Rob Thomson | |
---|---|
Philadelphia Phillies – No. 59 | |
Manager | |
Born: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada | August 16, 1963|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
MLB statistics | |
Managerial record | 165–126 |
Winning % | .567 |
Teams | |
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the Canadian | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2019 |
Robert Lewis Thomson (born August 16,1963),nicknamed "Topper",is a Canadian professional baseball manager for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.
During Thomson’s playing career,he was a catcher and third baseman in the Detroit Tigers organization from 1985 to 1988. Following his years as a player,Thomson spent one year as the manager of the Class A Oneonta Yankees,and several more years in various front office capacities for the New York Yankees including as Major League Field Coordinator. He then served as the Yankees’bench coach in 2008,third base coach from 2009 to 2014,and bench coach again from 2015 to 2017.
In 2018,Thomson was named as the bench coach of the Philadelphia Phillies. On June 3,2022,Thomson was named interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies following the firing of manager Joe Girardi. After leading the Phillies to their first playoff series win since 2010,Thomson was named the full-time manager on October 10,2022. That year,he went on to lead the Phillies to their first National League pennant since 2009.
Thomson was born on August 16,1963,in Sarnia,Ontario,and grew up in nearby Corunna,Ontario. [1] He grew up playing baseball in the summers and hockey in the winter. [2] Thomson has a younger sister and two older brothers,one of whom signed with the Montreal Expos. [2]
Thomson was a standout for the Stratford Nationals of the Intercounty Baseball League. [3] From there,he was recruited to St. Clair County Community College where he played baseball for one year. [3] After a year,he transferred to the University of Kansas. [3] [2] Thomson led the Jayhawks in hits in 1984 and 1985 and holds the school record for the highest single-season batting average. [2]
Thomson was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 32nd round of the 1985 Major League Baseball draft from the University of Kansas. He played catcher and third base in the Tigers' minor league system until 1988,reaching as high as Class A. [1] In 661 at bats,he hit .225/.312/.304 with seven home runs and three steals. [1] He played 136 games at catcher,55 games at third base,and pitched in one game. [1]
Thomson represented Canada in baseball,which was a demonstration sport,in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
From 1988 to 1990,Thomson served as a minor league coach in the Detroit Tigers organization. [3] Thomson says he got into coaching because "I wasn’t a good enough player. The game sort of forced me into coaching. I was lucky enough the Tigers thought enough of me as an evaluator,teacher and an organizer to offer me a coaching position." [2]
In 1990,Thomson joined the New York Yankees organization as a third base coach for the team's Class-A affiliate in Fort Lauderdale. He moved into the front office in 1998 as a Field Coordinator,and became Director of Player Development in 2000. Prior to the 2003 season,he was named Vice President of Minor League Development,and was named to the Yankees major league coaching staff in November of the same year. Thomson ran the Yankees’spring training camp. [4] Yankees manager Joe Torre nicknamed Thomson "Topper" because Thomson was always on top of everything while running the spring training camp. [4]
During the 1994–95 offseason,he managed the Canberra Bushrangers of the original Australian Baseball League. [5]
On September 27,2006,Thomson took over as first base coach of the Yankees in place of Tony Peña,who had learned before the game his father had died,then filled in at the position for four games before Peña returned in time for the season finale on October 1.
Prior to the 2008 season,incoming manager Joe Girardi named Thomson his bench coach. [6] On April 4,2008,Girardi became ill due to a respiratory infection and designated Thomson to manage that night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. [7] [8] It was Thomson's first major league game as a manager,at which he became the first Canadian to manage a Major League game since George Gibson for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934;the Yankees lost 13–4. [9] [7] Thomson also managed the April 5 game due to Girardi's illness,where the Yankees once again fell to the Rays by a score of 6-3 [10] [11]
He served as the team's third base coach for six seasons and was a member of the coaching staff for the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship. Prior to the 2015 season,Thomson was named bench coach,which was a role he held until 2017. [12]
Thomson held the position of Philadelphia Phillies bench coach from 2018 to 2022. [13] He initially got the assignment under first year manager Gabe Kapler. [14] Kapler was fired after two seasons,but Thomson remained the Phillies’bench coach under new manager Joe Girardi,who had worked with Thomson while with the Yankees. [14] Prior to the 2022 season,Thomson had stated to the team that it would be his last as a bench coach,intending to retire after the completion of the season. [15]
On June 3,2022,the Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi after a disappointing 22–29 start to the season. [14] The same day,Thomson was named the Phillies’interim manager. [14] Thomson became the first Canadian full-time manager since George Gibson managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934. [16] The Phillies won their first game under Thomson,blanking the Los Angeles Angels 10–0.
