Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski explained why he fired Phillies manager Rob Thomson.
The Phillies fired Thomson, their longtime manager, on Tuesday morning following a shocking start to the season for the perennial contender. Through the first 28 games of the season, the Phillies are 9-19, which is tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in baseball. For a team that was expected to be a World Series contender again this year, no one could have expected the season to go the way it has to this point.
With Thomson being relieved of his duties, bench coach Don Mattingly was named the new interim manager for the Phillies.
Dave Dombrowski Explains Why He Fired Rob Thomson
Speaking to the Philadelphia media after making the move to relieve Thomson of his duties, Dombrowski admitted that he fired his manager to shake things up, as he believes the team needs a new voice.
“First of all, Rob Thomson, I talked to him this morning as I talk to him everyday durng the season. We had a very warm conversation, from my perspective. He’s a wonderful person who has done a lot for this organization, and I thanked him for it. (Phillies owner) John Middleton came in after we were done. I had thought about offering him the chance to be a special assistant right now, but I think he wants to get away and get a break. It’s probably the best thing for him. John Middleton told him he’s always welcome to be part of the organization. I’m sure when he comes back, he will get a deserving standing ovation from the fans. He’s a wonderful person who has done a lot, works hard, and is very conscientious,” Dombrowski said.
“But at this time, I felt like we needed a different voice in there, a little different feeling in the clubhouse at this point. Rob was the first to admit he doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s been a little bit surprised about how we’ve performed. But I just thought that at this time it was the right time to get a different voice with a different direction (with Mattingly). I think we just needed a different voice in there. A few years ago, he was the right voice for us with the club we had. I think we needed a different voice with the club we have now.”
Dombrowski Says Blame Falls on Everyone
According to Dombrowski, while Thomson is the one who fell on the sword, he admits the entire Phillies team hasn’t been good enough this year, and everyone in the organization collectively shares the blame for their poor start this year.
“This isn’t a blame game. We collectively are not doing well just as a whole group… I don’t think we are playing up to our capabilities. The squad altogether has just not done very well. You can blame whoever you choose to blame, but we don’t really do that. Rob is just like the rest of us, so you bear responsibility. I talk to him every single day, but just the way things are going, it’s just not going well enough. I don’t think we’re playing up to our capabilities. We’re a much better team than how we’ve played, and you have to make tough decisions at times,” Dombrowski said.
Don Mattingly Gets Another Chance at Managing
Mattingly was named the new interim Phillies manager by Dombrowski, allowing him to manage his third major-league team after previously being the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins. Overall, Mattingly has a 889-950 (.493) record as an MLB manager in the regular season, plus a 10-14 (.417) record in the postseason. Last year, Mattingly was the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays as they made it to Game 7 of the World Series, ultimately falling to the Dodgers.
For Mattingly, this interim manager job gives him a chance to show Dombrowski that he’s the right man for the gig going forward. If he can help lead the Phillies out of the league basement and potentially back into the playoffs, he will surely get consideration for the permanent position as the Phillies’ manager going forward next season.
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