Where Are They Now: Former Sky Sox Manager Charlie Manuel

When discussing the best managers in Sky Sox history, the conversation starts with Charlie Manuel. The current skipper for the Philadelphia Phillies has enjoyed a lifetime of success in baseball as a player and manger and continues to distinguish himself as one of the best baseball minds today.

Before managing the Sky Sox, Manuel enjoyed a productive playing career in both the Major Leagues and the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. In 1963, Manuel was signed by the Minnesota Twins straight out of high school. From 1963-75 he played for both the Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations, shuffling between the big leagues and the minors while struggling with injuries and inconsistencies. Known more for his offense, Manuel struggled to figure out Single-A pitching during his first three years with the Twins organization. In his fourth year he broke out, compiling a .313 batting average with 13 home runs and 70 RBI, despite being hit in the face by a pitch which knocked out several teeth, broke his nose, and fracture his jaw. This was the first in a string of events that would come to define Manuel as one of the toughest individuals in baseball history.

In 1968 he was promoted to Double-A and again enjoyed a productive season, hitting .283 with 13 home runs and 79 RBI. The following season, an exceptional spring training landed him on the big league roster, but an ankle injury in early April caused him to miss significant time and he ended the year with only two home runs. From 1970-73 he was shuffled back and forth between the Twins and their Triple-A team, while being used primarily as a pinch hitter during his stints with the big league club.

In 1974 he was traded to the Dodgers organization where he played predominantly for the Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific Coast League. He enjoyed two straight productive seasons with the Dukes between periodic call-ups by the Dodgers but never experienced any prolonged success at the big league level and was released by the Dodges after the '75 season.

After his release, Manuel traveled overseas where he was signed by the Yakult Swallows of the NPL. He struggled during his first two seasons with the club while dealing with many of the same injuries that had hampered his production in the United States. However, he would experience a renaissance over the final five years of his career. From 1977-78 he batted a combined .314 with 81 home runs and 200 RBI and led the Swallows to the '78 Japan Series Championship.

In 1979 while playing for the Kintetsu Buffaloes he was again hit in the face by a pitch, breaking his jaw and nose, and knocking out more of his teeth. Despite the horrific injury, Manuel returned to the lineup only a few weeks later, despite the inability to ingest solid food at the time, and won the NPL MVP award with a .324 average, 37 home runs and 94 RBI. It marked the first time in history that an American would win the NPL MVP.

He played for two more seasons in the NPL before retiring as a player from baseball after the 1981 season. He finished his NPL career with a .303 batting average, 189 home runs and 491 RBI and is still considered to be one of the greatest American born players ever to play in the NPL.

Following his playing career, Manuel worked as a scout and manager in the Twins organization for six seasons. In 1988, he joined the Cleveland Indians organization as the team's hitting coach.

Two years later he was hired in midseason as the manager for the organization's Triple-A team, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, replacing Bobby Molinaro who was 37-34 in half a season as manager. Over the next two and a half seasons, Manuel and his big inning offense would guide the Sky Sox to three straight playoff appearances and the organization's first PCL championship in 1992. The three straight playoff appearances from 1990-92 are a Sky Sox record for consecutive playoff appearances and Manuel is the only manager in team history with more than two total playoff appearances. His success with the Sky Sox paved the way for even greater triumphs, while the lessons learned during his tenure would serve as the building blocks for his managerial career.

Following the '92 season, the Indians moved their Triple-A team to Charlotte, NC and became known as the Knights. Manuel would win his second consecutive championship during the '93 season as the Knights won the International League Governor Cup title and Manuel was awarded with the IL Manager of the Year award.

From 1994-1999 Manuel was the hitting coach behind the high powered Indians offenses which featured former Sky Sox greats Albert Bell and Jim Thome and All-Stars Manny Ramirez, Omar Vizquel, and Roberto Alomar. Following the firing of manager Mike Hargrove after the 1999 season, Manuel was given his first managerial job in the Major Leagues as the new head man for the Indians. His strong relationship with the players and proven success as a manager with the Sky Sox and Knights were key reasons for his hiring. In his first season, the Indians missed the playoffs by a single game despite winning 90 games. In 2001, the Indians captured the Central Division crown but were defeated in the division series by the Seattle Mariners. In his third season, the Indians struggled out of the gate and Manuel was fired after the team posted a first half record of 39-47. The firing was seen as a slap in the face, not only for guiding the team to back-to- back 90 win seasons, but because of his loyalty and dedication over 13 very successful years with the Sky Sox, Knights, and Indians.

But Manuel, as we know, was no stranger to adversity. During his time with the Indians he suffered a heart attack in 1998 which required quadruple bypass surgery, yet returned after only five weeks, and in 2001suffered a ruptured colon, only to return less than two weeks after surgery.

After a few years away from coaching, Manuel was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005. His first two seasons with the club resulted in second place divisional finishes, but in 2007 the Phillies captured the National League East division title and appeared in the playoffs for the first time since 1993.The playoff appearance would be a harbinger of great things to come for Manuel and the Phillies as they reached back-to-back World Series over the next two seasons, winning the title in 2008 over the Tampa Bay Rays, and losing to the New York Yankees in '09.

Today, Manuel continues to manage one of the best teams in the Major Leagues as the Phillies continue to dominate the National League. Last season, they fell short of their bid at three-straight World Series appearances as they were defeated in the National League Championship Series by the eventual champion San Francisco Giants.

Manuel's recent success has earned him tremendous respect throughout the baseball community as one of the most gifted baseball minds and player managers in the game today. His time and experience with the Sky Sox were pivotal in shaping his managerial acumen and molding him into the manager he has become. Long heralded as an offensive guru, Manuel has become an exceptional game strategist. And after suffering through numerous injuries and health problems over the course of his baseball life, Manuel is respected by players and fans alike for his blue-collar attitude, toughness and perseverance, values which continue to resonate with the Sky Sox today.