Phillies Have Surprisingly Supportive Fan in Former Manager

A former Philadelphia Phillies manager is a huge fan of the team despite no longer being involved with the team.

Jun 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The glove and hat of Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) in the dugout during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies had to make an incredibly difficult decision earlier this season when manager Rob Thomson was fired.

With a 9-19 record, something had to be shaken up. It was determined that a new voice in the clubhouse was necessary to help the Phillies reach the level that everyone knew they were capable of.

Taking over for Thomson was Don Mattingly. When the change was made, Thomson thought that the team could get hot with the change. Given how much talent was on the roster, it certainly wasn’t an outlandish claim to make, and he has been proven correct.

Under Mattingly, Philadelphia has gone 29-14, which is the second-best record in the MLB since the change was made. Players on the team knew that they had gotten a good man fired, and have expressed some regret that it took such a move to be made for them to wake up and start playing up to their capabilities.

Rob Thomson still rooting for Phillies despite firing

Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies head coach Rob Thomson (49) makes a pitching change against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Most people who are in Thomson’s position would feel a certain way toward their former employer, especially wondering why the players couldn’t have done this a few weeks earlier to have saved his job.

Alas, that bitterness and animosity don’t exist for Thomson. Instead, he remains a huge fan of the club, watching as many of the games as possible, following how they are doing, and cheering them on.

“I watch every game that I can,” Thomson said in a text message, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “When you have built relationships and been through the things that this group has been through, you don’t stop cheering for them. At least I don’t. 

“I think that in a lot of situations where managers get fired, most wish that they had a little more time but (there are) no lingering frustrations. You can call it whatever you want, but the fact is that the team has been playing so much better since the change and they are back to who they are!!”

The Phillies are finally thriving, but it happened too late to save Rob Thomson’s job. Column unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/Chzp92RSM9

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 15, 2026

If anyone was questioning the kind of person that Thomson is, that text message encapsulates it. It would be easy for someone who was just fired to sever ties with the organization, feeling he got the raw end of the deal.

Especially when taking a look at the schedule. When he was fired, Philadelphia had just completed 13 consecutive games against the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. In the 22 games after, they faced teams at or below the .500 mark.

Alas, that isn’t how Thomson operates. He was on the other side of the coin when he started in the position as Phillies manager, taking over for Joe Girardi midseason and leading them all the way to the World Series in 2022.

Now, he is hoping Mattingly can find a similar amount of success and lead Philadelphia to the promised land.

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