Welcome to SportsRadio94WIP's Judgment Week, where we will find out who we were wrong about and ultimately revisit five topics in Philadelphia sports with the benefit of hindsight.
From Wednesday, July 8th to Wednesday, July 15th we asked you to submit someone or something that we were wrong about.
From Monday, July 20th to Friday, July 24th we will spend each day judging, discussing, and debating one of the five most submitted topics that we were wrong about.
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Friday (7/24) - Charlie Manuel Appreciation Day!
At the start of his tenure, he couldn't make a double switch. Nine years later, he had guided the Phillies to the most successful run in franchise history.
Before Charlie even managed a game, fans were frustrated about his hiring. He replaced an all-time great Phillie in Larry Bowa and he wasn't Jim Leyland, the long-time manager who won the World Series with the Marlins. It didn't help that in his first year as manager of the Tigers, Leyland won the AL Pennant. Meanwhile, Charlie was navigating the in-game strategies of the National League while attempting to handle the large media presence in Philadelphia, something that wasn't an issue during his time in Cleveland.
The media and fans didn't like Charlie. He brought a Southern draw with him from West Virginia and his laid back attitude was the exact opposite of his predecessor's win at any cost mentality. That gave Bowa favor with the fans but not the locker room, and after many Phillies complained, Bowa was shown the door.
Charlie Manuel on Philly fans: "If you win and things like that, they're gonna treat you tremendous. I cannot ever tell you to this day, since we won the World Series, how we get treated. Really, I can't even explain it to you." -- --https://t.co/IGRNLvO5im
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) August 27, 2019Enter Charlie. He was not a Philly Guy, as evident by his post-game press conferences which got ugly at times. He even challenged Howard Eskin to a fight after Howard questioned his passion (by the way, seven years later Charlie told Howard he "will knock him out" after another high-tension press conference). While everyone worried about Charlie's public persona, behind closed doors he was beloved.
Charlie was a players' manager with a simple approach that helped hitters build confidence. He knew how to run a clubhouse and push the right buttons. After Charlie challenged Eskin to a fight, he told Howard "we are going to win". Well, he was right. The Phillies started winning under Manuel, so much so that they went to two World Series, won one of them, and made Charlie the winningest manger in Phillies franchise history.
Charlie Manuel living out every Phillies fan's dream of putting Maikel Franco in the Cobra Clutch. pic.twitter.com/MMWAwEgLM7
— CogginToboggan (@CogginToboggan) September 9, 2019He did it while having fun. How can anybody forget the infamous Kyle Kendrick trade to Japan? There's something to be said about the genius of creating an environment for success. The Phillies had talented players on their roster, but they might not overtake the Mets in 2007 if it wasn't for Charlie. They might not hit as well as they did. They might not win 102 games in 2011. Jim Thome called him "one of the greatest, iconic hitting guys in all of baseball, maybe of all time". We can't quantify the impact Charlie had, but we can say this for certain: Charlie Manuel is the greatest manager in Phillies franchise history. And he should be the most beloved as well.
Thank you Charlie, for everything.
