2022 World Series Ties to the Knights
When the 2022 World Series gets underway on Friday, October 28, the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros will go head-to-head for baseball superiority. The 2022 World Series starts with game one in Houston at Minute Maid Park on Friday night and the Astros enter play with a 7-0 record in
When the 2022 World Series gets underway on Friday, October 28, the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros will go head-to-head for baseball superiority. The 2022 World Series starts with game one in Houston at Minute Maid Park on Friday night and the Astros enter play with a 7-0 record in the postseason this year. The American League’s #1 seed swept the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series and then swept the mighty New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series.
On the other side will be the red-hot Phillies, who made their way into the playoffs thanks to the newly created third Wild Card spot. Once they got in, they took off and ran with it – beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card round, the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS and the San Diego Padres in the NLCS.
CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS TIES
While we all will be watching this World Series and hoping for a great battle between two of baseball’s top teams, fans in the Queen City will recognize a few names from each organization. While there won’t be any former Charlotte Knights players in uniform this year, there are a few that are tied to each organization in the front office. The Phillies feature two former Charlotte players – Charlie Manuel (1968 Charlotte Hornets player & 1993 Charlotte Knights manager) and Jorge Velandia (2006 Charlotte Knights infielder). On the Houston side, Erick Threets (a LHP with the Knights in 2010) is the Florida Complex Pitching Coach for the Astros.
CHARLIE MANUEL – Philadelphia Phillies Senior Adviser to GM
Manuel first found his way to the Queen City in 1968 as a player with the Charlotte Hornets, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. That season, the Northfork, WV native mashed 13 home runs and drove in 79 runs. He finished third in the Southern League that year in RBIs and hit .283. He was also a Southern League All-Star that season. Many years later – 25 to be exact – Manuel managed the Charlotte Knights in 1993. It was the first season as a Triple-A franchise and Manuel guided the top affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) to a Governors’ Cup Championship. It was his only season as a Knights manager. In 2016, he was inducted into the Charlotte Baseball Round Table of Honor.
JORGE VELANDIA – Philadelphia Phillies Assistant GM
The Charlotte Knights finished first in the International League South Division in 2006. The team boasted solid pitching and featured a number of strong offensive leaders. One of those leaders that season at the plate was infielder Jorge Velandia. The Venezuelan native hit .291 (138-for-475) with 69 runs scored, 25 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 56 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Velandia last played baseball in 2009 with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He has since moved up the ranks in Philadelphia’s front office and is the current Assistant GM of the team.
ERICK THREETS – Houston Astros Florida Complex Pitching Coach
Originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the seventh round of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft, Threets made his way to the Charlotte Knights in 2010. The 6’5” left-handed pitcher was a solid contributor to the team that season. In 17 games, Threets posted a 1-0 record with two saves and a 0.86 ERA over 21.0 innings pitched. It was his only season with the Knights. He spent parts of three seasons as a player in the majors and owns a career 3.28 ERA.