Rob Thomson’s firing is warranted, but undeserved: ‘We collectively are not doing well’

It is October 23, 2022, Game 5 of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park. Bryce Harper just created bedlam, and David Robertson was struggling to close out the ninth inning. Rob Thomson, in his fifth month as manager, is compelled to make a formidable decision — his first immense one as a skipper.

Thomson handed the ball to starter Ranger Suarez with two on and an out. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of his tenure. Suarez threw two pitches, got two outs, and Thomson became the third in-season manager replacement to reach the World Series.

Thomson, who started coaching baseball in 1996 for minor league baseball’s Columbus Clippers, hoisted a trophy on the podium for the first time. Cheers for Thomson were as loud as any star. “Topper” chants rained down on the field.

1,283 days later, the Phillies are 9-19, the roster is nearly identical, if not stronger, and the organization has fired Thomson.

“This time was the right time to get a different voice,” President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said hours after the dismissal on Tuesday. “We needed a different voice in there. Three or four years ago, [Thomson] was the right voice. I think we needed a different voice for this club.”

Don Mattingly, who said he never wanted to manage again when hired in the offseason, is promoted from bench coach to interim manager. Dusty Wathan goes from the third base line to bench coach. Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s manager, Anthony Contreras, has been promoted to third base coach.

Dombrowski confirmed that he tried to hire Alex Cora, who was relieved from his duties as manager of the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, to be the Phillies’ manager on Monday. Cora declined to enjoy time with his family for the rest of the season.

“I think Alex Cora is one of the finest managers in all of baseball,” Dowmbrowski said.

Thomson will be remembered for the good. His 355-270 record over 625 games is the highest winning percentage in franchise history since 1900. He went to the postseason all four seasons, won two straight NL East crowns in 2024 and 2025, and won a pennant in 2022. His magical 2022 season, taking over in early June, completely turned the season around into one of the most memorable years in team history.

Perhaps the 62-year-old’s best trait was his way of unifying a group. His operation was admired by his players, and he held the same respect for everyone in the organization, from top to bottom. He is an excellent baseball man and has a standing offer to be a Special Assistant for the Phillies if he would like to return to the organization after taking some time off, Dombrowski said Tuesday.

“We love Topper in here, Bryce Harper said. “He was a great manager for us over the years. I’ve had a lot of managers over my 15-year career, and Topper is definitely one of the guys at the top. Was really good for the clubhouse, really good for the team…. One of the better managers I’ve ever played for.”

There were, of course, his shortcomings. Numerous decisions in playoff time could have gone a different way, particularly with the bullpen management. His lineups, at times, were in question. Ever since Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS, where the Phils were a win away at home from clinching the World Series, something changed within the organization. There is a stain that still lingers. They have lost eight of their last 10 postseason games, and now, 28 games in and the largest payroll in franchise history, the Phillies are 9-19, featuring a 10-game losing streak, their longest since 1999. 

“This isn’t a blame game,” Dombrowski said. “We collectively are not doing well.”

The Phillies’ hitting, new-and-old-school stats, rank at the bottom of every category. The team’s ERA is 5.13, 28th in the MLB. The defense ranks among the worst in the league. They own the worst record in all of baseball. The Phillies have looked lifeless, apathetic, and mindless. The players, from veterans to stars to those on a contract year, are underperforming. A lot of the team has been the same since 2022, and the new acquisitions are not filling the Phillies’ gaping holes. At a certain point, when the same core produces the same results, the only variable left to change is the voice leading it. It is a necessary domino that has to fall for real change.

“We are a much better club than this,” Dombrowski said. “We just have not played that way.”

Thomson is an easy scapegoat. This is how the business works. The one at the top will always catch the blame. In this case, particularly, Thomson is completely not at fault. He is not the one having poor at-bats with runners on, or going out on the mound, or playing poor defense.

“Obviously, the year hasn’t gone as planned,” Harper said. “As players, we take that, and we’re the ones who make those decisions happen. We don’t play well or make things happen; somebody takes the fall.”

More of note, Thomson was not the one putting the roster together. Dombrowski will now perform under high scrutiny. His past couple of offseasons have left more to be desired. Now, he hopes the firing can provide a spark. It has worked before. It might again. It might not.

Is he even still the right person for the job?

“You can answer that question,” Dombrowski responded. “I am not going to get into that.”

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