Somehow I missed the news the Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi on Friday after less than two and a half seasons. Perhaps my mind was focused on the Don McLean concert.
Well, for Girardi it was the day the baseball died. Girardi was dismissed after a 22-29 start and 12.5 games back of the NL East leading New York Mets. The Phillies named bench coach Rob Thomson as interim manager. The Phillies have won two straight games under Thomson albeit against the now struggling Los Angeles Angels who have lost 10 straight games. One wonders if Joe Maddon, in his third season, at the helm of the Halos, will also be shown the door.
As for the Phillies the question remains if the team can turn around their fortunes in 2022. The general consensus is that the Phillies' problems run much deeper than a mid-season managerial change can properly address. Their starting pitching led by Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler but their offense, defense and bullpen have been underperforming.
But who knows? Perhaps Thomson can be to the Phillies what Joe Morgan was to the Boston Red Sox during the 1988 season and win 19 out of 20 games. Of course, this assumes Phillies President Dave Dombrowski is sold on Thomson.
Whatever happens, two thirds of the 2022 season have yet to be played. The Phillies are down but they are not out especially in a playoff format which allows for three wild card teams. If the Phillies somehow make the post-season for the first time since 2011 they will truly be a wild card.
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