Manuel played sparingly in the major leagues from 1975 to 1982, mostly as a second baseman. He accumulated only 127 at bats and a .150 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 96 games. Although his major league playing career was brief, Manuel was the starting second baseman for the Montreal Expos in their only postseason series victory in 1981. He was 1-for-14 (.071) in the series and was replaced by Rodney Scott in the NLCS.
In 1972, Manuel and Mike Ondina became the first pair of high school teammates to be drafted in the first round of a Major League draft. Both attended Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova, California. Manuel played just under 100 games.[3][4]
Coaching and managerial career
Manuel held a variety of coaching positions over the next six years. He was originally hired by the Chicago White Sox in 1985 to scout Northern California.[2] He left the White Sox the following year to join the Montréal Expos organization, a team with which he would remain associated for the next 11 years. In 1986, Manuel joined the Expos' Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association, as a player/coach.[5][6] Manuel spent the next three years as the Expos' roving infield instructor (1987) and their minor league field coordinator (1988–89). In 1990, Manuel became a manager for the first time as he was named the manager of the Southern League's Jacksonville Expos,[5] the Expos' Double-A affiliate. He led the team to an 84–60 record[7] and was named the league's manager of the year.[2]
1991–2003
Following a successful season at Double-A, Manuel was elevated to Triple-A to manage the Indianapolis Indians for the 1991 season.[8] Midway through the campaign, he was brought up to Montreal to serve as the third base coach for the Expos,[5] ending a minor league managing career in which Manuel compiled a 112–82 record.[2] He remained the Expos' third base coach through the 1996 season. In 1997, he moved on to the Florida Marlins, where he became a bench coach under Jim Leyland. The team went on to win the 1997 World Series.[9] Days after the World Series victory, Manuel's father, Lorenzo Manuel, died.[10]
Over one month later, in December, Manuel signed a multi-year deal to manage the Chicago White Sox.[2] Over the next six seasons, he amassed 500 wins and led the Sox to 95 in 2000 alone. He was described by Sports Illustrated as managing by with communication and a gut feeling, noting a story in which Manuel elected to use Jeff Abbott to pinch-hit for a .283 hitter in a close game because of what he saw in batting practice despite him hitting .192 for the year at that point and hitting 3-for-26 lifetime as a pinch-hitter; Manuel stated the following about batting practice: "I'm studying the hitters to see who is swinging the bat well. That's why I watch so closely. Abbott was swinging the bat well that day, and I felt very good about him. If you have a feel, you've got to go with it." The gambit worked for a hit. In the 2000 season, Manuel guided the White Sox to a first-place finish in the American League's Central Division and was named the American League's Manager of the Year.[11][9] They had the best record in all of the American League but lost in the ALDS. Despite a trade for Bartolo Colon, the Sox got off to a slow start in May of 2003, leading to rumblings of firing Manuel if they missed the playoffs; hitting coach Gary Ward was fired in that same month, which saw them drop below .500. They managed to get to first place as late as September 14 but were then swept by the Minnesota Twins on their way to losing 7 of the last 13 games.[12][13] One day after the season ended, on September 29, Manuel was fired.[14] He was replaced as White Sox manager by Ozzie Guillén.
"Jerry has a philosophical air about him that makes him a sage influence and respected leader on his teams. After six seasons directing the White Sox fortunes, he's risen to fourth on the franchise's managerial wins list. Formerly, he was a pro player for 15 years and 12-year coach/Minor League manager. Manuel and Ken Williams form the first African-American GM/manager tandem in MLB history."
After departing the White Sox, Manuel joined the New York Mets organization in 2005 as the first base and outfield coach under new manager Willie Randolph. Manuel became Randolph's bench coach in 2006, a position he remained in until 2008.[9]
Ever since he was fired by the White Sox, Manuel wanted to manage again. In February 2007, he announced a contingency plan as he was introduced as the man who would lead the formation of a baseball program at William Jessup University, an NAIA school in Rocklin, California. He said he would manage the team when it started in 2009 if he did not get another managing job.
In 2008, the Mets were unable to hold a division lead, and ultimately the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the division on September 27. The Mets were then eliminated from the National League Wild Card berth the following day when the team lost to the Florida Marlins 4–2 in the final game at Shea Stadium.
On October 3, 2008, Manuel agreed to a two-year deal to remain the Mets manager. The deal included a club option for a third year.[15]
On October 4, 2010, the Mets announced that both Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya would not return for the 2011 season.[16]
After leaving Major League Baseball, Manuel went back to his home in the Sacramento area and started the Jerry Manuel Foundation to "Educate African American young men with charter school standards and train them in the fundamentals of baseball."[17]
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