Randy Miller wrote about the prospects of an extension for Charlie Manuel that appears to be in the offing for the end of the year.

I don’t think any logical argument can possibly be made for not giving Manuel a couple more years.

It’s clear what we get with Charlie, and there is no reason to believe any of it is going to change, either.

He is prone to the occasional head scratching in-game decision. But who isn’t? Even Joe Maddon, who everyone has anointed as baseball’s resident genius (although I don’t recall much fanfare about what a brainiac he was when the Rays sucked), made some curious moves during the World Series. Every manager makes them. Charlie has reduced them in the last 2 years.

More important than anything, though, is his management of the locker room. He isn’t afraid to bench a reigning MVP. He isn’t afraid to go nose to nose with Brett Myers in the dugout if he feels he was just shown up during a mound visit. But even those who have felt Charlie’s wrath speak with great admiration and respect for him. He clearly knows how to manage 25 complicated egos and get them to work together toward common goals.

According to Miller, Charlie is looking to manage for 3-5 more years. That would take him to the cusp of 70 years old. There’s no reason to believe that he has anything less than 3 years left in him. Extend him, and give him the raise he deserves. Currently he ranks 11th among MLB managers. A move into the 5-7 area seems appropriate.

To put Charlie’s tenure as the Phillies skipper in historical perspective, should he manage for 3 more years, and win 85 games per year in each of those years, he would finish his Phillies career with a 609 – 525 all-time record – A .537 winning percentage. Only 2 managers in franchise history will have won more games, and neither of those managers (Harry Wright and Gene Maugh) will have had a higher winning percentage than Charlie.