How Thomson has left his mark on Phils
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Somebody recently asked Rob Thomson about his impact on the Phillies since becoming interim manager on June 3.
It might be the only way to make the calm, cool Canadian squirm. Thomson does not like attention. He does not even like people to know it’s his birthday. So, not surprisingly, he said he does not think he deserves any credit for the team’s dramatic turnaround since the end of May.
“I do not,” Thomson said. “It’s almost embarrassing to hear it.”
Why?
“That’s just who I am,” he said. “I think it’s about players, it’s about a whole community of people who pull together and win games, and that’s it. That’s what I believe.”
But the Phillies are 50-29 (.633) since he replaced Joe Girardi, entering Wednesday night's game in Arizona. It is tied for the third-best record in baseball in that span. Only the Dodgers at 56-21 (.727) and Braves at 54-24 (.692) have played better.
Players have responded to Thomson, who is more easygoing and approachable than the ever-intense Girardi. It showed on the field, particularly among young players who said they feel more comfortable. It showed on Father’s Day, when players wore suits on their flight from Philadelphia to Dallas-Fort Worth. It showed on Monday at Chase Field, when Bryce Harper emerged from the visitors’ clubhouse wearing an “I Ride with Philly Rob” T-shirt.
(The shirt makes Thomson uncomfortable, by the way.)
“That’s why I wore it,” Harper said, laughing. “He just cares so much about everybody around him. I just believe he gets the best out of all of us when we play. It’s just fun to play for a guy like that.
“He has such a feel for the game and a care for his players. He wants the best out of us, like we want the best out of him as well. I think having a manager who cares about his players, he really grinds with us each day.”
Thomson’s job performance puts him on track to return in 2023, but without the “interim” tag attached to his title. The Phillies plan to follow Major League Baseball’s hiring policies, which expect teams to conduct thorough searches that include minority candidates. But there is wiggle room there. If the Phillies storm into the postseason for the first time since 2011, and it is clear Thomson is the man for the job, the Phillies can promote Thomson without interviewing other candidates. But the Phillies still would be expected to follow that process for Thomson’s previous role as bench coach and other potential coaching vacancies.
“I’m not worried about that,” Thomson said about his future. “That’s out of my control. I’m just worried about, really, today’s game.”
From 1960 through 2021, 154 of 280 managers (55%) who got jobs midseason returned to manage their teams the following year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. More important, 15 of the 16 midseason replacements who led their teams to the postseason returned the following year (93.8%).
The five most recent are:
- Jim Tracy (Rockies), who replaced Clint Hurdle in 2009
- Dale Sveum (Brewers), who replaced Ned Yost in 2008
- Phil Garner (Astros), who replaced Jimy Williams in 2004
- Jack McKeon (Marlins), who replaced Jeff Torborg in 2003
- Bill Russell (Dodgers), who replaced Tommy Lasorda in 1996
Sveum is the only manager out of the 16 to not return the following season. The Brewers hired Ken Macha instead.
Tracy and McKeon earned BBWAA NL Manager of the Year honors for their efforts.
Thomson could pick up Manager of the Year votes this year. Not that Thomson is thinking about it.
“Not one bit,” he said.