Charlie Manuel Highlights Saturday's Phillies Alumni Autograph Session
(Allentown, Pa.) - Charlie Manuel - the winningest manager in Phillies history - will be joined by Phillies greats Darren Daulton and Tommy Greene during a pre-game autograph session presented by Coordinated Health prior to the IronPigs game at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. The autograph session will last for one hour commencing when gates open at 5:15 p.m. Manuel will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the IronPigs series opener against the Indianapolis Indians.
Great seats are still available for all upcoming games, including Saturday's, and can be purchased in-person at Coca-Cola Park (Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447) or online at ironpigsbaseball.com. Two brand-new seating areas, the "Hot Corner" and the "Bacon Strip" were recently added to Coca-Cola Park offering IronPigs fans the most unique and distinctive seating and hospitality areas in all of Minor League Baseball.
Please note that the autograph session will end promptly at 6:15 p.m. and your spot in line does not guarantee you an autograph. There is a limit of one autograph per player, per person. In an effort to expedite the autograph process and allow the most fans to participate, photos are not permitted.
The all-time winningest manager in Phillies history, Manuel completed a nearly nine-year run (2005-2013) in that position before moving into a different role with the organization in 2014. He was named senior advisor to the general manager in January. During his time as the club's manager, he led the Phillies to their first playoff appearance in 14 years in 2007, five straight division titles (2007-11), two National League pennants (2008-09) and one World Championship (2008).
Darren Daulton was enshrined into the Phillies "Wall of Fame" in 2010 and is widely regarded as one of the best catchers in Phillies history. Affectionately referred to as "Dutch", he spent the better part of a decade as the Phillies primary catcher and was one of the instrumental figures on the Phillies' 1993 NL pennant winning club. That season, Daulton was named an All-Star and drove in more than 100 runs for a second consecutive season and finished 7th in MVP voting.
Originally drafted by the Phillies in the 25th round of the 1980 draft, Daulton was a member of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins after the Phillies dealt him south in a mid-season trade. Daulton announced his retirement following the 1997 season and finished his career as a .245 hitter with 137 home runs and 588 RBIs in 1161 career games.
Tommy Greene was also a leading figure on the Phillies 1993 team, matching Curt Schilling for a team-high 16 wins while going 16-4 with a 3.42 ERA and starting Game 4 of the World Series against Toronto that season.
Originally a 1st round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 1985, Greene was dealt to the Phillies as part of a deal that also sent Dale Murphy to the Phillies in 1990. On May 23, 1991, in just his 15th career Major League start, he threw a no-hitter in a Phillies 2-0 win at Montreal for just the second no-hitter in Olympic Stadium history.
Following the memorable 1993 season, Greene made just 15 more starts in his Major League career due to shoulder problems that led to multiple surgeries. He made his last appearance in the Majors as a 30-year-old for the Astros on July 4, 1997. In parts of eight seasons, he went 38-25 with a 4.14 ERA.
Single-game tickets, mini-plan packages and group tickets for all IronPigs home games are on sale now and can be purchased at the Coca-Cola Park Ticket Office, online at www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447).
The 2014 IronPigs baseball season is presented by Capital BlueCross.
-- where pigs fly --