Jerry Lorenzo Manuel Sr. (born December 23, 1953), nicknamed "The Sage," is a former major league manager. He previously managed the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

from 1998 to 2003 and the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the majors for parts of five seasons in the 1970s and early 1980s. He now works as an analyst for

MLB Network The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Com ...

. He is the father of fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, founder of the streetwear label Fear of God.

Playing career

Manuel played sparingly in the major leagues from 1975 to 1982, mostly as a second baseman. He accumulated only 127

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s and a .150

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with three

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 13

RBIs A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

in 96 games. Although his major league playing career was brief, Manuel was the starting second baseman for the

Montréal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

in their only postseason series victory in 1981. He was 1-for-14 (.071) in the series and was replaced by Rodney Scott in the NLCS. Other than Montréal, Manuel played for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

and the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

and ultimately retired in 1984. In 1972, Manuel and Mike Ondina became the first pair of high school teammates to be drafted in the first round of a Major League draft. Both attended Cordova High School in

Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States which was incorporated in 2003. It is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. The population was 64,776 at the 2010 census. In 2010 and 2019, Rancho Cordova was named ...

, California. Manuel played just under 100 games.

Coaching and managerial career

Manuel held a variety of coaching positions over the next six years. He was originally hired by the

in 1985 to scout

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

. He left the White Sox the following year to join the

organization, a team with which he would remain associated for the next 11 years. In 1986, Manuel joined the Expos' Triple-A affiliate, the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

, as a player/coach. Manuel spent the next three years as the Expos' roving infield instructor (1987) and their minor league field coordinator (1988–89). In 1990, Manuel became a manager for the first time as he was named the manager of the Southern League's

Jacksonville Expos Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, the Expos' Double-A affiliate. He led the team to an 84–60 record and was named the league's manager of the year.

1991–2003

Following a successful season at Double-A, Manuel was elevated to Triple-A to manage the Indianapolis Indians for the 1991 season. Midway through the campaign, he was brought up to Montréal to serve as the

third base coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisi ...

for the Expos, ending a minor league managing career in which Manuel compiled a 112–82 record. He remained the Expos' third base coach through the 1996 season. In 1997, he moved on to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

, where he became a

bench coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

under

Jim Leyland James Richard Leyland (born December 15, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He serves as a special assistant to the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Leyland led the Florida Marlins to the 19 ...

. The team went on to win the

1997 World Series The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1997 season. The 93rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National L ...

. Days after the World Series victory, Manuel's father, Lorenzo Manuel, died. Over one month later, in December, Manuel signed a multi-year deal to

manage Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

the

. Over the next six seasons, he amassed 500 wins and led the Sox to 95 in 2000 alone. In that season, Manuel guided the White Sox to a first-place finish in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

's Central Division and was named the

Manager of the Year Manager of the Year may refer to: * Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award * League Managers Association Manager of the Year * Premier League Manager of the Season The Premier League Manager of the Season is an annual association footba ...

. Following the 2003 season, Manuel was replaced as White Sox manager by

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...

. His 2003

Topps The Topps Company, Inc. is an American company that manufactures chewing gum, candy, and collectibles. Formerly based in New York City, Topps is best known as a leading producer of American Football Card, American football, Baseball card, baseb ...

baseball card reads:

"Jerry has a philosophical air about him that makes him a sage influence and respected leader on his teams. After six seasons directing the White Sox fortunes, he's risen to fourth on the franchise's managerial wins list. Formerly, he was a pro player for 15 years and 12-year coach/Minor League manager. Manuel and Ken Williams form the first African-American GM/manager tandem in MLB history."

New York Mets (2005–2010)

Coach

After departing the White Sox, Manuel joined the

organization in 2005 as the first base and outfield coach under new manager

Willie Randolph William Larry Randolph (born July 6, 1954) is an American former professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams, most notabl ...

. Manuel became Randolph's bench coach in 2006, a position he remained in until 2008. Ever since he was fired by the White Sox, Manuel wanted to manage again. In February 2007, he announced a contingency plan as he was introduced as the man who would lead the formation of a baseball program at

William Jessup University William Jessup University is a private Christian university in Rocklin, California, with an additional site in San Jose, California. The university had 1,743 students during the 2019–20 academic year, over 1650 being full-time equivalents. Foun ...

, an NAIA school in

Rocklin, California Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California, about from Sacramento, and about northeast of Roseville in the Sacramento metropolitan area. Besides Roseville, it shares borders with Granite Bay, Loomis and Lincoln. As of the 2010 census, Ro ...

. He said he would manage the team when it started in 2009 if he did not get another managing job.

Manager

On June 17, 2008,

, pitching coach

Rick Peterson Erick Harding "Rick" Peterson (born October 30, 1954) is a former pitcher and coach (baseball), pitching coach in Major League Baseball. He was most recently the director of pitching development for the Baltimore Orioles. He was a pitcher in the P ...

, and first base coach

Tom Nieto Thomas Andrew Nieto (born October 27, 1960) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Philadelphia Phillies. Nieto is formerly t ...

were fired by the Mets.

Omar Minaya Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sánchez (born November 10, 1958) is a Dominican baseball executive. He was the special assistant to the general manager of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He previously served as general manager for the ...

announced Manuel as the interim manager, while

Ken Oberkfell Kenneth Ray Oberkfell (born May 4, 1956) is an American former third baseman. He played from 1977 to 1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but he also played over 400 career games at second base. After retiring as a p ...

Dan Warthen Daniel Dean Warthen (born December 1, 1952) is an American former professional baseball player and current coach for the Texas Rangers. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from to for the Montreal Expos, Philadel ...

, and

Luis Aguayo Luis Aguayo Muriel (born March 13, 1959) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball infielder and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians. Playing career Agua ...

were brought up from the

New Orleans Zephyrs New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

(the then-Mets' Triple-A affiliate) to fill the remaining coaching vacancies. In 2008, the Mets were unable to hold a division lead, and ultimately the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

clinched the division on September 27. The Mets were then eliminated from the National League Wild Card berth the following day when the team lost to the

4–2 in the final game at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.William Jessup University William Jessup University is a private Christian university in Rocklin, California, with an additional site in San Jose, California. The university had 1,743 students during the 2019–20 academic year, over 1650 being full-time equivalents. Foun ...

.Former MLB Manager Jerry Manuel Helping William Jessup University Start Baseball Program
BS

References

External links

Jerry Manuel
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) {{DEFAULTSORT:Manuel, Jerry 1953 births Living people People from Hahira, Georgia People from Rancho Cordova, California African-American baseball coaches African-American baseball managers African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball coaches from California Baseball coaches from Georgia (U.S. state) Baseball players from California Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Bristol Tigers players Chicago White Sox managers Chicago White Sox scouts Denver Bears players Denver Zephyrs players Detroit Tigers players Evansville Triplets players Florida Marlins coaches Hawaii Islanders players Indianapolis Indians managers Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Lakeland Tigers players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Major League Baseball bench coaches Major League Baseball first base coaches Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball third base coaches Manager of the Year Award winners MLB Network personalities Montreal Expos coaches Montreal Expos players New York Mets coaches New York Mets managers San Diego Padres players St. Lucie Legends players Tiburones de La Guaira players Toledo Mud Hens players Wichita Aeros players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople