Philadelphia, PA

Charlie Manuel sits at the top of the Phillies managerial summit.

With a win in the season finale against the Atlanta Braves, Manuel passed Gene Mauch with his 646th victory as Phillies manager.

The laidback hitting guru also has two pennants and a World Series title as Phillies skipper, which makes him the most successful manager in the 129-year history of the franchise.

When Manuel was hired to lead the Phillies in 2005, few envisioned the possibility that the soft-spoken players' manager would have such an impact. Manuel wasn't the people's choice. Fans pined for Jim Leyland, who has a World Series title on his resume.

Philies fans were pretty unforgiving those first two seasons. Manuel's moves were constantly second-guessed. Some pundits wondered if Manuel would ever become accustomed to the National League after spending so much time in the American League.

But those in the know praised Manuel. "Charlie is sly like a fox," former Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "People don't realize it but he's always a couple moves ahead of you. He's a very smart baseball man and a wonderful human being."

It took some time but Phillies fans finally realized that Manuel is a pretty sharp guy.

"It all worked out alright," Manuel said. "I've enjoyed my time here very much. I love this team, this ballpark and the Phillies fans."

The feeling is mutual. The Phillies faithful are enamored of Manuel and the same goes for the players. "Chuck is a guy you want to play for,' Vance Worley said. "You know he has your back. I love being on his team."

Manuel appreciates the players. He attributes his success to his squad. "The core players have been here since I've been here," Manuel said. "They're great players. I've always had good talent wherever I've managed and this team has great talent. Guys like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are going to win any manager some games."

Brad Lidge believes that Manuel is way too modest. "There have been teams with great players but those teams didn't win or get to the playoffs," Lidge said. "Yes, we have the talent here but we also have a manager who knows how to deal with players and push the right buttons. He's been very successful and he's not done yet."

Manuel hopes to add to his legacy with a memorable post-season. "Winning a lot of regular season games is nice but I want to win the big games in October and bring another World Series title back here. That's what it's about."

Regardless of what happens in the 2012 post-season, Manuel is arguably the most popular manager in Philadelphia sports history. "It's a nice thing," Manuel said. "I'm glad it's worked out because I love it here."

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