The Philadelphia Phillies officially announced they would remove the 'interim' tag from Ryne Sandberg's title and give him a three-year contract to stay on as the team's manager. Sandberg is the 52nd manager in the franchise's history.
Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg signs 3-year contract
Sandberg has a winning record in over a month spent as the Phillies interim manager.
Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
Sandberg’s new contract will take him through 2016 with a team option for the 2017 season.
More Phillies coverage: The Good Phight
The Phillies first handed the reins to Sandberg on Aug. 16 after Charlie Manuel was let go. At the time, the team had struggled to a 53-67 record. Prior to Manuel’s firing, the Phillies had lost 19 of their last 22 games. Since taking over, Sandberg has a winning 18-16 record.
Sandberg has already formed a connection with his team as several players praised him publicly.
"[Sandberg] is positive. He’s always talking during the game. He’s definitely into the game, and guys respect him for that. He’s given a lot of guys an opportunity to play, which is nice. So far he’s done a great job," Phillies second baseman Chase Utley told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
A Hall of Fame player, Sandberg began his career with Philadelphia before being traded to the Cubs after one partial season with the Phillies. It was in Chicago that he made a name for himself and the Cubs are the team that first gave him his managerial start in the minor leagues.
He left the Cubs in 2010 and latched on as the manager for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate. He was promoted to the role of Philadelphia’s third base coach prior to the 2013 season and moved up from there.
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