CLEVELAND (AP) -With a few gawking Phillies surrounding him, Charlie Manuel pointed to the spot where Mark McGwire dented the Budweiser sign in left field at Jacobs Field and the time Big Mac nearly put one into the street.
Philadelphia’s manager remembered towering homers by Albert Belle, long ones by Jim Thome and Cleveland’s miraculous comeback in 2001 against Seattle, when the Indians overcame a 12-run deficit.
“I ran out of players,” Manuel joked. “That’s the only reason we won, I couldn’t make any more moves.”
Fond memories of great hitters and great games flooded back to Manuel on Monday as he returned in uniform to Cleveland for the first time since he was fired as the Indians’ manager in 2002.
Manuel spent nearly 15 years with the Indians – many as the club’s beloved hitting coach – before replacing Mike Hargrove as manager in 2000.
But midway through his third season, Manuel hastened his own firing when he demanded to know if he was going to return for the following season. General manager Mark Shapiro answered Manuel by letting him go.
Manuel, who has been on the hot seat in Philadelphia all season, said he has no regrets about the way he handled the matter.
“I think there are some things that I could have done different,” he said. “But at the same time, you’ve got to stand up for yourself and that’s what I did, because it was something I had to do. I had to get my point across.”
At the time of his dismissal, the 63-year-old Manuel didn’t know if he’d ever manage again. But after serving for two seasons as a special assistant to then-Phillies GM Ed Wade, Manuel took over as Philadelphia’s manager before the 2005 season.
He won 173 games his first two seasons, but was feeling the heat after 3-10 start this season and a well-documented run-in with a Philadelphia-area radio personality. But he’s still around, and that’s Manuel.
Good ol’ Charlie, never second guessing himself about anything.
“Sometimes what you do is what you do,” he said, channeling Yogi Berra. “Why should I ever go back and wonder what I did.”
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