Ex-Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel throws hat in Tigers' managerial ring

During an interview with Detroit Sports 105.1, former World Series winner Charlie Manuel stated his interest in the Tigers' managerial opening. It remains to be seen if the interest is mutual.

By Al Beaton Oct 23, 2013, 1:05pm EDT

The latest baseball lifer (or retread, you make the call) to show interest in the coveted Detroit Tigers' managerial job is former Philadelphia Philies' manager Charlie Manuel.

During an interview with Detroit Sports 105.1, Manuel told host Matt Dery he had yet to speak to the Tigers or Dave Dombrowski, but he would be interested in taking over for Jim Leyland. Keeping his options open, Manuel was non-committal about which open managerial job was better, but he was intrigued by the Tigers.

"My agent will definitely call some teams and feel them out. He talks to me before he does it. He chats with me regular."

Quite likely aware of Leyland's stating his "fuel" being low as one of his reasons for stepping down, the 69 year old Manuel claimed his tank remained full and he's in better shape now than when he joined the Phillies in 2004 (he's a cancer survivor). The fire for managing still burns inside.

"Condition-wise, I feel tremendous. I’ve still got the fire. I’ve got a full tank. I’m still very much in the game."

If you are looking for a shorter-term manager with a successful track record and a World Series victory, Manuel fits the bill. If you prefer thinking long-term, moving forward with younger, fresher blood, Manuel certainly doesn't make the cut. But Manuel does have an impressive resume to show the Tigers.

In his two full seasons running the Cleveland Indians (2000-01), Manuel never finished lower than second, winning the AL Central in 2001. He was fired mid-season during a contract dispute in 2002 with a 39-47 record.

Hired by the Phillies as special assistant to the general manager in 2004, Manuel became their manager in 2005. He would go on to post a .551 winning percentage, win 780 games, take back-to-back NL pennants in 2008-09, and win the 2008 World Series.

After never finishing lower than second in his first seven seasons and winning five straight NL East titles (2007-11), Manuel's last two years in Philadelphia with a now aging, high payroll team was a disappointment. His tenure came to an ignominious end on August 16 of this past season, fired with the Phillies 21 games out of first and a 53-68 record.