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The Phillies Fired a Winner and a Truly Great Guy in Rob Thomson
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, and within hours, discourse around the team had splintered into dozens of conversations at once: Dave Dombrowski had his boring, weird presser. Alex Cora was offered the job and declined. Don Mattingly has become interim manager, despite saying that at his age, he probably doesn’t have the energy for it. Etc., etc., etc.
It’s easy to push forward with these stories and more – there’s plenty to get into – but before plunging too far ahead, it’s worthwhile to reflect on Rob Thomson’s time here and the legacy he’s leaving in Philadelphia: Topper was an awesome guy everybody seemed to love, and he managed one of the best stretches of Phillies baseball in decades.
Thomson landed in Philly in 2018 as an assistant on Gabe Kapler’s staff, and when Joe got canned in 2022 (with nowhere near the warm feelings fans have for Rob now), Topper stepped up as interim manager. The move kicked off a four-year run that brought the Phillies back into relevance: The Phils won 88 games, nabbed the last Wild Card slot, and made a run all the way to the World Series before falling to the Houston Astros.
That 2022 stretch was as much fun as I’ve ever had as a Phillies fan. Low expectations + youth + overachieving is the best recipe for sports fandom, and the 2022 Phillies were in the sweet spot: Bryce Harper was still terrifying at the plate. Kyle Schwarber had only just introduced us to the thrill of Schwarbombs. Garrett Stubbs was being a lunatic in the clubhouse with Dancing On My Own. The Phillies Daycare was young, playing well, and projected to keep improving. In the fall of 2022, Philly was a baseball city – and at the center of it all was Rob Thomson.
The players loved the guy! Remember when Bryce was campaigning for Topper to be the manager long-term and tried getting “Philly Rob” to stick?
It didn’t stick. It was a bad nickname. Also a bad shirt. The neck hole size is nuts. But still! The sentiment was nice! Topper connected with the clubhouse in a real way. Through the emotional ups and downs of the season, he was the calm, collected voice in the room, and would continue to be through the Phillies’ next few successful – albeit ultimately disappointing – runs.
After the interim tag was dropped and Topper became the long-term Phillies manager, he helmed teams that won 90, 95, and 96 games. The Phils won the NL East twice under him. He managed the Phillies to their first pennant since 2009. His .568 winning percentage is the highest of any manager in Phillies history with 200+ games.
And more than all that, Topper was a guy the players, front office, and fans cared about:
“Obviously, he means a lot to us. And what he’s done here in the last four-plus years, and beyond that, not just managing, but you know, bench coach as well – he’s got a lot of people’s respect. Obviously we know that it’s not a reflection on him that we didn’t play great. And, you know, we feel responsible, obviously. And I think he should be remembered for a lot of great things that went on here. For taking us to the World Series, bringing us to the playoffs every single year. And, you know, being a really good person and a really good manager. I feel awful. I wish him the best.”
He was also way more gracious than he had to be in the aftermath of his firing:
It’s a shame the 2026 roster underperformed so much that it cost Rob Thomson his job – but that’s not what will define the Topper era. Phillies fans will remember the highs – the winning, the playoff runs, the way his clubhouse rallied around him, and what a great guy he is.
I Ride With Philly Rob… Forever… Let’s remake the shirts with normal neck sizes…
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…)