Phillies hearth Rob Thomson, title Don Mattingly interim supervisor

PHILADELPHIA — Alex Cora had barely been out of a job after the World Series champion supervisor was fired by the Red Sox when his previous boss provided him knowledgeable lifeline.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, needed to know that if Rob Thomson was fired, would Cora be enthusiastic about taking on a workforce with a $284.7 million payroll and World Series expectations that had slogged via April as one of many worst groups in baseball.

Cora finally declined, citing household causes, and a possible reunion with Dombrowski eight seasons after they gained the World Series collectively in Boston was on maintain.

Rebuffed by Cora, the Phillies appeared down the bench to Don Mattingly.

Only 4 months after he was employed as Philadelphia’s bench coach, Mattingly was named interim supervisor to exchange Thomson, who was fired Tuesday after the Phillies misplaced 11 of 12 video games and started the day tied for final place within the majors.

Thomson led the Phillies to 4 straight playoff appearances, together with the 2022 World Series, and consecutive NL East titles, however could not lead high-priced expertise that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner again to the highest of the standings via the primary month of the season.

Dombrowski, who has led baseball operations for Montreal, Miami, Detroit and Boston, profitable World Series titles with the Marlins in 1997 and Red Sox in 2018, made it clear Tuesday that Cora was his first option to succeed Thomson.

“We never got down to the nuts and bolts of things,” Dombrowski mentioned. “He referred to as me Saturday evening as a pal. I suppose he calls me certainly one of his mentors and we talked as a result of he by no means had been via that earlier than. We talked Sunday morning.

“I came to conclusion that if he took it, I would make a change. I thought he would take it. Until Monday morning it was apparent from his perspective he wanted to take time with his family. He wanted to be a father first and foremost and so that’s what he had decided.”

Mattingly, the previous New York Yankees nice, was named interim supervisor via the tip of the season and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach. Mattingly will now work for certainly one of his sons — Preston Mattingly is the Phillies normal supervisor — in what’s believed to be the primary father-son GM/supervisor mixture in baseball historical past.

Thomson is the second supervisor fired in baseball this season after the Red Sox fired Cora and 5 coaches on Saturday.

Dombrowski gave Thomson a vote of confidence final week throughout their dropping streak. Dombrowski stood behind Thomson’s work and mentioned he’d been a superb supervisor since changing Joe Girardi in 2022.

Thomson went 355-270 and orchestrated a baseball resurgence in Philadelphia. The 62-year-old, a baseball lifer lastly promoted to his first managerial stint in 2022, signed a contract extension within the offseason working via the 2027 season and was once more anticipated to steer the Phillies into World Series rivalry.

The Phillies as a substitute have been one of many largest flops within the baseball and misplaced 10 straight video games earlier than ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win in opposition to Atlanta on Saturday. The Phillies misplaced to Atlanta on Sunday and fell to 9-19 total, tied with the division rival New York Mets.

Thomson led Philadelphia to the 2022 World Series after taking on for Girardi, dropping to the Houston Astros in six video games. Since then, the membership has regressed within the postseason. It misplaced within the NL Championship Series in 2023 in seven video games, and the NL Division Series in 2024 and ’25 in 4 video games.

Nicknamed Topper, Thomson has been with the membership because the 2018 season, when he was employed as bench coach underneath former supervisor Gabe Kapler.

He was with the New York Yankees from 1990-2017, together with 10 seasons on the main league teaching workers as bench coach (2008, 2015-17) and third base coach (2009-14). He earned his nickname within the Yankees group for at all times being on prime of particulars.

Thomson turned solely the fourth supervisor in large league historical past to achieve the postseason in every of the primary 4 full seasons to start a managing profession, becoming a member of Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone and Mike Matheny. He turned solely the third supervisor in Phillies historical past to win consecutive division titles, becoming a member of Charlie Manuel and Danny Ozark.

“I’ve played for a lot of guys over my 15-year career, and Topper is definitely one of the guys at the top,” Harper mentioned.

The Phillies have been terrible in what was alleged to be a celebratory season with the franchise set to host the All-Star Game and surrounding festivities. Instead, they’ve collapsed in each facet of the sport, with regulars Alec Bohm and Schwarber each hitting underneath .200, whereas starters Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter all have 5.00-plus ERAs.

The Phillies lately launched high-priced bust Taijuan Walker within the closing 12 months of a four-year, $72 million contract and outfielder Nick Castellanos was launched in February as he entered the ultimate 12 months of a five-year, $100 million deal.

The Phillies haven’t gained the World Series since 2008 and had final made the playoffs in 2011 till Thomson led them to the shock run to the 2022 World Series dubbed Red October that rejuvenated the fanbase and made 90-plus win seasons the norm.

The Phillies now will flip to Mattingly, who stored the teaching workers intact, to resuscitate their season and attempt to at the very least hold them within the hunt for an NL wild-card spot.

Mattingly, spending his twenty third straight season as a serious league supervisor or coach, had his thoughts set on retirement after he left his position as Toronto’s bench coach underneath supervisor John Schneider following the World Series.

He reversed course after a chat together with his household and latched on with the Phillies, enticed by the prospect to work together with his son and Thomson, his pal from their Yankees days.

Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22. He was the 2020 NL Manager of the Year after he led the Marlins to their first playoff look since 2003.

He mentioned when the Phillies employed him within the winter that he not had curiosity in managing once more. Mattingly mentioned forward of Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to the Giants that he had the power and need to assist carry the Phillies again into the playoff race.

Mattingly performed 14 seasons as a primary baseman within the main leagues, all for the Yankees, from 1982-95. He was a six-time AL All-Star and the 1985 AL Most Valuable Player. Mattingly captained the Yankees in his closing 5 seasons.

There’s a free father-son baseball hierarchy connection in Philadelphia baseball historical past.

Hall of Famer Connie Mack managed and owned the Philadelphia Athletics and his son Earle managed 125 mixed video games in 1937 and 1939 when his father was in poor health.

Mattingly was thrilled in January on the probability of probably profitable his first World Series ring whereas working for a similar franchise as his son.

Mattingly mentioned there was no awkwardness about basically working for his son as a result of they each had the identical imaginative and prescient for the franchise.

“We both want to win games,” Mattingly mentioned. “We’re like every player. We’re here to win.”