Jerry Manuel is the fourth winningest manager the Chicago White Sox has ever had. Only once since 1998 has his team finished lower than second place in the American League Central Division. In 2000 Jerry's boys won their division, and he was named American League Manager of the Year. On Sunday, September 28, 2003, the 49-year-old manager recorded his 500th victory in his six seasons with the club. Ironically, the next day, Jerry Manuel was fired for not guiding his team to post-season play.

Manuel, an avowed follower of Jesus Christ, had been alerted to his imminent firing a few days before it was made public. In response to news of his dismissal, the soft-spoken manager said, "When I came here, I came here to be a servant and not a celebrity. Obviously, that's changed. But that's still how I feel, and I don't have any regrets."

It is Manuel's servant model of leadership that accounts for the gracious way he accepted what many would view as rejection. In six seasons, he recognized, he had done more than win baseball games. "If you don't win, you like to make people better once you've left them, make people better players," Manuel said. "I think to some degree, as a staff, we've accomplished that. That's probably the greatest reward."

"Obviously you want to win," he added. "But if you can impact somebody's life and head it in the direction that they can be somewhat successful—, whether it's the game or no, t—I think that's the biggest thing for me."