Since Charlie Manuel was fired as manager of the Phillies, the team has been playing a bit better. They have not been amazing in any sense, but the team seems a bit improved ever since Ryne Sandberg took over the managerial duties last on August 16th. The team is 5-4 under “Ryno,” who is the interim manager for the rest of the 2013 season.
It was sad to see Charlie go, but it felt like it was for the best. Manuel became manager of the Phillies in 2005, and was very successful here in Philadelphia. Any manager who wins at least one World Series championship during their tenure with a team has done a heck of a job, in my opinion. It is not apparent yet what Manuel will do in the future. It is said that he may stay in the Phillies organization, but no one knows for sure. It would be good for Manuel to stay. The Phillies owe him a lot for what he has done with their franchise, so giving him another job would be suitable.
As the team goes, they are still having a poor season. However, the future looks very bright for the Phillies. Darin Ruf has been playing well lately. He is showing everyone that he can hit, and even play a little bit of defense. Cody Asche can also hit, and is very good on defense. Pitcher Ethan Martin has also not pitched that bad lately, either. There are also some impressive players in the Phillies farm system. Pitcher Jesse Biddle and third baseman Maikel Franco show some promise for the future of the Phillies. They also signed shortstop J.P. Crawford this year and he has been playing well in the minors so far.
This year and maybe next may not be great years for the Phillies, but I do think they can get back to contender status within the next few years based on all of the young talent they currently have. They also need Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to be 100%, or else the Phillies offense will be hit or miss every game. As I said, it may take a while, but there is a lot of hope for the future of the Phillies franchise.
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