Few managers -- let alone those with "interim" in their title -- have galvanized a group the way Rob Thomson galvanized the 2022 Phillies.
With Philadelphia struggling to get going last season, Dave Dombrowski canned Joe Girardi in early June and replaced him with Thomson, who was serving as bench coach. Almost immediately, the Phillies turned their season around. They became one of MLB’s best teams the rest of the way, falling just short of winning the World Series.
That performance, deservedly got the interim tag removed from his title. Now, Thomson is getting his first opportunity to manage a team from the beginning of the year. It’s the continuation of a great story, as the 59-year-old was a baseball lifer who, prior to last season, had yet to get an opportunity to be a big league manager.
Thomson’s third baseman, Alec Bohm, raved about the manager in an appearance on the 94WIP Morning Show with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie.
“I think that’s just a little bit of the game blessing a guy who gave the better part of his life to the game,” Bohm said of Thomson. “I really think what you see out there on the field, in the media and wherever you might see him, that’s just him. He’s the same way with us behind closed doors, he’s as solid as it gets.”
Hopes are high for the Phillies this year. They made big additions in the offseason, namely Trea Turner, and seem primed to make another deep run. If last season is any indication, Thomson is more than equipped to steer the ship.
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