The Philadelphia Phillies will be heading back to the postseason to defend their title, but they're going to look a bit different than they did at this time last year. Pat Burrell has been replaced by Raul Ibanez, Pedro Martinez has taken the role of "Old Pitcher" from Jamie Moyer, and the "Albert Pujols Destroyed My Psyche" version of Brad Lidge has made a return to the mound to replace the "Nothing Fazes Me" Brad Lidge of 2008.Still, the biggest difference in this team may not be with the roster, but in the waistband of Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. Manuel has trimmed 50 pounds from his once abundant stomach this season and because of it, he's now the latest pitchman for the diet program Nutrisystem.
Manuel, 65, has dropped close to 50 pounds since spring training on Nutrisystem, going from 280 to 232 pounds. Now, he is the brand's latest endorser, signing a multiyear deal with the weight-loss company. Manuel posed for some print ads - the proverbial "after" shots - earlier this month and recently did an appearance at Nutrisystem headquarters in Horsham, Pa.
Manuel, who is expected to cut TV spots during the offseason, adds a high-profile MLB personality to a Nutrisystem endorsement roster heavily laden with former NFL players, including Dan Marino, Lawrence Taylor and Cris Carter.
This is a great deal for Manuel because not only does he get to experience the health benefits of losing 50 pounds, but now he's going to get paid for it as well. With those kind of results we should probably all start eating cardboard.Did I say cardboard? I'm sorry, I meant Nutrisystem. It's delicious!
