Some Takeaways as Phillies Move on From Joe Girardi

At 22-29 and 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, things look bleak for the Phillies at the moment. If they are going to go anywhere this season, they need to go right now.

As in this weekend.

So, if there was one primary takeaway from what Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Friday afternoon, it was that he doesn’t believe Joe Girardi is capable of leading the charge.

“I think we need a different voice in the clubhouse,” Dombrowski said. “I think a different voice in the clubhouse with the players, with the staff members, and I think [Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson] provides that.”

Dombrowksi, who told reporters he made the decision to fire Girardi Thursday morning after returning from a jog, had been considering making a move in recent days.

“When I just looked at how we played over the road trip at the end against the Mets there, [how] we played against San Francisco, the first couple games, all tough losses” he said. “And really, it is something that I have been thinking about because I haven’t really thought the club has played as well as what we’re capable of playing.”

After watching the Phillies lose five of their last six games, a stretch highlighted by many questionable late-game decisions and suspect bullpen maneuvers, Dombrowski brought Girardi in Friday morning to deliver the news.

Of course, the most important question moving forward is so now what?

Let’s address it from a few different angles with some thoughts and observations on the press conference and the Phillies’ switch from Girardi to Thomson.

It Was Time to Go

I don’t want to see a good person lose their job. And let’s be clear, Joe Girardi is a good guy.

On a personal level, he always took the time to answer my questions and he was generally helpful.

From this perspective, it was obvious he felt the weight of the Phillies’ mounting losses along with his inability to find a fix.

He wanted to win, and he certainly cared far more than he showed at recent low-energy postgame press conferences. You didn’t see apathy, what you saw was a man who was both drained and exasperated by the results.

That said, the Phillies needed a change.

Objectively, this team has grossly underperformed since Girardi arrived prior to the 2020 season. This has never been more true than this season — as the team’s payroll soared and its talent improved.

Too frequently did Girardi’s late-game decisions and tentative philosophies lead to avoidable disasters. While there’s a speculative element to the lasting impact of such losses, it’s hard to imagine recurring gut-punches didn’t take a toll on this team.

Yeah, It Wasn’t All His Fault. Everybody Knows.

So, if Joe had to go, was it all his fault? Of course not — and I’m happy that I’ll never have to point this out ever again. I feel like every discussion I’ve had about this team in recent weeks has included some version of it’s not all Joe’s fault.

The bullpen is flawed, the lineup has underperformed, the defense has been comically bad. A switch to Thomson won’t suddenly cure the deficiencies. This reality should be implied at this point, but these realities don’t exempt Girardi from blame.

A different voice and a different approach can create a different energy — one that can lead to changed results. Whether it’s differences in tactical maneuvers or differences in managing personalities, there can be a tangible benefit to making a change beyond throwing something at the wall and hoping it sticks.

Expect a Different Approach

Thomson and Girardi are good friends and have a close relationship, but they are each their own man. Don’t simply assume because they’ve worked together in two different stops that Thomson will simply be “Girardi 2.0.”

You know how it goes. You watch a co-worker handle a situation and think about how you would do things differently. You also have the benefit of watching how others view the co-worker and how that person handles a situation. You can read the room, see what’s working, what’s not.

There’s no difference here.

I’m sure there’s plenty that Thomson agrees with Girardi on, but I’m also certain that Thomson has had the ability to view things through a different lens, often arriving at different conclusions .

For instance, Thomson was specifically asked about Girardi’s decision to leave closer Corey Knebel in the bullpen against the Braves last week with the Phillies holding a one-run ninth-inning lead. He didn’t sound like a guy who’s ready to adopt the same rigid usage policies applied by Girardi.

“Yeah, so we’re now into June, and I’m not going to say we’re going to do it every time because we take it case by case,” Thomson said. “If they’ve got low pitch counts the first two nights and a guy looks you in the eye and says, ‘Hey, I’m good to go’ and you trust him, it’s a possibility.”

To paraphrase, if Thomson has a shot to use his best guy and chase wins, don’t be surprised if he does it.

 

The post Some Takeaways as Phillies Move on From Joe Girardi appeared first on Crossing Broad.