Phillies Notebook: Thome has always been a hit with Manuel

FORT MYERS, Fla. - When Charlie Manuel signed his contract extension last week, he made a point of saying that he considers himself a Phillie. But he started his professional career in 1963 when the Twins signed him and he made his big-league debut with Minnesota 6 years later. He began his post-playing career as a minor league manager in the Twins' system. Yesterday's trip to Hammond Stadium, then, was something of a homecoming for the 67-year-old manager.

After joining the Indians, he became fast friends with Jim Thome; they were reunited after Thome signed as a free agent with the Phillies before the 2003 season and Manuel was hired as a special assistant to then-general manager Ed Wade. Thome is now Minnesota's designated hitter.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse was talking to the manager before yesterday's game. From Reusse's blog:

On Sunday, Manuel was watching Thome, now 40, take his turn in the batting cage for the Twins.

"Where does Thome rate on your list of all-time favorites?" Manuel was asked.

Charlie said: "He's my son. As far as I'm concerned, he's my son."

Thome took his cuts and walked back to where Manuel was standing. Charlie pointed his right thumb at a reporter and said: "I was just telling him that you're my son."

Before Thome could confirm this, Manuel added: "Now, one reason I look at you as my son, is because you could hit. If you couldn't hit, maybe I'd look at you as a nephew or something like that.

"That's what I used to tell my own son: 'I love you, son, but you can't hit.' He's 40 now and he reminds me of that. He says, 'Dad, I was never sure how much you loved me because I couldn't hit.' "

Just one more

 

From Patrick Reusse's blog:

[Manuel] was standing on the warning track behind home plate as the Twins were taking batting practice on Sunday morning. There were a couple of scouts behind the screen and they were agitating Manuel about the contract extension that he signed earlier this month.

It was the usual baseball stuff - "Charlie, could you loan a few bucks to an old friend?" - and Manuel gave his cornbread smile and said:

"We got that contract done. I'm working on the next one now, fellas."

Phillers

 

Roy Oswalt, who stayed behind to pitch in a minor league instrasquad game, went 5 2/3 innings back in Clearwater. He gave up two runs on four hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out six . . . Yesterday's game started 15 minutes late because the TV production truck was tardy arriving at the stadium . . . The Phillies will be back on the road again today, traveling to Kissimmee to play the Astros. Cole Hamels will start against former Phillies righthander Nelson Figueroa.