Philadelphia Phillies Part Ways With Manager Joe Girardi
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi on Friday. Bench coach Rob Thomson will be the interim manager.
Coaching assistant Bobby Meacham was also relieved of his duties.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski held a press conference on Friday afternoon.
"I'm around the club on a day in, day out basis," Dombrowski said. "You're always having the pulse of what's happening with the team and so for me at this point, and I don't put it all on Joe. Our club had a struggle, I'm disappointed I put the club together, I think we're better than we played."
He said there wasn't really a "tipping point" that determined parting ways with Girardi and says the team hasn't been playing well for some time.
The most important thing Dombroski says is turning the season around and the Phils need a different voice in the clubhouse.
He says Rob Thomson will provide that.
Dombrowski said in a release that the Phillies aren't playing up to their potential and felt that change was needed.
"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," Dombrowski said. "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."
Girardi has been on the hotseat as the Phillies have gotten off to a slow start this season. They're currently 22-29, good for third place in the NL East and 12 games back of the first place New York Mets.
Girardi was hired ahead of the 2020 season after the team parted ways with Gabe Kapler, who's now the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Girardi finished his Phillies tenure with a 132-141 record, including one season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the Phillies fired Charlie Manuel in 2013, they haven't had any luck finding a long-term manager. They've went through four different skippers since Manuel, including Girardi. Before him, Kapler, Pete Mackanin, and Ryne Sandberg held the position.
With those four in charge, the Phillies have a combined record of 586-701.
The Phillies haven't made the playoffs since 2011, which is the second longest playoff drought in the MLB behind the Seattle Mariners.
The Phillies made some big signings during the offseason in Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, but all that spending has reflected into success on the field.
If the Phillies have any plans of ending that drought during this season, they'll have to get it together quickly.
