Facing and Overcoming Adversity, Thomson Deserved Better in Manager of the Year Voting

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson deserved better than a fifth-place finish in Manager of the Year voting as he overcame a level of adversity unlike any other candidate.

Author:
Andy Jasner
Nov 18, 2022 3:00 PM EST

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Philadelphia Phillies

Awards handed out at the end of the season are always subjective.

Take the National League Manager of the Year for instance.

In the balloting that was recently completed, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Rob Thomson finished fifth.

Buck Showalter of the New York Mets came in first followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, the Atlanta Braves’ Brian Snitker and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Oliver Marmol.

Did the voters get this right?

I don’t think so.

Not saying that Showalter isn’t deserving. But there’s no way Thomson places fifth on any list.

A bigger question is this: Does the award go to the manager with the best team and the most talent? Or does it go to the manager who did the most with the least? How about the manager who overcame the most adversity?

Look at what Thomson had to overcome.

He took over for the fired Joe Girardi after a dreadful start. The Phillies were 22-29 and going nowhere fast. Their defense was pitiful, they weren’t hitting and Jose Alvarado couldn’t get anyone out. Oh, and there were plenty of injuries to sift through.

Not exactly the way any manager wants to begin their first run at a difficult job.

Thomson was a soothing presence in the clubhouse. That showed immediately.

The defense steadily improved. The offense was re-energized. Alvarado came back from a quick demotion to Triple-A to become one of the top relief pitchers in the Major Leagues.

The Phillies won 87 games and clinched their first playoff berth since 2011 during the final regular season series on the road against the Houston Astros.

Awards aren’t based on postseason success, but it must be mentioned that the Phillies came within two victories of capturing their first World Series title since 2008.

Look at all the obstacles Thomson had to overcome.

I’m not saying he deserved to finish first. But he definitely should have been higher than fifth, at least in the top three.

It’s easier to manage teams stocked with talent up and down the roster. That’s what the Mets, Dodgers and Braves feature – talent. The Cardinals are probably a tad below.

If the award is based on pure wins and losses, the list is probably correct.

But with everything that was thrown at Thomson, it’s amazing what transpired. He deserved to come in higher than fifth.