Results tagged ‘ Ryne Sandberg ’
The Phils made a quick shake up among their coaches after the last game of the season.
After the last game of the 2012 season, the Phils made a quick shake up among their coaches: Pete Mackanin, Greg Gross and Sam Perlozzo are out, Ryne Sandberg, Steve Henderson and Rod Nichols are in.
After yesterday’s game in Washington, the Phils announced that they were releasing their bench coach Pete Mackanin, hitting coach Greg Gross and first base coach Sam Perlozzo, all casualties of the 2012 season. Today, the Phils announced that they were going to keep Juan Samuel, who will now be the team’s first base coach, as well as their outfield/baserunning instructor, moving over from the third base coach’s box, Mick Billmeyer, who will now be the team’s catching coach, being promoted from being their bullpen coach, and Rich Dubee, who would remain the team’s pitching coach. They also announced their three new members of the coach staff:
Ryne Sandberg, who was formerly the manager of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, would be taking over Juan Samuel’s spot as the team’s third base coach, as well as becoming the team’s infield instructor; Steve Henderson, who will become the team’s new hitting coach, taking over for Gross, while Rod Nichols would become the new bullpen coach, taking Billmeyer’s place.
Congratulations on the promotions, or moving to new positions, Juan, and Billmeyer and congrats on joining the main club as coaches, Ryne, Steve and Rod. Hopefully, you five, and Rich, will help get this team back to being a pennant contender. Sorry to see you all go, Pete, Greg and Sam. I know what happened this year wasn’t all of your faults, but, well, a shake was called for after this sucky year. Wish you all luck in finding new teams.
Spring Training: On the eve of the team’s first spring training game.
As the Phils get ready for their first spring training game, tomorrow, against Florida State, they have made several announcements after the arrival of all of their players to camp:
1) Charlie Manuel announced that the team was going to do some more small ball this season, which was quickly emphasised by him talking to the team’s lead-off man, and one of the leaders of the team, Jimmy Rollins last Thursday. This was followed by announcements that he was going to allow possible Hall of Famer Jim Thome to help some of the hitters improve on their hitting approach, and that he was going to have them bunt more (for base hits). Mike Schmidt, who is now in camp as a special coach, will also be helping the batters’ with their hitting approach, along with fellow Hall of Famer, and Iron Pigs coach Ryne Sandburg, while staying in camp a bit longer. While this is good news, since using small ball, as well as stealing more bases, should give the opposing defenses something to think about, I will not be convinced until the Phils leave Florida in late March with Juan Pierre as one of their players coming off the bench, since he would be a good option to use late in games because of both his speed and bat control.
2) Jose Contreras had another bullpen session, and is continuing to pitch fine with no elbow trouble, according to pitching coach Rich Dubee. This is good news, as it should give the team several good eighth innings options between him, Antonio Bastardo and Chad Qualls, if all three players make the team out of spring training.
3) And speaking of pitchers, starter Cliff Lee missed a bullpen session last week because of abdominal problems, and was told to skip the session. Lee said that he is feeling fine now and should be able to pitch in a bullpen session today. Hopefully, it was only a temporary problem.
4) Speaking of players’ health, Ryan Howard is right now in Baltimore, having a check-up with foot and ankle specialist Mark Myerson, to check on his achilles tendon, to make sure that there’s no problem with it, since it was mentioned during the weekend that Howard was having a delayed reaction to the sutures. GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. later announced that they doubt that it was a major problem. Anyway, it should help the Phils decide how they should continue their approach on Howard’s rehab, although they don’t really expect him back until about late May at the earliest. My opinion is that they should take as much time as they can to get Howard back healthy, as they already have a few options to play first base.
and 5), Chase Utley has announced that he should be able to come back from his leg troubles last year, while it is expected that he will be given the occasional rest, to help his legs, while Placido Polanco has announced that he is ready to go.
Hail, hail..
…the team’s all here.
All of the position players have decided to come to Clearwater earlier than the official Saturday date when they are suppose to report. To me, that means that they are all eager to get started, which brings a big smile to my face.
