Larry Bowa isn’t the only former Phillies player and coach to return to the club.
On Wednesday, Pete Mackanin also took part in a conference call with the Philly media to talk about his return to the organization after a one-year absence.
Mackanin will take over as the third base coach a year after he was an advanced scout for the New York Yankees. Before that, Mackanin was the bench coach for Charlie Manuel from 2009 to 2012 before not having his contract renewed for the 2013 season.
When Ryne Sandberg asked Mackanin to join his staff as a third base coach, he was excited, but reluctant.
“I asked Ryno, ‘Is this OK with Ruben and the organization?’ and he said they discussed it and there were no issues and we’d love to have you back,” Mackanin said. “I was really excited about it and here I am.”
Mackanin managed the Reds and Pirates for a year before joining the Phillies as a coach and played for the team briefly in 1978 and 1979. A Chicago native, Mackanin was a young minor-league manager in the Cubs’ organization when Sandberg was a player.
The Phillies still have some spots to fill on the coaching staff. They need a pitching coach to replace Rich Dubee, a bullpen coach, and a first base coach. The team may also hire an assistant hitting coach and/or a catching coach to replace Mick Billmeyer.
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Juan Samuel and Rod Nichols, members of the 2013 coaching staff, are in the running to fill two of those spots.