Phillies Sign Manager Rob Thomson To 2 Year Deal

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies have announced that Rob Thomson, who took over as interim manager for Joe Girardi during a midseason collapse and helped orchestrate a dramatic turnaround that ended the team's 11 year playoff drought, will be the team's official manager through the 2024 season.

The Phillies announced the two-year deal two days after Thomson's Phillies upset the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card round, sweeping them 2-0 and advancing the Phillies to the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Thomson, 59, was a longtime fixture in the New York Yankees organization, including as the third base coach in 2009 under Girardi (when the Yankees beat the Phillies in the World Series) and bench coach for years. He came to the Phillies as the bench coach — effectively the manager's top lieutenant who advises on all decision-making — in 2018, when Gabe Kapler was still in charge.

He remained there until June of this year, when the 22-29 Phillies moved on from Girardi and named Thomson interim manager. Even just getting the Phillies back in the playoff hunt was seen as a huge accomplishment, but Thomson's Fightins' went 65-46 from June 1 on in a brutally tough NL East.

He's the only manager in Major League Baseball history to win a playoff series after taking over a losing team in the middle of the regular season.

Dubbed "Philly Rob," the widely loved and respected manager was congratulated by his players over social media Monday. "That's our guy!" left fielder and NL home run king Kyle Schwarber said. "There he is!!" rookie shortstop Bryson Sott said.

Thomson is focused on Tuesday night, when the Phillies take on the Braves for Game 1 of the NLDS. His mantra before the Cardinals series was "13 more," as in 13 more wins for the Phillies to become World Series champs.

Now it's 11.