Rob Thomson's extension as Phillies skipper draws cold response from fans: "Extended this fraud manager"
After making it to the World Series in 2022, Phillies manager Rob Thomson received wide praise. The bench coach had been named manager on the eve of the postseason, and was credited with bringing an underdog team to within spitting distance of ultimate glory.
As such, 2023 was met with big expectations from Phillies fans. Now loaded with some of the best offensive talent on the market, fans in the City of Brotherly Love wanted Thomson to be the man to take things one step further in 2023.
However, the Phillies lost in Game 7 of the NLCS to the Arizona Diamondbacks in one of the biggest postseason upsets in major history. The loss shook the Phillies fanbase to their core, and had many calling for Thomson's ousting. But on December 4, the fanbase got word to the contrary.
"The Phillies have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2025 season. In addition, the club has hired Dustin Lind and Rafael Peña as assistant hitting coaches for the major league staff" - Philadelphia Phillies
While Thomson coached the Philadelphia Phillies to a 87-75 record to make the playoffs for the second straight season, the crushing loss still seems to be gripping fans. Many took to the comments section under the announcement to voice their disdain.
A 2019 inductee to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, the Ontario-born Thomson has been around baseball for a long time. He began his career as a minor league coach in the Detroit Tigers organization in the late 1980s. He also served as a Yankees coach for over a decade before coming to Philly.
Under Rob Thomson's short tenure as manager, the Phillies have gone from a peripheral player to a team that was more or less expected to win the World Series in 2023. Boasting names like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm, it is not difficult to see why Thomson is incurring the wrath of fans for not going all the way with his lineup of stars.
Rob Thomson has another period to prove himself
Given the expectations of Phillies fans, and the realities of the lineup, it would not be an exaggeration to say that by extending him through 2025, Phillies ownership expects a World Series by then. Whether or not Thomson can make the most of the time alloted to him remains to be seen.