"Like Robin Ventura, Mark Parent has no experience as a major-league manager, but one veteran minor-leaguer who played for Parent this season believes he will be a big-league manager.

"I told my dad during the season, Mark is going to manage in the big leagues someday,'' said outfielder Mike Spidale, a 29-year-old former White Sox draft choice out of Nazareth Academy who batted .326 for the Phillies' Class AA Reading club this season.

"I'm ecstatic that he got the opportunity this year to be a big-league coach. He's earned it, and he's going to do a good job.''"