Skip to main content

Former Phillie Charlie Hayes helping to groom future Phillies

Charlie Hayes, image- Jay Floyd
A casual conversation about baseball overheard by front office personnel in the stands at Williamsport’s Bowman Field led a former Phillie back home to help guide the organization's stars of tomorrow.

Former Phillies regular Charlie Hayes was in attendance chatting up a friend about the game, while his son, newly drafted infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes, a first round draft choice of the Pirates in 2015, was on the field beginning his journey in professional baseball.  Nearby, Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan became intrigued and initiated contact with Hayes in the stands.  

“I had told him at that time, if there’s any way I can help, don’t be afraid to call me and, you know, he called me in November, said he had a spot for me and I said I’ll take it and here I am,” Hayes explained.

The time was ideal this off-season, according to Hayes, as his youngest child had moved out of the house and he finally felt the freedom to dive back into the schedule of professional baseball after spending years volunteering with youth organizations while his children were growing up.

Hired by the Phillies in November, Hayes was originally slated as the hitting coach for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phils.  But with that club’s short-season schedule not beginning until June, after the MLB amateur draft, Hayes was pegged to join Dusty Wathan’s Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs coaching staff until that time.  
Despite this being his first season coaching at the pro level, Hayes, who was the Phillies' starting third baseman from 1989 through 1991 and then returned to fill the role again in 1995, feels he can help the legacy of Phillies from the past live on by instilling things he learned from some well-known names from his own playing days.

"I had (John) Vukovich and I had (Larry) Bowa and I had Denis Menke and also Jim Fregosi," Hayes said.  "As a young player, you kind of take it for granted, but I’m blessed to have been around those types of people because they taught me preparation, they taught me how to be a pro.  And those are some of the things I am hoping to pass on to the kids that are here."

Hayes, who made a remarkable catch on a liner to nab the final out of Terry Mulholland's no-hitter in 1990 and played with the Giants, Yankees and Rockies among other teams, remains fond of Philadelphia and expresses considerable appreciation for the opportunity the organization gave him to become a regular in the major leagues.


Already, in a short amount of time with the IronPigs, the players have taken a liking to Hayes, making it clear they value the manner that he is able to keep things loose and fun as he teaches the lessons that will prove key for many of them to take the final step toward the big leagues.

So, while the plan is to ship Hayes back to join the GCL team in June, the IronPigs' skipper joked that he may not allow that to happen.

"You never know," Wathan said.  "I told him, 'If we win enough games, I’ll keep you.  I won’t let you go!'"  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and avai...

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R...