The Philadelphia Phillies are not having the desired start to the season and manager Joe Girardi, who has been at the helm of the team since the 2020 season, paid the price on Friday.
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"It's been a frustrating season for us so far," president of baseball operations David Dombowski said in a statement. We believe that our club has not played to its full potential.
Before hosting the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, the Phillies had lost seven of their previous nine games. A 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday wasn't enough to spare Girardi.
"While each of us shares responsibility for these failures, I believe a change was required and a new voice inside the locker room would give us a better chance of turning things around," said Dombrowski, who has already was general manager of the Montreal Expos from 1988 to 1991. I believe we have a talented group to get back on track.
Girardi, 57, is a former major league baseball catcher. As a manager, he notably guided the New York Yankees to the World Series in 2009. He was also named the head coach par excellence in 2006, when he made his debut on the bench with the Marlins. from Florida. Just like Girardi, deputy Bobby Meacham suffered the ax. Bench instructor Rob Thomson, who is a native of Ontario, will assume pilot duties on an interim basis by the end of the campaign.
“I have confidence that Rob, with his experience and his knowledge of the team, is the man to lead us through,” added Dombrowski.
An unsatisfactory ranking
Far behind the New York Mets in the National League East standings, the Phillies are disappointing this year despite the presence of key players like Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto. With a 22-29 record to start the season, the Philadelphia team is also behind the Atlanta Braves (25-27). Instead, the Phillies are currently battling for third place in the division with the Miami Marlins.
Girardi, who went 132-141 in Pennsylvania, has 1,120 wins in 14 years as a major league baseball manager. He ranks 55th in the history of the circuit in this chapter, ahead of several big names like Felipe Alou (1033). Only Dusty Baker, Tony LaRussa, Terry Francona, Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon and Bob Melvin are ahead of him among the managers still active.