Dallas Green, first Phillies manager to win World Series, dies
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Dallas Green, the first Philadelphia Phillies manager to win a World Series, has died.
"We mourn the passing of Dallas Green. The Phillies have lost a great man and wonderful friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," the Phillies tweeted.
Green was 82 years old.
Green was born in Newport, Delaware in 1934. He graduated from Conrad High School in 1952 and attended the University of Delaware until he signed with the Phillies as a pitcher in 1955.
Green played 13 years of professional baseball (1955-67), including parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Phillies (1960-64; 67), Washington Senators (1965) and New York Mets (1966).
Following his three years as a minor league instructor, Green was named assistant to Paul Owens, the Phillies' director of minor leagues at the time. He was promoted to director of minor leagues in 1972, a position he held until taking over as Phillies manager on August 31, 1979.
The following season, he became the 17th rookie manager in major league history to take his club to the World Series and the fourth to win it, leading the Phillies to their first world championship. He was also the winning manager in the 1981 All-Star Game.
Green joined the Chicago Cubs in 1982 as general manager and took on the additional role of team president from 1985-87. In addition, he was only the fourth person in major league history to manage both the New York Yankees (1988-89) and the New York Mets (1993-96).
ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote, "Dallas Green was one of the smartest people I ever met in baseball - & never afraid to say & do what he felt was right. Took on George Steinbrenner, building lights at Wrigley & veteran stars in Philly. RIP a great man."
Todd Zolecki, the Phillies writer for MLB.com, tweeted a favorite moment of his was Green speaking with Charlie Manuel after the 2008 World Series. They were talking about being the only two Phillies managers to win it all, Zolecki said.
Green is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia, four children, and five grandchildren.
In 2011, Dallas and Sylvia lost their 9-year-old granddaughter Christina-Taylor when a gunman in Tucson, Ariz., attempted to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Shortly after losing their beloved Christina-Taylor, Green told the media, "I'm supposed to be a tough sucker, but I'm not very tough when it comes to this."
The Green family will celebrate Dallas' life at a private funeral service.
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