PBR - The Phillies announced yesterday the hiring of Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to manage their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
Sandberg, 51, was drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and played in the minor leagues before being used as a throw-in for the 1982 trade that sent Sandberg and Larry Bowa to the Chicago Cubs for shortstop Ivan DeJesus. The trade is widely considered one of the worst in the history of the franchise, as DeJesus was a bust and Sandberg went on to hit 282 home runs for the Cubs en route to his hall of fame career.
"Ryne impressed us in so many ways, but as we told him at the start of the interviewing process, we weren't going to dwell on his Hall of Fame status," Phillies assistant general manager Chuck LaMar said. "We're here to hire the best Triple A manager and the best player development person for the Philadelphia Phillies, and obviously he is that."
Sandberg was named the 2010 Pacific Coast League manager of the year after leading the Iowa Cubs to a share of the North Division title in his first season as a Triple-A manager.
"In a lot of ways, I feel like a young kid again with this opportunity," Sandberg said. "I couldn't be happier about the situation."
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