Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin sat behind his office desk on Thursday afternoon and watched the television mounted on the wall. It was tuned to the news conference announcing the dismissal of Ruben Amaro Jr. as general manager.
Mackanin's future beyond this season is uncertain. He tries not to think about it. The decision is out of his control. But as he watched the news conference, Mackanin heard incoming president Andy MacPhail say that a new general manager does not necessarily have to hire a new manager.
MacPhail said if it takes a while to hire a new general manager, then the general manager could lose a chunk of the offseason searching for a manager and coaching staff.