The news that has come out of camp, so far, is that the Phils plan to have Wilson Valdez work out some in centerfield, so that they can use him there during the season, as well as at second, third and short. Sounds like a good idea to me, since they are obviously planning to optimize the use of their bench players so that they can insert them anywhere on the field in the late innings, if they aren’t using them as pinch hitters, or intend to give their starters a few days off to rest.
Raul Ibanez has come to camp in good shape, having worked out during the off-season, showing himself prepared to play a full season without injury, thereby helping the ballclub both with the bat, and in the field.
Dom Brown is prepared to get the right fielder job while admitting that he had played poorly in the Domnican Winter League, and that he has no excuse for that. In fact, he hopes that it’ll help motivate him in his fight for the right field position. He has also mentioned that while he was in Clearwater earlier this year, that batting coach Greg Gross has helped him to correct his swing, to get rid of the kinks that had developed while he was on the bench during the last month or so of the 2010 regular season, figuring it’ll help him out.
Lastly, Chase Utley, when asked if he would take the opportunity to speak with Hall of Famer Ryan Sandberg, the Phils’ new manager for their Triple-A team (Lehigh Valley), said that he planned to pick his brains. In fact, the pair had already spoken with each other, and Sandberg has said that he is impressed with Utley’s work ethic. I hope that the pair’s talking will help Utley bounce back from what happened last season.
The Phils have signed Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg as their new manager at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Sandberg to manage Phils’ Triple-A club
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs tab Hall of Fame second baseman
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com
Hmm, first Juan, and now Ryne. So far so good, especially with
reports of them trying to sign up fan favorite Mickey Morandini as
well.
PHILADELPHIA — Nearly 29 years after the Phillies traded Ryne Sandberg to the Chicago Cubs, he is rejoining the organization.
The Phillies announced on Monday morning that they’ve hired Sandberg
as the manager for their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron
Pigs. Sandberg managed the previous four seasons in the Cubs’ Minor
League system, including last season with Triple-A Iowa. He had been a
candidate to become the Cubs’ manager following Lou Piniella’s
midseason retirement, but Chicago retained Mike Quade instead.
Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman and Cubs icon, subsequently
informed the Cubs he would seek employment elsewhere.
The Phillies had an opening and landed Sandberg.
Dallas Green said last week that Sandberg would make a great manager.
Green has a storied history with Sandberg. Green was the Cubs’
general manager when he fleeced the Phillies in one of the worst trades
in franchise history. The Jan. 27, 1982, deal sent Larry Bowa and
Sandberg to the Cubs for Ivan DeJesus. The Phillies felt they did not
have a position to play Sandberg, and because they felt compelled to
trade Bowa following a bitter contract dispute, Green astutely demanded
the Phillies include Sandberg in the trade.
Sandberg invited Green to his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005.
“I would think he would make a great fit for us,” Green said last
week. “We raised him. He’s been let down by Chicago a good bit. He’s a
little bit bitter about that. … When he didn’t get the job, I called
him and commiserated with him. I knew he was disappointed. I still
personally think he should be a big league guy if that’s what he really
wants to do.
“I love the guy. He’s got a great work ethic. I haven’t watched him, but I think he’s going to be a good teacher.”
Sandberg earned Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year honors this
past season, when he led the Iowa Cubs (82-62) to a tie for the best
record in the Northern Division.
Sandberg was a 10-time National League All-Star. He also won nine
Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards during his 16-year
career. The Phillies drafted Sandberg in 1978, and he played 13 games
for the club in ’81 before being traded.
The Phillies said the remainder of their 2011 player development
staff will be announced at a later date, but Mickey Morandini is
expected to be named to the staff in some capacity.
H/T Phillies.com
Welcome back, Ryne. Hope you’ll do well managing over in Lehigh Valley.
The most recent Phillies news…
Last week the Phils’ picked up, via waivers, infielder Carlos Rivero from the Cleveland Indians.
The team is still looking for low price free agents for their bullpen, while pondering whether to give new contracts to either Chad Durbin or Jose Contreras, or to both pitchers. In the meantime, they are in the hunt to resign Jayson Werth, but since his agent Scott Boras is asking for money in the Matt Holliday/Jason Bay range, it is more than likely that he won’t be back in red pinstripes.
