The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that their manager for the 2014 season will be…their current manager. Ryne Sandberg is having his interim tag removed and will lead the club into the 2014 season as manager after replacing Charlie Manuel on August 16th. Sandberg's contract is for three seasons through 2016, with a club option for the 2017 season.
This is Sandberg's first major league managerial gig after a reasonably successful career in the minor leagues. This season, Sandberg was the Phillies third base coach under Manuel before being promoted when the winningest manager in club history was relieved of his duties a little more than five weeks ago after leading the club to a 53-67 record this year, his second straight disappointing season at the helm of the club.
Sandberg has managed the team to an 18-16 record since taking over, with 12 of those wins coming by one run. His promotion for 2014 didn't seem like a lock after public statements from general manager Ruben Amaro and team president David Montgomery, but the club finally pulled the trigger on Sunday before the team's final home game of the season against the Mets.
The 2013 Phillies will finish with the team's worst record since 2000, when the club lost 97 games and finished in the basement of the NL East, costing Terry Francona his job in the process. Since that year, Sandberg is just the team's third full-time manager, and the Phillies haven't finished lower than third in the NL East since.
