Philadelphia Phillies Manager Thomson Reveals Unusual Managing Strategy
Whatever Rob Thomson is doing for the Philadelphia Phillies, it's clearly working.
Since taking over for Joe Girardi during the 2022 season, Thomson has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success. He turned that team around and took them all the way to the World Series, and now he's only one win away from doing the same this year.
What's Thomson's secret? The answer may surprise a lot of Phillies fans.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, Thomson has an old-school approach to managing. He makes decisions based on his "eyes and feel" rather than analytics or a pre-scripted game plan, which is what many modern managers rely on.
That makes Thomson old-school by today's standards, but there's nothing wrong with that. Many fans prefer this type of managing style compared to robotic managers who appear to be making their decisions based on computer models and algorithms instead of what's actually happening on the field.
Thomson's quote shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's watched Philadelphia this year. Thomson is one of the few managers who lets his starting pitchers go through the order a third time when they're pitching well, keeping them in the game for six or seven innings when appropriate. He also doesn't have a clear rhyme or reason for his bullpen usage, which explains why nine different Phillies relievers earned saves during the regular season.
Since replacing Girardi, Thomson is 174-127 (.578 winning percentage) in the regular season and playoffs combined. At that rate, he should keep trusting his gut.
