Phillies happy to see Charlie Manuel back in his ‘comfort zone’ around the batting cage

CLEARWATER, Fla. — At about 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto walked into the indoor batting cages at BayCare Ballpark and saw a familiar face.

Charlie Manuel.

Realmuto was relieved. He wasn’t sure whether Manuel would make it to camp this spring. The former Phillies manager, now 80, suffered a stroke in September and was still in the process of getting back to his normal self.

When Realmuto caught up with him at Phantasy Camp, in January, Manuel was unusually quiet. Realmuto could tell that something was off. So, he gave Manuel a hug, and a little encouragement.

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“At Phantasy Camp I saw that he was a little down,” Realmuto said, “and that he didn’t have much confidence in his speech. He still wasn’t feeling himself. I just told him we’d love to see him in spring training. And that we can’t wait until he gets here.”

Former Philies player and manager Larry Bowa was with Manuel at the time and doubled down on Realmuto’s message.

“You see?” Bowa told Manuel. “These guys want to see you. You’re going to get that kind of treatment if you come to camp. These guys want to see you.”

Manuel decided to listen to his friend. He’s glad he did. He arrived in Clearwater on Wednesday night, and was cracking jokes on the field less than 24 hours later. At about 10:30 a.m., he walked up to the batting cage at Roberts Field. He leaned against it, and watched quietly as the Phillies’ catchers took batting practice.

The back of the batting cage is Manuel’s favorite vantage point. He lingered as the players walked off the field, going up to William Simoneit, a 27-year-old catcher claimed off waivers in December.

They talked hitting. Manuel asked Simoneit some questions — what organization he came from and where he played last year — then gave him a pat on the back and went on his way.

It felt normal.

Manuel has never focused solely on the big leaguers in camp. Designated hitter and first baseman Darick Hall — whom Manuel affectionately calls “Big Hall” — has been working with Manuel since 2016. Back then, Hall was a 20-year-old slugger who’d just been selected in the 14th round of the MLB draft.

That didn’t matter. Hall began asking the former manager for advice, and it led to a close relationship that still exists. He’s is just one of the many hitters Manuel has had an impact on.

“Seeing him in the cage this morning brightened my day,” Realmuto said. “It’s his favorite place in the world to be. He and Bowa are here for a reason. They’re still knowledgeable. They can still help us. It means the world to have them around.”

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Shortly after Manuel arrived, manager Rob Thomson brought him into the clubhouse and the coaches’ room. He received an ovation. The hope right now is that Manuel can stay in Clearwater through spring training. He is happiest when he’s on a baseball field.

“It was great,” Bowa said. “I kept telling him — he didn’t want to come out. I said, ‘Come on, man. These guys, once they see you, you can talk hitting again. Everything will be good.’

“At first he said, ‘I don’t know.’ And I said, ‘Come on, man.’ He loves talking hitting. He is in his comfort zone, now.”