No. 4: Danny Ozark
Danny Ozark is one of the most successful managers in Phillies history not to win a World Series with the team. His first season as manager was in 1973, during which the organization wasn't a playoff contender. Some of the players, such as Greg Luzinski, Mike Schmidt, and Larry Bowa, were all in the process of becoming more experienced in the majors.
Following their sixth-place finish in the NL East during Ozark's first year as manager, Philadelphia showed progress by finishing third and second in the division in 1974 and 1975, respectively. The Phillies won the NL East in three consecutive seasons from 1976 through 1978.
He earned the Manager of the Year Award in 1976 following the first year of 100 or more wins in the team's history. This season also snapped the team's playoff drought of 26 years.
However, Ozark's Phillies lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1976 National League Championship Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1977 and 1978 NLCS. Injuries contributed to an underwhelming 1979 season for Philly that resulted in Ozark being replaced by Dallas Green on Aug. 31.
The native of Buffalo helped turn the Phillies into a contender and is currently third among managers with 594 wins over five-plus seasons as the manager. Ozark's regular season record was 594-510 at the managerial helm of the organization, and he went 2-9 in three playoff appearances with the club.
No. 3: Dallas Green
Dallas Green took over for Ozark and capitalized on the talented roster beginning in 1980, his first full season as Phillies manager. Philadelphia won its fourth division title in five years, defeated the Houston Astros in five games to win its first NLCS in franchise history, and appeared in the World Series for the first time since 1950.
Green, known for his argumentative and controversial nature with umpires and his own players, led the Phillies to its first World Series championship in franchise history. Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Royals in six games.
The emotional manager didn't have a long tenure in his position with the Phillies. Following the 1981 season, in which Philadelphia lost the National League Division Series to the Montreal Expos in five games, Green was hired by the Chicago Cubs as executive vice president and general manager.
Green finished with a 169-130 regular season record as Phillies manager and went 9-7 during his playoff in two appearances.
No. 2: Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch is one of the longest-tenured managers in Phillies history, with nine seasons and 1,332 games to his credit. He took over at the beginning of the 1960 season following Eddie Sawyer's resignation. The first-time manager was only 34 years old when he took over the role for Philadelphia and held the position until June 16, 1968.
The best year for the team with Mauch as manager was 1964, when they finished second in the National League with a 92-70 record. A famous Phillie, Dick Allen, won the Rookie of the Year Award that season, the same season in which Mauch won his second Manager of the Year Award.
He won his first Manager of the Year Award following an 81-80 season in 1962, which was the team's first season over .500 since 1953.
Mauch has 646 wins, the second most in history among Phillies managers. He has the most regular season losses in team history with 684. The late manager won the Manager of the Year Award following the 1962 and 1964 years, respectively. He is the only manager in team history to win the award more than once. Despite winning the prestigious award twice and being their manager for over seven seasons, the Salina, Kansas native never led Philadelphia to the playoffs.
After Philadelphia, Mauch went on to manage for 17 more seasons with the Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and the California Angels and finished his career with a 1,902-2,037 record in 3,942 games.
No. 1: Charlie Manuel
Mauch held the distinction of being the best manager in Phillies history until Charlie Manuel. The Northfork, West Virginia native served in the position for over eight seasons, lasting from 2005 to Aug. 16, 2013.
Manuel took over managerial duties after the franchise moved on from Larry Bowa, who was let go on Oct. 1, 2004, after nearly four seasons in the role. Bench coach Gary Varsho took over as interim manager for the final two games, with Manuel taking over to begin the 2005 campaign. The Phillies showed they were turning a corner during Bowa's tenure, finishing with 86 wins in three of his four seasons as manager.
Happy birthday to @Phillies skipper and 2008 World Series champion Charlie Manuel: pic.twitter.com/t9zdVFeZ
— MLB (@MLB) January 4, 2013
Manuel couldn't break the club's cycle of underachieving that plagued them during Bowa's tenure following the Phillies' surprising 86-win season in 2001. Philadelphia fell short of the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, leading to questions about whether Manuel was the right person to help break the club's 13-year drought of not making the postseason.
Well, in 2007, Manuel proved his doubters wrong as he led the club to their first division title and playoff berth since 1993. The Phillies lost to the Colorado Rockies in a National League Divisional Series, but they had finally returned to the playoffs, and expectations were raised further in 2008.
Manuel led the Phillies to its second consecutive NL East title in 2008, the first time they won the division in back-to-back seasons since Ozark led them in 1977 and 1978. The Phillies also won their first playoff game and series and qualified for their first World Series in 15 years under Manuel.
On this date in 2008, the @Phillies defeated the Rays in Game 5, which had been suspended by rain, to win their first World Series since 1980.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 29, 2020
Brad Lidge closed out the game to finish his season a perfect 48-for-48 on save opportunities. pic.twitter.com/5kEyguSDFW
Philadelphia won its first championship since 1980, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in six contests. The Phillies excelled in 2009 as they returned to the World Series but lost in six games to the New York Yankees.
Manuel led them to winning the NL East for a fourth consecutive year in 2010, but the club lost in the National League Championship Series in six games to the San Francisco Giants. 2011 marked the most wins for the Phillies during a regular season since 1977, as they set a new franchise record with 102 wins. The total currently remains the most in a single season for Philly. However, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated them in five games during the NLDS series that postseason.
The decline began in 2012, as they finished with 81 victories and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The club regressed further in 2013, and Manuel was let go from his position before the season concluded. Ryne Sandberg, the third base coach and infield instructor took over as interim manager for the remainder of the year.
Manuel has the most regular season wins (780), playoff victories (27), and postseason appearances (five) of any manager in franchise history. His regular season record as manager for Philadelphia was 780-636, and he finished with a 27-18 playoff record with the team. He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2014.
Current manager Rob Thomson has an opportunity to catch up to Manuel and potentially surpass him, as he currently has 19 postseason wins in two playoff appearances. The distinction of having the most regular-season victories looks like it will continue to belong to Manuel for a long time.
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