Charlie Manuel is returning to Philadelphia, but this time, it's in a different capacity. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, the Phillies are hiring Manuel as their new hitting coach, replacing John Mallee.
Of course, Manuel is most known for his tenure as manager of the Phillies, as he managed the club from 2005 through August 2013 before being fired.
During that time, Manuel posted a record of 780-636, leading Philadelphia to a World Series title in 2008 and another World Series appearance in 2009, losing to the New York Yankees in the latter year.
Manuel also led the Phils to five straight NL East division titles between 2007 and 2011, winning 102 games during the 2011 campaign.
Since being canned by the Phillies after going 53-67 through 120 games in 2013, Manuel has been out of baseball, but now, he'll get the chance to return to Philly to try and help the team remain in the National League playoff hunt.
At the moment, Philadelphia owns a record of 60-58 and is three losses behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot.
The Phillies' offense has been less-than-stellar in 2019, as it ranks 19th in runs, 24th in batting average and 22nd in OPS, so they are hoping Manuel can come in and help sort things out at the plate.
Philadelphia has not made the playoffs since 2011.
Manuel's first managerial experience in the MLB came back in 2000, when he took over as manager of the Cleveland Indians. He served as manager of the Indians for two-and-a-half years, winning the AL Central division title in 2001.
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