By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be casting a wide net in their managerial search, including interviewing candidates with past managerial experience.
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Phillies interviewed former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale for their managerial vacancy this week:
The Phillies have tried to keep everything quiet, but a few names have leaked out. Here’s a new one: Chip Hale, the former Diamondbacks manager and current A’s coach, went for an interview.
Hale spent two seasons as the manager of the Diamondbacks, with mixed results. Hale led the Diamondbacks to a 15-win improvement in his first season at the helm, as the 2015 club went 79-83. Unfortunately for Hale, the Diamondbacks weren't able to build off of that in 2016, as they slipped to a 69-93 record. This led to major organizational changes, as Hale and general manager Dave Stewart were fired at the conclusion of the season. Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, who had served as a Chief Baseball Officer under that regime, was reassigned for the 2017 season and is now leaving the organization altogether.
Hale's replacement, Torey Lovullo, drew rave reviews in his first season as Diamondbacks manager, as the team went 93-69, allowing them to win the first National League Wild Card spot and eventually defeat the Colorado Rockies in the Wild Card Game. Though he deserves some credit, Lovullo benefited from improved performances from Zack Greinke, Archie Bradley and Patrick Corbin – in addition to the July addition of J.D. Martinez – that Hale didn't get in 2016.
For what it's worth, one anonymous general manager spoke highly of Hale when asked by Heyman:
Hale did a terrific job his first year with the D-backs, and one NL GM remarked, “I don’t understand why he wouldn’t be a candidate everywhere.”
After being fired by the Diamondbacks after the 2016 season, Hale returned to the Oakland Athletics to be their third base coach. Prior to his stint as a manager, Hale had been bench coach for the A's. He also had experience coaching on the staff of the Diamondbacks and under both Jerry Manuel and Terry Collins' with the New York Mets.
Though general manager Matt Klentak seems to be at the forefront of deciding the club's next manager, Hale is connected to another member of the team's front-office, president Andy MacPhail. Hale had two stints with the Minnesota Twins as a player (1989-90, 1993-96), with both stints starting while MacPhail was serving as the team's general manager.
At 52, Hale is slightly older than most of the managerial candidates that have been connected to the Phillies, but still fits the profile of the younger manager that the Phillies seem to be looking for. The fact that he has managerial experience – albeit, with mixed results – also sets him apart from many of the candidates in the search.
