Sandberg plans a more hands-on approach

Many of the players and much of the atmosphere will be different when the Phillies begin spring training next month in Clearwater, Fla. Ryne Sandberg promises an altered approach from the manager, too.

"With a veteran club, I think I expected a little different clubhouse in terms of leadership among the players [last season]," Sandberg said by telephone earlier this week from his winter residence in Chicago. "I don't think it was a good clubhouse, so I would say that falls on me first. I take full responsibility for that. I think I took a little bit for granted."

That's an honest evaluation from a man who waited a long time to become a big-league manager and then found himself in charge of a ship that sank to the bottom of the National League East standings.

It's no secret that Sandberg is eager to take charge of a younger team. He sent that message at the end of last season, and the team's overdue rebuilding started in earnest when shortstop Jimmy Rollins was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers last month. Marlon Byrd was traded to Cincinnati 10 days later, reducing the number of thirty-something lineup regulars from five to three. First baseman Ryan Howard's offseason departure also remains a distinct possibility.

Regardless of how things shake out between now and the first full-squad workout on Feb. 24, Sandberg is committed to a more hands-on approach in his second full season as manager.

"I would say that the work does not end at the major-league level," he said. "The coaching never stops, and the leadership from myself and the coaching staff, that never stops. There is always something to be worked on. Players can always improve. You can't take anything for granted or think that the players know it all."

Sandberg had some turbulent times with veteran and younger players in his first full season as manager. He benched Rollins in spring training after the shortstop answered a question about the team's struggling Grapefruit League offense with the words "who cares?" He also benched a struggling Howard in late July.

In late August, outfielder Domonic Brown and rookie pitcher David Buchanan questioned how they were being used by the manager. Sandberg said at the time that he addressed those situations with the players, but that should never happen.

"I think I need to be a little more hands on, and I think there needs to be a little more communication with myself, the coaches, and the players," Sandberg said. "It has to start in spring training and continue through the season. With some younger players in camp and younger players to work with, I think we have a clean slate to mold players and look at players. I know the coaching staff and I are excited about that."

Most people look at this Phillies season and see disaster ahead. They see a starting rotation short on depth and a lineup that lost two of its most productive hitters in Rollins and Byrd. They see a team still eager to get something for Howard and waiting to be wowed for the services of Cole Hamels.

Sandberg looks at this Phillies season and sees hope and optimism. That's part of his job as the team's manager, and starting with the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet Friday in Cherry Hill, Sandberg will be charged with the task of talking up the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies.

Selling flood insurance in the driest of deserts might be an easier job right now, but Sandberg is still eager to get started.

"I'm excited about a new mix of guys," he said. "Primarily I want to see some of our young players in camp that have opportunities there waiting for them. It's very evident that we need some youth and some young energy and to start the process of building a new core of players."

The hope is that the first wave of new core players will include Maikel Franco and Cody Asche, with opportunities to become part of the future lineup being presented to Darin Ruf, Brown, and Freddy Galvis. The other hope is that the bullpen arms attached to Ken Giles, Jake Diekman, and Justin De Fratus take another step forward in 2015.

Young pitchers like Buchanan and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez will get a shot at being part of the starting rotation. As of right now, three veterans - Hamels, Cliff Lee, and recently signed free agent Aaron Harang - sit atop the rotation while Howard, Chase Utley, and Carlos Ruiz remain in the lineup.

It's a mix of young and old that Las Vegas does not like. Pick any betting parlor you'd like, and they all have the Phillies among the longest odds to win the World Series. Sandberg, who joined the organization as a minor-league manager when the Phillies were an elite team, is fine with all of it.

"Only 30 guys get to manage in the major leagues, and I happen to be one of them," he said. "Now I have an opportunity and a challenge in front of me, and that's where I put all my energy. We're starting the process of getting the Phillies back to where we want them to be."

Sandberg proved he had patience by spending six seasons as a minor-league manager. He will need every bit of that patience as he oversees the Phillies' rebuilding.

@brookob