The 1979 Philadelphia Phillies were a dysfunctional baseball team. After winning three consecutive National League East Division titles, they were a team with little identity that didn’t have a leader. Their was a lack of accountability and the front office was in a quandary. Their manager was Danny Ozark, a product of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system and disciple of their longtime manager Walter Alston.

Ozark stressed the importance of fundamentals in his first spring training in 1972 to future team standouts such as shortstop Larry Bowa, catcher Bob Boone, left fielder Greg “the Bull” Luzinski and of course perennial all-star third baseman Mike Schmidt. But now the importance of fundamentals had fallen on deaf ears and a change in managers was needed. Following the 1978 season, they acquired Pete Rose to be their first baseman but even that didn’t help.

From 1975 to 1978 they had a regular-season record of 378-270. They won games in a variety of ways. When they didn’t score many runs, their pitching was outstanding. When their pitcher had a bad game someone would come through with a timely hit and there was always their superb defense. But that wasn’t the case any longer. Players were quick to find fault for their losing ways but not willing to accept any of it. After a loss in early September the inevitable happened. Ozark was fired as manager and Dallas Green took over.

He wasted little time in letting it be known he was not going to be holding any player’s hand after he had a bad game. He wasn’t interested in being a friend or a father figure. He was interested in the Phillies reaching their full potential as baseball players and as a team. If Greene didn’t get the team turned in the right direction they would be on the course to oblivion. A baseball team that had talent but didn’t know how to harness it to make it a championship club.

Not only did he get the Phils turned in the right direction, he managed them to a fourth East Division title in five years,  their first World Series championship and recognition throughout the major leagues as a team that made their city proud. After the 1981 season, Greene left Philadelphia to become the general manager of the Chicago Cubs. In doing so, he also took a hot minor league prospect with him, Ryne Sandberg.

Dallas Greene died a couple of weeks ago at 82. He won’t go down in history as the greatest Phillies manager. That distinction goes to Charlie Manuel who managed the Phillies to two World Series appearances, their second World Series championship and five consecutive East Division titles. But Greene was honored before the team’s home opener with Washington and rightfully so.

He instilled a philosophy the Philadelphia Phillies still adhere to. The philosophy is through teamwork and camaraderie almost any barrier can be overcome as long as a team has a single mind set and realize when you point a finger at a teammate your team is destined to be unsuccessful.