He's the Manager of the Year and the manager of this year's All-Star squad.

No, his name isn't Charlie Manuel; it's Ryne Sandberg.

While the Philadelphia Phillies get to start the second half of the baseball season in a basement in which the water is almost chest deep, the skipper of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs is putting together another fine season.

Check the standings.

For Charlie, the Phils stand dead last in the NL East, 14 games back of the first place Washington Nationals. Even a Wild Card berth looks wild at best, despite a healthy second half expected for sluggers Ryan Howard and Chase Utley and mound stud Roy Halladay.

The Phils are 10 back in the Wild Card race. And at 37-50, that .425 winning clip isn't going to scare many teams in Major League Baseball these days.

For Sandberg, he took the Iron Pigs to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year and has the team in first place at the All-Star Break for Triple AAA.

Ryno's work has been impressive, considering the Phils have run a shuttle bus between Allentown and Philadelphia this year because of injuries and the ineffectiveness of the pro bullpen.

Yeah, Charlie has a World Series ring and only he and Dallas Green can flash that as managers in Phillies history. Charlie also has two National League pennants and a handful of NL East titles to his name.

The man has done some great work in Philadelphia and he will go down as the greatest manager in Phillies history. (Ah sorry Dallas!)

But every head coach must one day go (Ok, Andy Reid is still sticking around for another season).

And it would serve the Phils' management well to do right by Sandberg this time.

Have you seen photos of him in the Chicago Cubs uniform?

Well, Sandberg only became a Hall of Famer with the Cubbies. And that's because the Silly Phillies threw him in as an extra in a trade when they banished Larry Bowa to Chicago for Ivan De(Who?)Sus.

(And who was behind that deal? Ah, Chicago general manager Dallas Green.)

So let the season play out and give Charlie his shot at righting the ship, even if a few players jump off this Titanic of a season.

He's earned that opportunity.

But don't let Sandberg walk away for a job elsewhere. He almost did last year.

The Phillies can't afford letting Ryno slip away once again.

So when the season ends and the Phils finish in last place, give Charlie some grand administrative position with the organization and let Sandberg have his due.

He deserves the chance. Who knows, he could be a Hall of Fame manager as well.