The Philadelphia Phillies are going to the playoffs. Following a dominant 3-0 win over the American Leagues’ best Houston Astros on Monday night, the Phillies clinched post-season play for the first time since 2011.
The Phillies’ drought was the second longest in baseball entering this season and have now passed the buck as they head to St. Louis, New York, or Atlanta on Friday.
Started from the Bottom
While he may not be on the field pitching or hitting, Rob Thomson was the biggest addition to the 2022 roster.
Rob Thomson took over a 22-29 club floundering at the National League’s cellar. Rob took over for his longtime friend and co-worker Joe Girardi and was tasked with turning around the ship. Not only did Thomson steer the team back to a winning record, but he took the team to the promised land.
Starting with an 8-game winning streak, Rob had instantly changed the vibe in the Phillies clubhouse. A team that looked frustrated and fed up with the present culture finally looked like they were having some fun under their new skipper.
The biggest difference in the Thomson regime was his focus on the younger players. Rob opted to play his young guys instead of the veterans on the club. The Phillies daycare of Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Darick Hall, Nick Maton, Ranger Suarez, Bailey Falter, and many others all shined under Rob’s leadership.
Despite a rough month of September, Thomson never wavered. His cool, calm composure during good and bad moments shows that he has been the rock for this ball club. Rob will get on a guy when he needs to or congratulate a player for a good performance, but his stoic presence in the dugout never changes.
This consistency and leadership are seemingly what the players were looking for in their manager.
Phillies History has been Made
Thomson has accomplished what Ryne Sandberg, Pete Mackanin, Gabe Kapler, and Joe Girardi could not.
He has guided the Phillies back to the playoffs, and for the 15th time in franchise history, they will be playing post-season baseball. Rob Thomson is the 8th manager in Phillies history to lead them to the postseason.
A 65-44 record (excluding the upcoming two games against Houston) is the best in any 109-game stretch the Phillies have had since the playoff run from 2007-2011.
Rob Thomson is everything this club needs and his tenure in Philly should just be getting started. The Fightins fight for Rob and you could tell how happy they were for him when he got the job, and when they clinched Monday night in Houston.
Rob Thomson has delivered for the organization and deserves to be the manager going forward. A baseball lifer, Rob has more than earned this opportunity, and the Phillies should not hesitate to name Thomson their guy once the season ends.
Even before the Phillies step on the field Friday night, history has already been made for this organization. A historic 2022 season can become even more memorable the farther the Phillies go. Regardless of the outcome over the next weekend, weeks, or month, one thing is for certain, Rob Thomson has become a Phillies legend.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip
