Evaluating Rob Thomson After 3 Seasons As Phillies Manager
The news dropped just a few minutes before Dave Dombrowski took the podium for his end of season media availability at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Phillies had extended manager Rob Thomson through 2026 and retained their entire coaching staff.
A major market MLB organization unquestionably recognizes the inevitable backlash that follows a disappointing playoff exit. A manager is usually the easiest target when fans want some heads to roll.
However, retaining Thomson was always the likeliest (and probably the only realistic) scenario.
“He’s done a good job for us. I mean, he’s been a very successful manager. There’s very few clubs in baseball that have made the postseason three years in a row. He has done that. We’ve been a very good club under his guidance. It’s also one (case) where I think (about) stability in the manager spot. I don’t think going into the manager’s last year is ever a good situation to be in if you can prevent that from happening.” -Dave Dombrowski on Phillies Manager Rob Thomson
An Instant Success
When Dombrowski pulled the plug on Joe Girardi in June 2022, most Phillies fans would’ve guessed third base coach Dusty Wathan as the likeliest internal replacement.
The future Hall of Fame executive made perhaps his best decision with the Phillies by promoting baseball lifer Rob Thomson.
Thomson spent 28 years with the New York Yankees before traveling south to Citizens Bank Park to join Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2018.
He’s the only manager in Phillies history with three consecutive playoff appearances in his first three seasons on the job. His .575 winning percentage through the 2024 season is also a franchise record.
The Phillies have won five playoff series, including a National League pennant, under their current manager. They haven’t captured the ultimate prize, however, and repeated playoff exits have ratcheted up the pressure.
The Modern MLB Manager
Baseball fans remember, and sometimes glorify, Lou Pinella tirades and Jim Leyland cracking the whip on Barry Bonds with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
However, the skipper’s role has changed in the modern era. Managers need to carry themselves with a different demeanor. They don’t take on singular roles in scouting or analytics, and they don’t play as big of a role in a ballclub’s personnel decisions.
The importance of maintaining clubhouse culture, the increased use of analytics, and changes in the modern athlete have contributed to the transition. Communication skills have become arguably the most important attribute of an effective MLB manager.
Larry Bowa described Rob Thomson as an “outstanding communicator” who balances player personalities effectively.
Bowa added substance to the subjective idea of culture. He complimented Thomson’s ability to keep so many established major leaguers with impressive track records on the same page.
High-profile players like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto became stars with other MLB franchises. They’ve developed a strong bond with the Phillies despite a lack of homegrown comradery. Big personalities of mercenary players have never defined the Phillies clubhouse.
A team with plenty of players who enjoy visibility in the public atmosphere and on social media hasn’t experienced impactful distractions during Thomson’s three seasons as the boss.
The overall mood has shifted drastically since Thomson took over for Girardi in terms of success on the field, perception of the fan base, and attendance at Citizens Bank Park.
Joe Maddon Weighs In
Joe Maddon, former World Series manager for the Chicago Cubs, spoke to 97.5 The Fanatic about the evolution of modern managers.
“Today’s manager has to be very communicative. He’s got to be collaborative in order to really work well with the front office and his team on the field and his coaching staff… I think there was a time the manager was autonomous. Right now, it’s not nearly autonomous. It’s much more of an autonomous front office, and I think the manager’s role has been kind of morphed into more of a middle manager’s role.” -Joe Maddon
Does Rob Thomson bring the right characteristics to the dugout for the Phillies? Jayson Stark reported that Dave Dombrowski considered Philadelphia’s midsummer slump in 2024 a legitimate cause for concern.
Stark spoke on The Best Show Ever about Rob Thomson as the middle point of communication that delivered the appropriate message from Dombrowski to the clubhouse leaders.
Thomson also kept a balanced demeanor and handled media scrutiny when the Phillies reportedly held an effective team meeting on August 14 during a streak of seven series losses in eight tries.
Maddon famously utilized advanced statistics as the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2014 as a key driving force to improve a bottom feeder franchise into a World Series contender.
The continued expansion of analytics in baseball has impacted every corner of the sport, but the manager’s role has changed in an especially extreme sense.
MLB analytics staffs have a natural incentive to conceal predictive analysis trends to maintain a competitive advantage, but Maddon pointed to analytical models as an especially effective tool for player evaluation within the front office and game preparation for pitchers.
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Rob Thomson briefly reported good collaboration and harmony in decision-making with the front office during his end of season media availability. Dombrowski also showed faith in the relationship with the contract extension.
Thomson also consistently emphasizes the importance of catchers J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs preparing to call games and assisting the pitching staff in the plan to attack an opposing lineup.
Maddon mentioned analytics as an effective way to study defensive alignment strategies, which conflicts one of Thomson’s rare cases of public discussion about analytics.
“I have never looked at defensive metrics because I don’t think they’re real. I’m not real confident in them. I trust my eyes.” -Rob Thomson (5/16/24)
Rob Thomson’s Future With Phillies
Phillies fans vehemently question the root of their team’s failure with the same incredible passion that rocks Citizens Bank Park after a win.
Thomson shoulders intense criticism when the Phillies don’t perform.
The same people who crushed Charlie Manuel in his early seasons with the Phillies – too judgmentally because of his voice – sometimes wrongly identify weaknesses in an easygoing Canadian man who always brightens up for something as simple as a lighthearted dugout conversation about hockey.
Big-picture evaluation must also weigh the changing role of MLB managers and the general sentiment around the sport that playoff results aren’t necessarily the best indicator of a team’s worth.
While Rob Thomson has advanced to the MLB Postseason in his only three seasons a big league manager, a brutal results-based business still won’t forgive him repeatedly if the Phillies continue with underwhelming series performances during Red October.
The intense pressure of World Series aspirations in a major market means that the Phillies will likely determine his future with their performance in 2025.
