Ranking the Top 5 greatest Phillies managers in franchise history

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.