(Philadelphia) The Philadelphia Phillies fired Joe Girardi on Friday due to a poor start to the season, becoming the first major league manager to lose his job this season.
Posted at 10:59
Bench instructor Rob Thomson was promoted to interim manager for the remainder of the campaign.
The Phillies, who were expected to contend for first place in the National League East, are 22-29 going into the season and trailing the leaders, the New York Mets, by 12 games.
“It’s been a frustrating season for us so far, and we feel like our club isn’t playing to its full potential,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement.
“We are all responsible for this disappointing start to the season, but I felt that a change was necessary and that a new voice had to be heard in the locker room to revive the team. We have a talented workforce that has the power to get us back on track, and I’m sure Rob, with his experience and long track record with us, is the right fit for us going forward.” he added.
Girardi took charge of the Phillies in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season. They went 82-80 last season, and he finished his time in Philadelphia with a 132-141 overall record. Girardi led the New York Yankees from 2008 to 2017, and the Florida Marlins in 2006.
