The Philadelphia Phillies opted to move on from their manager Joe Girardi. The team made the decision after a recent 3-7 run that saw the Phillies drop to a disappointing 22-29 record and third place in the NL East.
Girardi’s firing was confirmed via a statement by Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. It was also revealed that bench coach Rob Thomson would take over as manager on an interim basis for the remainder of the campaign. Quality assurance coach Mike Calitri will fill Thompson’s old position.
“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,” said Dombrowski. “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.”
Joe Girardi arrived in Philadelphia in 2020 following a decade-long stint with the New York Yankees, whom he led to a World Series win. The idea was that Girardi would get Phillies back on track after a nine-year playoff drought, but things didn’t exactly work out that way.
The pandemic didn’t do Girardi any favors and he managed to get to the 28-32 record in the pandemic shortened season. He managed to get above .500 in his second year with the franchise, but the 82-80 record was still not enough for a postseason return.
This campaign is on track to be even worse, although it might not be all Girardi’s fault. The Phillies bullpen mightily struggled so far in 2022, the injuries kept testing their depth, and the offense never managed to find a rhythm. Still, Girardi isn’t backing away from responsibility.
“We underperformed, and that falls on me. This is what happens,” he said while speaking on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio shortly after the news about his firing came out.
