Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 4, 1995 TAG: 9507050099
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Great hitters make great hitting coaches. Or is it the other way around? Either way, Cleveland Indians hitting coach Charlie Manuel couldn't be more pleased.
``This is the best team I've ever coached, without a doubt,'' Manuel said. ``You look at our lineup, and every guy can really hit.''
Life was not always so pleasant for Manuel, a Roanoke County resident and former Parry McCluer High School athlete. In his first incarnation as Indians hitting coach - 1988-1989 - times were tough, even though Joe Carter, Julio Franco, Mel Hall, Brook Jacoby and Cory Snyder were the mainstays of a Cleveland lineup that was no slouch when it came to producing runs.
Manuel's problems were a lack of credibility and the ghost of Bobby Bonds. Never a well-known hitter in his own right, Manuel was Harmon Killebrew's caddy with the Minnesota Twins before becoming practically a national hero playing in Japan.
Moreover, he took over the Indians' coaching job from the more-celebrated Bonds, who continued to talk hitting by phone with his former pupils in Cleveland.
It was too much for Manuel to overcome. After the '89 season, he was reassigned to manage Colorado Springs of the Pacific Coast League. After four seasons as the Indians' Class AAA manager, Manuel returned to his old job as Indians hitting coach in 1994.
``I've changed since the first time,'' Manuel said. ``I'm more relaxed around the players. This time, most of our guys know me from the minors. If I didn't manage them, I knew them on opposing teams.
``When I was here before, nobody knew who I was, and that made it hard. The other thing is that Bobby Bonds was real popular. The guys back then thought they had success because of him. So it was an accepting process.''
Or lack thereof. Manuel had trouble getting through to the Indians back then, even though he has almost a miraculous way of communicating with players, both explaining the finer points of hitting and boosting their confidence.
``My personality - the kind of person I am - I always thought that was one of my biggest things,'' he said. ``I always stay positive. I'm a good booster of egos.''
Manuel takes time for the stars of the team and the players who spend most of their time on the bench.
``Every guy on our team is as important as everyone else,'' he said. ``You have to pat them all on the back. When I was in the majors, I sat on the bench and didn't feel like part of things. When I managed, I looked at it this way: If someone is good enough to be on my roster, he's good enough to play.''
General manager John Hart and manager Mike Hargrove decided to bring back Manuel after dismissing Jose Morales, whose abrasive manner alienated some of the players.
``Charlie is very bright,'' Hart said. ``And he's real. That's probably the most important thing. He has a knack for making people believe in themselves, and he's a great evaluator of talent. Charlie is going to be a major-league manager some day, at least he has that capability.''
As Hargrove said, ``There's nobody quite like Charlie. And he's very effective.''
by CNB