Should the Phillies Consider Pete Mackanin to be Their Next Manager?
The Phillies have played much better baseball under interim manager Pete Mackanin that's for sure. However, he still has the interim label - but the question is should the Phillies remove the interim tag or at least strongly consider removing it and make in the team's next manager?
"You do not just promote the interim guy without doing a full search outside the organization." ESPN.com MLB insider Keith Law explained on the Sports Bash. "What are the odds that the best candidate for your manager opening happens to be the guy sitting on the other-side of your bench?"
The Phillies are 13-5 since the All-Star break under Mackanin but would the Phillies be doing a disservice to their fans if they just pull the interim tag rather than scan baseball for the most qualified candidate?
"This is nothing against Pete Mackanin, but you have an opportunity to go across baseball and find a guy with the specific developmental skills that you're looking for," Law said.
"This is going to be a young club and you're going to be bringing up a lot of young players. Go and find that guy, don't waste the opportunity, use the full search, find the right guy, go find the right manager."
Law mentioned the new trend around baseball that has teams finding former players who have no managerial experience, like Matt Williams in Washington, who he says been a disaster. The Phillies also went the other route when they hired Ryne Sandberg - a former player, who got his feet wet in the minor leagues, had the interim tag and then removed without a full search around the game.
So Phillies fans should Pete Mackanin be the next Phillies manager who should it be someone else? If someone else who do you have your eye on?
(Listen to ESPN's Keith Law discuss Pete Mackanin and more Phillies)