Elliott: No. 1 on the Top 100 Phillies' Rob Thomson
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, Canadian Hall of Famer, celebrates in one of the club’s celebrations … they celebrated it all save for the World Series.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
In June of 2019, the honoured guests came from near and far.
Gord Ash, the former Blue Jays general manager, made the two-hour drive from Toronto to St. Marys, Ont.
Former all-star Jason Bay, made the five-hour flight from Seattle to Toronto and on to the Canadian Hall of Fame stage. Ryan Dempster made the 90-minute flight from Chicago, while his family made the five-hour flight from Vancouver to Toronto.
And Rob Thomson, the fourth inductee? He made the 26-minute drive from Sebringville, Ont. to St. Marys.
Thomson was home. Finally ... years after he was supposed to be home. Read full story here ….
In four seasons playing the Detroit Tigers system, Thomson had 149 hits or roughly a little more than 37 a year. But he was not one of Canada’s favourite Hall of Fame sons because of his 149 hits playing under the bright lights of Bristol, Gastonia and Lakeland. Thomson was the starting catcher when Canada made its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 1984 -- knocking off Japan, the eventual winner. There was that other large matter of his five World Series rings won with the Yankees.
Thomson earned his rings a coach with the triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1996, served as the minor league field coordinator in 1998-1999, was director of player development in 2000 and as Joe Torre’s third base coach in 2009.
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Click here to read the rest of the 2022 110 Most Influential Canadians in Baseball list.
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As a proud Canadian, I pride myself on keeping track of Canadians in the majors, Canadians in the minors, Canadians in college, the top Canadians for the draft and Canadians signing letters of intent. It’s why I have the Canadian Baseball Network. But coaches?
Well, it was E-Elliott on Thomson until the spring of 2001 when someone mentioned that the man running spring training for the Yankees was a Canuck. I called George King of the New York Post to ask what would be a good time to see Thomson the next day. Phillies fans know King from his days covering the Philadelphia Phillies and manager Jim Fregosi.
King told Thomson I was coming and King explained to the coach “He really wants his readers to know what happens when the ‘L’ screen breaks on Field I? Do you get a new screen out of the shed or move the screen from Field II to Field I and then move the screen from Field III to Field II.”
Of course, King was joking.
After talking with Thomson and Yankee minor league executives, I wrote about how when the Yankees were worried about second baseman Chuck Knoblauch’s wild throws to first, they sent Knoblauch to Tampa see Thomson. Or when a minor-leaguer is moved from double-A Norwich to triple-A Columbus, Thomson makes the call. And when manager Torre sits in his chair outside dugout for spring games Thomson is never far away.
Thomson was born in the border town of Sarnia, Ont. and grew up in Corunna. How did he the road from Corunna lead to Tampa? He attended St. Clair Community College at St. Clair, Mich. in 1982 to play for Dick Groch, who later became a Yankee scout and later signed a kid from Kalamazoo, Mich. named Derek Jeter. From 1983-85 Thomson played for the Stratford Hillers in the Ontario-based Intercounty League.
“I was lucky,” Thomson said. “Stratford had players from the University of Kansas.”
Kansas players asked their coach, former major-leaguer Marty Pattin, to fly in for a look. Soon, Thomson was off to Kansas. Drafted in the 32nd round in 1985 by the Detroit Tigers and scout George Bradley, he was given a bonus of $1,500 US.
It was an OK story, but that was not the end of the story.
George King approached Thomson the next day with the writer’s tongue planted firmly in cheek.
“Hey you didn’t talk to that guy from Toronto did you?” he asked Thomson. “No one talks to him ... he’s a bad guy. Have you read what he wrote? How you wanted to manage this team? This year? How you ...” King said as Thomson bolted the conversation and sprinted for the internet. King had pushed another button. After all Fregosi and he learned from each other.
A few days later a minor-league executive with the Jays asked me to ask Thomson if he would come and work with Toronto when the Yankees visited Dunedin a few days later. Sure, no problem. Then I had a long drive home from Fort Myers and did some thinking.
I called the Toronto executive back and said I had changed my mind. Why? “Because I don’t want George Steinbrenner ripping my butt for tampering in the New York papers.”
Thomson and I attended the annual Baseball Canada fundraiser together one year. Or was it two?
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After Cito Gaston was let go after the 2010 season, the Jays interviewed Thomson for the manager’s job. Instead of bringing Thomson home with parts of two seasons managing 78 games in the minors (35-43, .449), Alex Anthopoulos gave John Farrell his first managerial job. Farrell headed for Boston after two seasons, admitting he asked out after one.
That day in Tampa we asked Yankee coach and ex-Blue Jays outfielder Lee Mazzilli about Thomson. He said: “Rob Thomson is one of those guys so valuable to the minor-league system a club might not want him to get a big-league job. If I had the opportunity to manage, he’d be one of the first guys I’d hire.”
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Thomson was trying to become only the third big league manager to win a World Series after being a midseason replacement. The others were Bob Lemon with the 1978 Yankees after replacing Billy Martin and Jack McKeon taking over for Jeff Torborg during the Marlins’ 2003 title run.
If Manager of the Year voting was completed after the season, the winner would have been Thomson, but votes have to be in before post-season play began. Even then, with the turnaround he engineered, it was wrong that he wasn’t even a finalist.
Canadian managers in history
Rank Name Yrs W-L-T W-L& Birthplace Teams
1. Rob Thomson 1 2022 65-46 .586 Corunna, Ont.
(Phillies)
2. George Wood 1 1891 67-55-3 .549 Pownal, PEI
(Philadelphia A’s)
3. George Gibson 7 1920-1934 413-344-2 .546 London, Ont.
(Pirates, Cubs)
4. Bill Watkins 9 1884-1899 509-505-19 .502 Brantford, Ont.
(Indianapolis Hoosiers, Detroit Wolverines, Kansas City Cowboys, Browns, Pirates)
5. Arthur Irwin 8 1889-1899 416-427-20 .493 Toronto, Ont.
(Washington Nationals, Boston Reds, Phillies, New York Giants, Senators)
6. Fred Lake 3 1908-1910 163-180-6 .475 Cornwallis, NS
(Red Sox, Boston Doves)
7. Bob Addy 2 1875-1877 8-23 .258 Port Hope, Ont.
(Philadelphia Whites, Reds)
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After leaving the Yankees he moved to Sebringville, close to Stratford where he played as an amateur and where his wife Michele is home.
Home we should point out is not Corunna, or Toronto, or New York, but home is the manager’s office and success.
Thomson has found a home in Philadelphia.