Philadelphia Phillies Players React to Rob Thomson's Extension

The Philadelphia Phillies weren't shy in showing their approval of the team removing the interim tag from Rob Thomson's title.

Author:
Alex Carr
Oct 10, 2022 6:00 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies did on Monday what has been speculated for months on end, they removed the interim tag from Rob Thomson's managerial status, locking him up as the club's skipper through the 2024 season.

An extension was the only choice for the Phillies. The club has looked like a completely different beast since Thomson's instatement, and it has reflected both in on-field performance and in the clubhouse. The team turned their season around after the firing of Joe Girardi, improving from 21-29, finishing out their season with a 66-46 run.

Multiple Phillies players weren't shy in expressing their approval in the front office locking up their manager, either:

During the Phillies' introductory press conference ahead of the National League Division Series in Atlanta, Rhys Hoskins was asked for his reaction to Thomson's extension:

"It's great news to start our time here in Atlanta," Hoskins said. "Not really a whole lot to say about it other than it's incredibly well-deserved. I think you can see the way we respond to him and I think the rest of the organization has seen that."

"We've obviously played some pretty good baseball since he's taken over," he continued. "Elated for him. He's a baseball man. We're more than happy to go to war for him, as you can tell. And I'm excited to be a part of it, at least for another year."

Hoskins, a big voice in the clubhouse, has had nothing but positive things to say about "Topper" since his promotion to interim manager.

Ranger Suárez, the club's Game 1 starter in the upcoming NLDS, was also asked his thoughts about Thomson signing a new deal with the team:

"He's just a very good person. He let us be ourselves. There's a lot of freedom that we feel when we're around him. And the most important thing is that we're comfortable because we can be ourselves."

Obviously, with multiple players reiterating the same key points and phrases, it's easy to see why the club adores their new manager, and to read between the lines in the process. They're more comfortable around him, more relaxed. When a team is more relaxed, they tend to play better baseball.

It was a strategic move by the club to announce the managerial decision ahead of the franchise's most important series in over a decade. It's undoubtably served as a bit of a morale boost for both Thomson and the players, and has begun things on an overwhelmingly positive note.

"This is the only place I would want to be moving forward," Thomson said.

Thus, it appears the Phillies will be "riding with Philly Rob" for at least the next two seasons.