Report: Larry Bowa Close to Returning to Phillies

The Phillies have three openings on their coaching staff: Bench coach, pitching coach and third base coach.

However according to report from Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, former Phillies manager Larry Bowa is close to a deal to return to the team as the new bench coach.

Bowa is an iconic Phillie who managed the team from 2001-04, was a coach with the team from 1989-96 and played in Philadelphia from 1970-81, winning five Gold Gloves and winning a World Series in 1980.

Bowa was a teammate and traded with new Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs in 1982.  He has had some rocky moments with the Phillies brass, but his name seems to come up often when talking about Sandberg assembling his new staff.

He was the manager before Charlie Manuel and his explosive personality clashed with shortstop Jimmy Rollins and former Phillies third basemen Scott Rolen.  However, the current MLB Network analyst still misses the game and could be an asset to Sandberg after working with Joe Torre in New York and the Dodgers.