NEW YORK — Will Pete Mackanin be retained as the Phillies' manager next season?
Mackanin has straight-armed these questions for several weeks, saying his focus is on the players and doing his job today.
New York Mets manager Terry Collins did not straight-arm the question before Tuesday night's game.
In fact, he offered an enthusiastic endorsement of Mackanin, who was named interim manager when Ryne Sandberg stepped down in late June.
“The energy level they have right now is completely different than it was a month ago, two months ago when we played them,” Collins said. “Pete is certainly the right man for the job, in my opinion, and I hope he gets that opportunity.
“He has a tremendous sense of humor. He’s a people person. I’ve known him for years, and the first time I met him, we just meshed. He’s an upbeat guy. He’s funny. He’s got the players’ attention. I hope he gets the chance. I hope when they sit down at the end of the year, they realize what they’ve got. He’s done it with young players.”
Mackanin, 64, was the Phillies’ third base coach under Sandberg. The Phillies were 26-48 when Sandberg stepped down with a year remaining on his contract. They entered play Tuesday night with a 26-32 record under Mackanin.
When Mackanin was named interim manager for the remainder of the season, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Mackanin would not necessarily be a candidate for the permanent job after the season.
Two months later, that thinking has changed and sources say Mackanin has indeed played himself into being a candidate for the job. He might even be the front-runner. Mackanin has won high marks for his ability to connect with the players, something Sandberg lacked. The team has played with noticeably more life under Mackanin. That might be a product of incorporating young players into the lineup. But one veteran player who asked not to be named out of respect for the process said without hesitation recently that Mackanin “should get the job next year.”
Of course, the Phillies have bigger personnel fish to fry as a decision much first be made on a GM and Amaro’s future. His contract is up at the end of the season. The decision on Amaro belongs to Andy MacPhail, who will take over for Pat Gillick as club president some time in October. Team owner John Middleton described MacPhail’s decision on a general manager as “crucial” on the day MacPhail was introduced as incoming president.