Former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel Suffers Stroke; Hospital Removes Blood Clot

Former MLB manager Charlie Manuel suffered a stroke during a medical procedure at a Florida hospital on Saturday.

In a statement released by the Philadelphia Phillies, Manuel had a blood clot removed after receiving immediate medical attention from the hospital staff and the next 24 hours will be "crucial" for his recovery.

The Phillies released a statement Sunday morning that doctors are encouraged with Manuel's progress:

It's unclear what the initial medical procedure Manuel underwent was for. The 79-year-old previously dealt with life-threatening health issues in 2019 when he had a planned hernia surgery that led to a bowel resection procedure.

A few days after his bowel resection procedure, Manuel suffered a bowel obstruction that required him to remain in the hospital. He posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Jan. 4, 2020, his 76th birthday, of himself in the hospital surrounded by hospital personnel.

Manuel had a six-year playing career in MLB from 1969 to 74. He spent the bulk of his career with the Minnesota Twins, but played his final two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played six seasons in Japan from 1976 to '81.

After retiring as a player, Manuel moved into the coaching ranks. He had two stints as a hitting instructor for the Cleveland Guardians from 1988 to '89 and 1994 to '99. Cleveland promoted him to manager in 2000 following Mike Hargrove's firing.

Cleveland went 220-190 with one playoff appearance in three seasons under Manuel before he was fired midway through the 2002 campaign.

The Phillies named Manuel their skipper before the 2005 season. He was with the team for eight seasons, with five consecutive playoff appearances from 2007 to '11. Philadelphia won the 2008 World Series by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.

Manuel's 780 wins are the most by a manager in Phillies history. He was inducted into the Phillies' Wall of Fame in August 2014.