June 30, 2015
Prior to Tuesday night's game against the Brewers -- and just a day after announcing that Andy MacPhail will take over as team president following the season, the Phillies decided that interim manager Pete Mackanin will remain in that role for the rest of the 2015 season.
Mackanin, who is in his second season with the Phillies after previously spending four years with the team (2009-2012), was promoted to his current position following the abrupt resignation of manager Ryne Sandberg on Friday.
Inheriting a club that is dead last in baseball with a 27-51, Mackanin met with the media Tuesday afternoon and said that his interim status won't change the way he manages the team.
"I know it's a cliche, but all I worry about is today's game," the 63-year-old said when asked how he'll approach his new job. "And it makes it easy for me. When I start thinking ahead, it just fogs everything up. All I want to do -- if I win today, then I'll worry about winning tomorrow. Let it come out the way it comes out. It makes it easier for me, and I think that's the best way to approach it, because if we don't win today or tomorrow, [my job title] doesn't matter."
Mackanin is no stranger to having the interim tag placed on him.
In 2005, then the Pirates bench coach, Mackanin became the team's interim manager for the final month of the season -- and went 12-14 -- after they fired Lloyd McLendon.
Two seasons later, Mackanin was with the Reds and found himself in a similar situation. The team fired manager Jerry Narron on July 1 and Mackanin was again given the interim manager tag. Despite the team sitting a league-worst 20 games under .500 (31-51) when he took over, the Reds played infinitely better under their new leadership, going 41-39 the rest of the way.
In all, Mackanin is 54-56 as a manager (including his 1-3 record since taking over the Phillies), but that record isn't likely to improve as the season progresses.
#Phillies say Pete Mackanin will stay on as interim manager for rest of season. Has anyone else ever interim-managed 3 teams for 25+ games?
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 30, 2015
As far as Stark could tell, that's never happened before, although Jack McKeon and Jim Riggleman have come close.
The Phillies also announced that 40-year-old Jorge Velandia has been added as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season.
Jorge Velandia will also be added to the staff as an Assistant Coach through the end of the season.
— Phillies (@Phillies) June 30, 2015
If that name doesn't sound familiar, don't worry. Velandia, a former infielder, appeared in just 173 MLB for six different teams over eight seasons and hit just .189 for his career. He had been serving as the Phillies’ Asssistant Minor League Field Coordinator, a job he took over in 2012 after spending two seasons as the Williamsport Crosscutters (short-season single-A).
