Not unexpected, but certainly not his fault. He oversaw some of the best pitching the Phillies have ever had (including career years for already established guys like Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and unexpected seasons from the likes of Brad Lidge on down to Jamie Moyer).

But when your GM assembles a team of misfits, the manager and coaches are the first to go:

“Rich was a big part of a wonderful era here and in his nine years he served our organization very well,” Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “We believe it is time for change as we move forward. We thank Rich for his professionalism and contribution to the Phillies.”

Thanks for that, Rube.

Some have pointed out that his “contract has not been renewed.” But in a situation like this, where pay isn’t an issue and the guy would like to remain in the game, he’s, for all intents and purposes, fired. In my eyes at least.