Phillies name former Detroit Tigers minor-leaguer Rob Thomson interim manager

A familiar name within the Detroit Tigers farm system will step in as the interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rob Thomson, who played in the Tigers’ minor league organization in the mid-1980s, was named the interim manager of the Phillies after the team fired Joe Girardi Friday morning.

Thomson will serve as interim manager through the remainder of the 2022 MLB season. The team made the announcement on social media Friday.

The Sanria, Ontario native, has spent the past couple decades as a coach and front office executive in the minor and major leagues.

He was named the bench coach for the Phillies in 2018 and held the position prior to taking over for Girardi, who had led the Phillies to a 22-29 start this season before being let go.

Thomson, who played his college baseball for Kansas, was drafted by the Tigers in the 32nd round of the 1985 MLB Draft.

He played catcher and third base in the Tigers’ minor league system from 1985-1988 where he had a batting average of .227 with 149 hits, seven home runs and 74 RBIs.

Thomson also spent time as a coach and executive in the New York Yankees’ minor league organization. He was a member of the Yankees’ coaching staff when the team won the World Series in 2009 and served as a coach with the team from 2008-2017 before heading to the Phillies.

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