Charlie Manuel, former Cleveland manager, suffers stroke during surgery
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Charlie Manuel, who managed the Indians from 2000 to 2002 and led the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series title in 2008, has suffered a stroke.
The Phillies announced Saturday that Manuel, 79, suffered the stroke while undergoing a surgical procedure in Florida. The team said the doctors were able to remove a blood clot and that the next 24 hours would be critical to Manuel’s recovery.
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Manuel managed in Cleveland’s farm system from 1990 through 1993, where he helped Jim Thome develop into a Hall of Fame hitter. He served two terms as the Indians’ hitting coach from 1988 through 1989 and 1994 through 1999. The 1999 Indians set a franchise record with 1,009 runs.
After the 1999 season, Manuel replaced Mike Hargrove as Cleveland’s manager. The Indians finished 90-72 in 2000, but did not make the postseason for the first time in five years.
In 2001, the Indians won the AL Central with a 91-71 record, but lost to Seattle in the ALDS.
GM Mark Shapiro fired Manuel at the All-Star break in 2002. Shapiro had replaced GM John Hart, who had hired Manuel as manager. Manuel wanted to know if Shapiro intended to keep him past the 2002 season. Shapiro said he wasn’t ready to commit to a manager. The two men argued and Manuel was fired, with Joel Skinner being named interim manager.
The Phillies hired Manuel in 2005 and he became the winningest manager in franchise history with a record of 780-636. He led the Phillies to consecutive World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009. They beat the Rays in 2008, and lost to the Yankees in six games in 2009.
Philadelphia won five straight NL East titles under Manuel. In the process he became one of the most beloved personalities in Phillies history.
After the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, he singled out a Cleveland writer after the fifth and final game and said, “Go back to Cleveland and tell ‘em we just won a World Series.”
Manuel was a part-time player for six big league seasons with the Twins and Dodgers. Then he went to Japan and became a home-run hitter of note. The Japanese fans called him The Red Devil because of his red hair and power.
No one can turn a baseball phrase like Manuel.
He called Hart, his boss, “Heart Attack.”
Thome, his prized hitting pupil, was “Thome Dome” or “Ptomaine Poisoning.”
When faced with a looming personnel decision, Manuel was likely to say, “We’ll cross that bridge when we run into it.”
He called David Riske, one of his relievers in Cleveland, “High Risk.”
Manuel was beset by health problems during his managerial tenure in Cleveland. He underwent surgery for diverticulitis in his first spring training as manager. He also had a cancerous kidney removed.
When the Guardians clinched the AL Central in 2001, he was hospitalized. In a conference call with reporters after the clinching victory, Manuel was asked how he was feeling. “I’m doing good,” said Manuel. “I’m just getting my gall bladder drained.”
He loves to talk hitting.
During a rain delay at Fenway Park, Manuel entertained writers by mimicking the batting stances of all the great players he’d seen. He said had a copy of Ted Williams’ “The Science of Hitting” in every room of his house.
“Some guys read Playboy,” said Manuel. “I read Ted Williams’ book on hitting.”
When it came to deciding whether to walk or pitch to a power-hitter like Mo Vaughn, Manuel would wait to the last second. Why?
“I just wanted to see how they walked to the plate and how they stepped in the box,” he said. “I wanted to see how they were feeling about themselves.”
In 1988, current Cleveland manager Terry Francona was playing out the string with the Indians. Manuel was the hitting coach and offered him this advice before Francona went to the plate.
“Son, see that sign out there, way out there in right field?” said Manuel. “If that was me, that’s where I’d hit it. You just massage one over to third.”
His first words of wisdom to any player were “Know Thyself, Son.” The Indians took to wearing T-shirts with that saying on it.
The Phillies announced Sunday morning that Manuel was making progress, according to his wife, Missy.
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