Morandini's three boys - Jordan, Griffin and Braydon - are now 16, 14 and 10, and he knew if he waited too long, he might be too old to get back into the game. Besides, he was bitten hard by the coaching bug during a four-year stint as the head coach at Valparaiso High School in Indiana.
"I never thought about managing or coaching when I was playing," Morandini said. "But a year or so after I retired [in 2000], I realized I enjoyed teaching kids. I thought I'd get back in as a scout or roving instructor, but when I started coaching high school I enjoyed not only the teaching but also the situational part of it and how you can win or lose a ball game that way."
Morandini, 44, made his goal clear. He wants to one day work in the big leagues again, and he would not mind if it was as a manager.
"Yeah, absolutely, I would like to climb the ladder again," he said. "Hopefully, one day I'll be wearing a big-league uniform again and be on a big-league field."
That goal is far off right now, but the timing of Morandini's return could actually benefit him in the long run. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is the team's triple-A manager and at the moment would seem to be the most likely successor to Charlie Manuel among the team's minor-league managers.
Mark Parent, at double-A Reading, Dusty Wathan, at single-A Clearwater, and Chris Truby at single-A Lakewood are also highly regarded by front-office officials.
Despite prolonged negotiations on a contract extension, Manuel figures to be around at least two more years beyond this one and possibly longer.
By the time he's ready to step aside, it's possible Sandberg and some of the others will have moved on, particularly if big-league offers come from other organizations.
