Since dismissing Rob Thomson as manager and appointing Don Mattingly as the interim, the Philadelphia Phillies have gone 6-1. Although the team has looked impressive following this surprising move, one MLB insider argues that Thomson’s firing still isn’t completely reasonable, despite the early-season struggles and the subsequent turnaround.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic appeared on “Foul Territory” and suggested that the players realized their poor performance led to Thomson’s dismissal, and they seem to have “snapped” out of their slump. Rosenthal doubts Mattingly is doing anything significantly different and says that if he were Thomson, he’d have strong feelings about how things are unfolding in Philadelphia.
“For whatever reason, [Thomson’s firing] does seem to have had an effect on the team. Clearly. They’re playing much better,” Rosenthal said. “Is the effect because it’s Don Mattingly and not Rob Thomson? Or is it the players simply waking up, having snapped to attention that they got a manager fired?”
“That’s what happened here,” Rosenthal declared. “The players got the manager fired. Maybe they’re feeling some responsibility. I just don’t believe that this is such a different program under Don Mattingly than it was under Rob Thomson… If I’m Rob Thomson and I’m sitting at home right now watching this, I’m a little peeved, because [the players playing well] is what should have happened when he was the manager.”
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper recently admitted that he and his teammates were essentially waiting for something to ignite the team. That “something” turned out to be Thomson’s firing.
Philadelphia will have a chance to secure its seventh win since Thomson’s departure on Tuesday, when they host the Athletics at 6:40 p.m. EST in the first game of a three-game series.
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