On July 13,2022,Thomson managed a game against the Toronto Blue Jays,at the Rogers Centre,to become the first Canadian to manage a major league game in Canada. [16]
The Phillies secured a 3–0 win over the Houston Astros to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011 on October 3,2022. [17] After the game,Thomson said in the locker room "We’re not done. After Wednesday,we have 13 more wins and [then] we’re world champions." [17] With the Phillies making the playoffs,Thomson became just the fourth interim manager in MLB history to take over a team at least 7 games under .500 and lead them to the postseason. [17] In the Wild Card Series,against the St. Louis Cardinals,the Phillies swept the Cardinals 2-0 for their first playoff series win since 2010. [18] In the National League Division Series,the Phillies faced off against the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. [19] The Phillies defeated the Braves,3-1,and reached the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2010. [19]
On October 10,2022,the Phillies removed the interim tag from Thomson's title and formally named him the 55th manager in franchise history,with a two-year contract. [20] He then led the team to win the 2022 National League Pennant. After clinching a trip to the 2022 World Series,Thomson reiterated that there was more work to be done telling his team that they had "beaten three really good teams,and there was one to go." [21] The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in six games. The Astros,who were down two games to one,won three games in a row to the secure the World Series. In Game 6,Thomson received scrutiny from some in the media for his decision to take out starter Zach Wheeler after 70 pitches. Wheeler was replaced by JoséAlvarado,who gave up a home run to Yordan Alvarez,which gave the Astros the go-ahead lead in the sixth inning. [22]
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
PHI | 2022 | 111 | 65 | 46 | .586 | 3rd in NL East | 11 | 6 | .647 | Lost World Series (HOU) |
PHI | 2023 | 162 | 90 | 72 | .556 | 2nd in NL East | 8 | 5 | .615 | Lost NLCS (AZ) |
PHI | 2024 | 18 | 10 | 8 | .556 | – | – | – | – | |
Total | 291 | 165 | 126 | .567 | 19 | 11 | .633 |
Thomson lives in Stratford,Ontario,a 1 hour 45-minute drive from Toronto,with his wife,Michele. [16] In the past,Thomson lived in Tampa Bay,Florida,and Manhattan,New York. [2] He has two daughters. [2]
Donald Arthur Mattingly is an American professional baseball coach,and former first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays of MLB. Nicknamed "the Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball",he spent his entire 14-year MLB playing career with the New York Yankees and later managed the Los Angeles Dodgers for five years and the Miami Marlins for seven years.
Johnnie B "Dusty" Baker Jr. is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 19 seasons with the Atlanta Braves,Los Angeles Dodgers,San Francisco Giants,and Oakland Athletics. During his Dodgers tenure,he was a two-time All-Star,won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award,and became the first NLCS MVP,which he received during the 1977 National League Championship Series. He also made three World Series appearances with the Dodgers,and was a member of the 1981 championship team.
Gabriel Stefan Kapler,nicknamed "Kap",is an American assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is also a former professional baseball outfielder and manager in MLB.
William Larry Randolph is an American former professional baseball second baseman,coach,and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB),he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams,most notably the New York Yankees with whom he won back-to-back world titles against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has joined ESPN as a post-season baseball analyst,beginning in September 2013. Mainly,he appeared on Baseball Tonight and provided updates during Monday and Wednesday night September network telecasts.
Andrew Jay Hinch is an American professional baseball coach and former player who is the manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hinch played catcher for the Oakland Athletics (1998–2000),Kansas City Royals (2001–2002),Detroit Tigers (2003),and Philadelphia Phillies (2004).
Phillip Joseph Nevin is an American professional baseball player,coach,and manager. He was the manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 12 seasons,appearing in 1,217 games played between 1995 and 2006 for the Houston Astros,Detroit Tigers,Anaheim Angels,San Diego Padres,Texas Rangers,Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins. He has previously served as a coach in MLB for the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.
James Francis Williams was an American professional baseball infielder,coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 and 1967 and managed the Toronto Blue Jays,Boston Red Sox,and Houston Astros.
Joseph Elliott Girardi is an American sports broadcaster and former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs,Colorado Rockies,New York Yankees,and St. Louis Cardinals during a big league playing career that spanned from 1989 to 2003. He won three World Series championships with the Yankees in the 1990s and served as the catcher for both Dwight Gooden's no-hitter and David Cone's perfect game.
Robert Paul Melvin is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Melvin has been named Manager of the Year three times.
Robert Andrew Meacham is an American former professional baseball shortstop,who spent his entire six-year big league playing career with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since retiring from active play,Meacham has managed and coached for several organizations in the majors and minors.
Gary Robert Tuck is an American former professional baseball player,coach,and manager. He played one game in Minor League Baseball as a catcher in 1978. He has coached in the minor leagues and in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees,Florida Marlins,and Boston Red Sox.
Kevin Richard Long is an American former minor league baseball player and the current hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has formerly served as the hitting coach for the New York Yankees (2007–14),New York Mets (2015–17) and Washington Nationals (2018–21).
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a Dominican former professional baseball player,manager and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates,St. Louis Cardinals,Boston Red Sox,Cleveland Indians,Chicago White Sox,and Houston Astros. After his playing career,Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He was most recently the first base coach for the New York Yankees. A four-time Gold Glove Award winner,Peña was known for his defensive abilities as well as his unorthodox squat behind home plate.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2017 throughout the world.
The 2017 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees for the American League pennant and the right to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. The Astros defeated the Yankees in seven games after falling behind three games to two. The home team won every game in the series.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2018 throughout the world.
The 2020 Houston Astros season was the 59th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston,Texas,their 56th as the Astros,eighth in the American League West,and 21st at Minute Maid Park. The team entered the season as both the defending champions of the American League and the American League West;and runner-ups of the World Series.
The 2022 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 140th season in the history of the franchise,and the 19th season for the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies went 87–75 during the regular season. They went on to win the National League pennant for the first time since 2009.
The 2022 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2022 season. The 118th edition of the World Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Houston Astros and the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros defeated the Phillies in six games to earn their second championship. The series was broadcast in the United States on Fox television and ESPN Radio.