Charlie Manuel: The Winningest Manager in Phillies History

Today we reflect on the career of Charlie Manuel, the all-time leader in managerial wins for the Phillies.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies will turn 139 in 2022, throughout that time there have been over 55 managers given the task of manning the helm. Above all other 54 candidates, lies Charlie Manuel.

Prior to Manuel's time as a manager, he had a 19-year playing career as an outfielder which can be broken up into two very distinct halves. 

The first of which was a six-year stint in the Major Leagues with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout his seasons in MLB, Manuel hit for an average of .198 with four home runs. In his years with the Twins and Dodgers, Manuel spent time with minor league affiliates of both organizations.

The second part of Manuel's career saw him leave the MLB for the JPCL in Japan. There he played with the Yakult Swallows for four seasons and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes for two seasons. His time in Japan was an antithesis to to time in the United States. Manuel was a force, hitting for an average of .303 and a slugging percentage of .604 with 189 home runs.

Upon retiring from Japanese baseball and returning to the States, Manuel became a scout for the Twins, then a coach for their Single-A affiliate Wisconsin Rapids.

In Manuel's first season the Rapids, the team finished with a record of 71-67. A solid start to Manuel's managerial career.

Seven years later, Manuel became the coach of the Colorado Springs, the Triple-A affiliate for the Cleveland Indians, he held this position for three years. Then in 2000, Manuel would get his first chance to coach a Major League team.

That year he was promoted to Indians manager, leading the team to a record of 90-72, second place in the American League Central, trailing only the Chicago White Sox.

The 2001 season was a similar story for Manuel and the Indians, but this year the Indians made the playoffs and squared off against the Seattle Mariners. Manuel and the Indians lost the series 3-2, but it gave him vital experience.

The 2002 season was Manuel's last season in Cleveland. He was fired midway through the year after the team played to a record of 39-47. 

Following his departure from the Indians, Manuel was hired as an assistant to then-Phillies general manager Ed Wade. Manuel kept this position for one season until Wade appointed him Phillies manager in 2005.

This would begin Manuel's historic tenure as manager in Philadelphia. 2005 and 2006 were not dissimilar to the Phillies past season's under Larry Bowa. But in 2007 everything came together for Manuel and the Phillies. They finished atop the NL East for the first time since 1993, beating out division rivals New York Mets by one game with a record of 89-73.

In the NLDS, Philadelphia were swept by the Colorado Rockies. Yet, Phillies fans and players finally tasted success, something they soon became accustomed to.

In 2008 Manuel and Philadelphia placed first in the NL East for a second straight year, this time with a three-game cushion over the Mets.

The Phillies cruised past CC Sabathia and the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series, then beat Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers in the NLCS, landing Philadelphia in their first World Series since 1993.

Their opponents were the Tampa Bay Rays, led by Pennsylvania-native Joe Maddon. Manuel and the Phillies would beat the Rays 4-1, bringing the Phillies their first championship since 1980.

Manuel's performance that year landed him as runner-up for NL Manager of the Year, losing out to the Chicago Cubs' Lou Pinella. Manuel did manage the National League in the 2009 All-Star game.

That year was much the same for Manuel. The Phillies finish sixed games up in the NL East, making it back to the Fall Classic for the second straight year, the only time in Phillies history that the team has made it to the World Series in consecutive seasons.

This time the Phillies faltered. They were bested by New York Yankees in six games.

Following this season, the Phillies kept up their playoff pace, but never made it back to the World Series. Manuel's strongest regular season performance was in 2011 when he led the Phillies to a franchise-high 102 wins. 

Despite their strength in the regular season, Philadelphia fell short in the Division Series to future World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals.

After this season the Phillies started to decline, finishing the 2012 season 81-81, Manuel's worst full season in Philadelphia. Following a rocky start to 2013, the Phillies parted ways with Manuel.

Though Manuel's time managing in Philadelphia was over, he came back in 2019 as a hitting coach.

Throughout Manuel's nine-year run with the Phillies, he won 780 games, cementing him as the most successful manager in Philadelphia history. Aside from his wins, it was Manuel's playoff success, easy-going demeanor, and dedication to his players that made him a Philadelphia legend.

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