Charlie Manuel

Lore & Background

Manuel was born in an automobile in Northfork, West Virginia, while his family was actually living in Virginia. His father, Charles Sr., was a Pentecostal preacher, and the family lived in Wythe and Grayson Counties in Virginia until they settled in Buena Vista, Virginia, when Charlie was 12. He became a four-sport star at Parry McCluer High School. In April 1963, his father died by suicide due to severe illness. Manuel turned down basketball scholarship offers and an academic scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, signing with the Minnesota Twins out of high school for $30,000. In Japan, he was dubbed 'Aka-Oni' (The Red Devil) and also nicknamed 'Uncle Chuck'. In 1979, he was hit by a pitch that broke his jaw in six places; he returned to play that season wearing a helmet with a football facemask, and won the home run title and MVP. He learned to speak Japanese during his time in Japan.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Citizens Bank Park is thick with humidity and anticipation as the final out of Game 5 against the Rays echoes. It is October 29, 2008. Charlie Manuel stands in the on-deck circle area, his cap pulled low, watching as the players storm the field. For years, he had listened to the "We are the Phillies" chants with a mix of hope and skepticism. Tonight, however, the sound is different; it is pure, unadulterated release. He looks at Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and the rest of his boys, realizing that the long drought is finally over. The weight of Philadelphia's history lifts off his shoulders as he raises a trophy high above his head.

Reader's Guide

Manuel managed the Philadelphia Phillies, winning the 2008 World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays and the 2009 National League Championship Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was inducted to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 2014. On August 13, 2019, he replaced John Mallee as hitting coach for the Phillies for the remainder of the season.

Did You Know?

• Manuel was born in an automobile while his mother was visiting her mother in Northfork, West Virginia.
• He was nicknamed 'Aka-Oni' (The Red Devil) by fans and teammates in Japan.
• In 1979, he played with a football facemask on his helmet after breaking his jaw in six places.
• He learned to speak Japanese during his playing career in Nippon Professional Baseball.