Ryne Sandberg Resigns As Philadelphia Phillies Manager

In what has to be considered a mild surprise, Philadelphia Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg announced his resignation on Friday afternoon.

Struggling through a MLB-worst 26-48 record heading into Friday, it appears that the Sandberg just wasn’t up for the task moving forward this season.

Issues with Sandberg and certain members of the team haven’t been well hidden since he took over as Philadelphia’s manager.

Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer ran an article last week that suggested Sandberg’s term as the team’s manager would be short-lived:

“Ryne Sandberg’s tortured tenure as manager of the Phillies during one of their most woeful times – which is really saying something – ended Tuesday in Baltimore when Chase Utley openly berated the pitching coach, and by extension Sandberg, for a clumsy bit of strategy that was failing badly.”

Outside of the Phillies’ disappointing on-field play, there was a tun of drama surrounding Sandberg during his short stint as the team’s manager. From not-so-private issues with Ryan Howard to the aforementioned spat with Utley, this seemed to be an inevitable outcome for both sides.

The announcement of his resignation came during a press conference in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon. Sandberg, 55, was in his second full season as Phillies manager. He led the team to a 20-22 record after taking over for Charlie Manuel during the 2013 season. The former MLB All-Star then led the squad to a substandard 73-89 mark last season. Now in utter turmoil, the organization will be looking for a new manager to lead it into an uncertain future.

Photo: USA Today Sports