Former Philadelphia Phillies manager and coach Charlie Manuel suffered a stroke on Saturday during a medical procedure in Florida. The Phillies have since released a statement via their Twitter page.
The statement read, “The Phillies have been informed that while undergoing a medical procedure today in a Florida hospital, Charlie Manuel suffered a stroke. The hospital was able to attend to Charlie immediately and subsequently remove a blood clot. The next 24 hours will be crucial to his recovery, and Charlie's family asks that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers at this time.”
The Phillies have been informed that while undergoing a medical procedure today in a Florida hospital, Charlie Manuel suffered a stroke. The hospital was able to attend to Charlie immediately and subsequently remove a blood clot. The next 24 hours will be crucial to his recovery,…
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 16, 2023
Before he became a Philadelphia legend, Charlie Manuel originally started playing baseball in the major leagues for the Minnesota Twins from 1969-1972 and then the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1974-1975. Manuel then went to Japan and played between there between 1976-1981 for the Yakult Swallows and Kintetsu Buffaloes.
Following his playing career, Manuel worked as a manager in the minor leagues for a long time before becoming a major league manager for Cleveland in 2000 but was fired in 2002. He then worked his way up to becoming the Phillies manager in 2005. During his nine-year tenure, Manuel led the Phillies to five NL East titles and a World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008. Though he was fired in 2013, he is part of the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame.
Manuel has proven his toughness in the past by surviving several scary health issues which included a heart attack and kidney cancer. The Phillies and the MLB community will now rally together to wish Manuel a safe recovery.