It has been announced on Monday that ex-Phil Jamie Moyer has re-injured his left elbow while pitching winter ball in the Dominican Republic, while trying to prove that he can still pitch. Ouch. Talk about a setback. Hope it wasn’t too bad an injury, Jamie.
It was also announced yesterday that former Phil GM Pat Gillick is on the Hall of Fame ballot that is being sent to the committee to elect those managers, executives and retired players who were not elected originally, who come from Baseball’s Expansion-era (post-1960). Congrats on getting on the Ballot, Pat, and wish you luck getting into the Hall. You deserve it.
Lastly, today, there is speculation that former Phil, ex-Orioles manager and fan favorite, Juan Samuel, is thinking of taking over Davey Lopes’ position as the team’s first base coach. If he does, that should be good news for the team, since he was a very successful base stealer during his days as a ballplayer. Is has also been announced that they are looking at Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg as the new manager for their Triple-A Lehigh Valley ballclub, as he is leaving the Cubs Triple-A club after being pass over as the main club’s new manager. He might be another popular move, if the Phils do go after him. Whether the pair will actually get either post is another question.
Philadelphia Phillies – Awards: Triples Champions.
In the Phillies’ 126-years existance as a member of the National League, the team has won only sixteen triples championships. Ten Phils have won those sixteen titles, with four of them winning multiple titles, while one player would win it while playing for two teams and five players won the title while tied with one or more players.
The first Phil to win the triples title was Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty who won his only triples title of his fine career in 1892 with twenty-one triples. No Phil would win the triples title for the next fifty-five years. The next Phillie player to win the triples title was Harry ‘the Hat’ Walker, winning it in 1947 playing for both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Phillies, as he hit sixteen triples. Three years later, the third Phil to win the title was Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn who had fourteen triples in 1950, the year that the Phils won their second National League title. Ashburn won his second triples title in 1958 with thirteen triples. Johnny Callison became the fourth Phillie player to win the title, as he was tied with Willie Davis and Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Bill Virdon of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as all four men hit ten triples in 1962. Two years later, in 1964, Rookie of the Year winner Dick Allen became the fifth Phil to win the title, as he was tied with Ron Santo of the Chicago Cubs, with each man getting thirteen triples. The next year, 1965, Callison won his second triples title, this time by himself, as he hit sixteen three-baggers. In 1972, Larry Bowa won the eighth triples title won by a Phil player, the sixth Phil to do so, by hitting thirteen triples. Dave Cash became the seventh Phil to capture the triples title by getting twelve triples in 1976, the year that the Phillies won the first of their three straight National League Eastern Division titles. In 1984, Juan Samuel won the title, the eighth Phillie player to win it, as he tied with Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs, with each man hitting nineteen triples. Samuel won the title outright four years later in 1987, as he hit fifteen triples. In 1999, Bobby Abreu won the twelfth triples title won by a Phillie player, the ninth Phil to do so, as he tied with Neifi Perez of the Colorado Rockies, with each man hitting eleven three-baggers. The tenth and last Phil to win the triples title, Jimmy Rollins, won the first of his, so far, four triples titles by hitting twelve triples in 2001. He won his second title the following year, 2002, with ten three-baggers. Rollins won his third triples title in 2004, as he was tied with Jack Wilson of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Juan Pierre of the Florida Marlins, with all three men hitting twelve triples. Rollins won his fourth and most recent title, the sixteenth won by a Phil, in 2007, as he hit twenty triples.
Of the sixteen titles wins, only three of them were won by a Hall of Famer (Ed Delahanty (1), Richie Ashburn (2)). Jimmy Rollins has so far won the most triples titles as a Phil with four title victories, followed by Ashburn, Juan Samuel and Johnny Callison with two titles wins each. Delahanty is the Phillie player to hit the most triples while winning the title with twenty-one triples, while Johnny Callison (in 1962) and Jimmy Rollins (in 2002) both won the title with the least triples with ten of them. Callison, Dick Allen, Samuel, Bobby Abreu and Rollins each won the triples title while tied with another NL player, with Callison being involved in a four way tie in 1962 and Rollins in a three-men tie in 2004. The Phillies had one triples title win in the 19th Century, eleven in the 20th Century and so far, four triples title wins in the 21st Century.
Who will win the next triples title as a Phillie? Please, that’s a no-brainer. J-Roll, who else.

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