Does Ryne Sandberg personality fit coaching the Phillies?

As a Manager

Sandberg may be the biggest introvert the game has ever had. However, it is a myth that he is quiet or even stark. Reporters that are with the team everyday see a different side of him. Sandberg is extremely vocal. He is not afraid to be in your face if he needs to. While he prepares for practice, he pays attention to every detail. During practice he is hands on with his players. Ryne expects his players to give it their all for the team.

The Kind of Guy Philadelphia Needs

Ryne Sandberg may be a new MLB manager, but he automatically garners respect because he is a Hall of Famer. Veteran players will listen to him. There were already two situations. Jimmy Rollins was being too lackadaisical for his liking so he got benched. Jonathan Papelbon was reprimanded for not wanting to pitch a third day in a row. He is very opinionated. Just listen to his Hall of Fame speech here. During his speech he mentions that power hitters are not team players.

 Sandberg does not want any glory and expects the same with his players. He expects each player to put the team before themselves. His style of baseball is old school and the way baseball was meant to be played. Ryne is not afraid to be aggressive. He does not hesitate to call a sacrifice bunt or a hit-and-run in order to get runners in scoring position. Before this year, the Phillies were trying to hit for power. Now they are transitioning into playing small ball. They still having of executing it properly as a cohesive unit.

Dealing with the Phillies

An individual’s character is shown when they are struggling. When there is a new guy in charge, there are adjustments that are made. When adjustments are made the team takes on a new culture. Ryne is not afraid to call a team meeting in order to have his concerns heard. Sandberg wants to see more of an urgency to execute the opportunities that are given throughout each game.

The Bottom Line

The Phillies stink and are in turmoil. It takes balls to take over a baseball team that sucks as much as the Phillies do. Ryne Sandberg did not care that coming into Philadelphia might tarnish his illustrious career. Ryne inherited a team that lacks talent and is full of old depleted players. There is not a coach that could do a better job with this team. No other manager could do a better job. Not Charlie Manuel, not Joe Torre, and not even if Don Zimmerman came back from the dead. It would be foolish to give up on Sandberg, but feel free to throw in the towel on this team.