Rare hire has Canadian atop Phillies’ staff

PHILADELPHIA — Canadian Rob Thomson will serve as interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies after the struggling team fired Joe Girardi on Friday.

Girardi is the first major league manager to lose his job this season. Expected to contend for an NL East title, the Phillies are 22-29 and 12 games behind the first-place New York Mets.

“It has been a frustrating season for us up until this point, as we feel that our club has not played up to its capabilities,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. “While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around. I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track, and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward.”

Thomson, born in Sarnia, Ont., and raised in nearby Corunna, Ont., was Philadelphia’s bench coach and coordinated spring training for the last five seasons. He was hired before the 2018 season.

“I am ready to lead this team and look forward to getting to work and turning this around,” he said.

Thomson is the first Canadian fulltime manager since George Gibson of London, Ont., managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934.

The Phillies had lost 12 of 17 games heading into the opener of Friday’s three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Phillies have a US$224 million payroll and boast 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper and NL Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler.