By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Just five years after Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox — and one year after his pupil and friend Jim Thome — entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame, 2008 World Series champion manager Charlie Manuel could likewise be forever enshrined this summer.
The Hall of Fame announced on Monday that Manuel, 74, was listed among 10 candidates eligible for induction on the "Today's Game Era" ballot, according to philly.com's Scott Lauber, who writes:
Manuel, who guided the Phillies to five consecutive division titles from 2007 through 2011 and a World Series championship in 2008, is among three former managers on the ballot, joining Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella. Also up for consideration: Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, and Lee Smith for their careers as players, and late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
A Hall of Fame-appointed, 16-member committee — which meets twice every five years — will vote on the ballot. Manuel must obtain at least 75 percent (12) of the vote for election. He is competing against Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Lou Piniella, Lee Smith and the late George Steinbrenner.
Former Phillies general manager Pat Gillick — who oversaw Manuel during the 2008 championship season — and Andy MacPhail — the team’s current president — are both members of the committee.
MLB.com describes the "Today's Game Era" committee's relationship to the Hall of Fame:
The Today's Game Era is one of four Eras Committees — along with Modern Baseball, Golden Days and Early Baseball — that provide an avenue outside voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 seasons. Specifically, the Today's Game Committee encompasses candidates who made the most indelible contributions to baseball from 1988 to the present. …
The finalists revealed Monday were selected by the Historical Overview Committee, which is appointed by the BBWAA.
The committee will not meet again until 2021, when Manuel will be 77. Former MLB commissioner Bud Selig and former Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz were elected to the Hall of Fame through the "Today's Game Era" ballot in 2016.
Voting results will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas
