Pete Mackanin will manage the Phillies for the remainder of the 2015 season, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today. Mackanin, formerly Ryne Sandberg’s third base coach, has been managing the team since Sandberg’s sudden resignation last week. The Phillies also announced that Jorge Velandia, the team’s assistant minor league field coordinator, will join the Major League staff as an assistant coach.
The 63-year-old Mackanin had a nine-year career as a Major Leaguer and is now, strangely, in the midst of his third stint as a team’s interim manager following a midseason firing/resignation. Mackanin was the Pirates’ interim manager for the final month of the 2005 season after Lloyd McClendon was fired, and he served as a temporary skipper for the Reds in 2007 after Jerry Narron was dismissed. Mackanin has also served as a manager in the minor leagues, and he’s occupied various Major League coaching roles over parts of 13 Major League seasons (including a stint as the team’s bench coach). Earlier today, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted that he got the sense the Phillies simply needed to make sure that Mackanin was comfortable managing the club for the rest of the year.
The Phillies yesterday announced the hiring of Andy MacPhail as the successor to president Pat Gillick, adding that MacPhail’s title of president would become official following the season when Gillick retires. It stands to reason that MacPhail will oversee the hiring of a permanent manager, although it’s certainly possible that Mackanin would be in the mix for that position if he desires. He’s been with the Phillies organization since 2009.
Is this considered a demotion?
1. Pete Mackanin was the third base coach for Ryne Sandberg, not bench coach. Larry Bowa was then and still is now.
2. Mackanin has been in the organization since last year because he was in the Yankees organization in 2013 after he was fired as Charlie Manuel’s bench coach. He was a Phillies coach from 2009-12.
Thanks for the heads up; edited.
Mackanin took over for McClendon in 2005, I believe.
Thanks for the heads up; edited.
Pretty sure that Larry Bowa was the bench coach and Mackanin the 3rd base coach prior to Sandberg’s resignation. I don’t know if Mizerock (current 3B coach) was on the MLB coaching staff before the change at the top.
Mackanin was Manuel’s bench coach prior to Sandberg being brought in, however, and I can understand the Phillies not wanting another go-round with Bowa as the Manager.
Thanks for the heads up; edited.
This new comment system is as good as the Phillies but at least we all knew well in advance the Phillies weren’t trying to win this year.
I can tell you from personal experience that the analogy doesn’t hold: Tim hasn’t locked up his overrated, over-the-hill talent to foolish extensions (though I’m still holding out hope).
You’re right. Instead he pulled an old system out of retirement. I guess it is more like 2007 Rodger Clemens
Well that was supposed to be @Jeff Todd but I can’t edit or delete it so it will have to stay here.
More tensions between the Halos FO and Upper Darby born Mike Scioscia. Hmmmmmm, I wonder?
Not sure I’d want Scioscia. He’s had issues taking orders from a chain of command before now….and he’s honestly maybe not that excellent of a manager…not if you look at what he’s generally had to work with. I could see him with the Dodgers maybe…but I don’t think it’s the right time for him as Phillies manager. He’s not a rebuilder.
Does he still get the same salary he got as coach, or do they up his pay some for the added responsibility?
Amazing how just in a couple of years the Phillies went from the dominant team in the majors to the worst team in the game it happened pretty quick too. It was all downhill after the 2010 NLCS and Howard tore his Achilles