Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel leaves intensive care unit and talks to family after suffering a stroke

Charlie Manuel, the former championship manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, reached some very encouraging milestones in his stroke recovery this past weekend. For starters, he was moved out of intensive care on Sunday, a huge step for stroke patients.

Todd Zolecki, Phillies beat writer for MLB.com, reported that Manuel was also awake and talking. He spent Sunday watching the Phillies series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, reading the numerous text messages sent to his phone and listening to recorded messages from some of his former players, such as Chase Utley , Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins and others.

Manuel, 79, suffered a stroke on Saturday while in the middle of a medical procedure. Doctors immediately removed the blood clot, but the next 24 hours were crucial to his recovery, his wife Missy told the Phillies.

There’s no one quite like Charlie Manuel in Phillies lore. A native of West Virginia, his laid-back and genial personality was an odd fit for Philadelphia’s gruff and gritty exterior, especially since the Phillies hadn’t been to the playoffs in 12 years when he started leading the Phillies in 2005. First. It didn’t take long for Manuel and his easy-going, likable charm to win over Phillies fans.

In 2007, Manuel’s third year with the team, he led them to their first playoff appearance since 1993. Just a year later, he and the entire Phillies forever etched their names in Philadelphia history when they won the second World Series trophy the franchise won, their first since 1980. And if the win itself didn’t turn Manuel into a Philly folk hero, then his speech at the end of the 2008 World Series parade, when he said the words “this is for Philadelphia ” said and tens of thousands of people heard from the fans ecstatically answers back.

Manuel was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2014, just a year after the team fired him (and replaced him with Ryne Sandberg), and has continued to work with them ever since. Only Chase Utley and Jason Kelce hold a similar place in the hearts of Phillies fans, so it’s no wonder Manuel’s wife believes the constant outpouring of love and support they’ve received from Phillies fans in recent days has truly helped him helped to heal. There is enough Manuel-centric positive energy in Philadelphia to cure an entire stadium of Charlie Manuels.