The writing was on the wall. As the Philadelphia Phillies continued to limp out to yet another disappointing season, the whispers around manager Joe Girardi grew louder. Meanwhile, the losses continued to pile up, leading to more frustration as the Phillies appear destined to miss out on the playoffs yet again.
The inevitable happened on Friday morning. Girardi has been fired as the Phillies’ manager with Rob Thompson taking over in an interim role.
Philadelphia Phillies make Joe Girardi scapegoat for flawed team
Girardi appeared to be the perfect hiring for the Phillies. He had won a World Series and guided the Yankees to the postseason six times in his decade in New York. Prior to that, he had been the 2006 NL Manager of the Year when he managed to win 76 games with a miserable Marlins roster. If anyone was going to get the Phillies back to the playoffs, it would be someone such as Girardi.
But that did not prove to be the case. He had a 132-141 record in just over two years at the helm, his 82-80 record last season his high water mark. Frustrations with his management of the team had gotten to the point where Lenny Dykstra has begun campaigning for the job.
And yet, this is not necessarily Girardi’s fault. The Phillies had a flawed roster despite the flashy signings of Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. Their inability to find a center fielder led to the return of Odubel Herrera. Despite revamping their bullpen yet again, the Phillies relief corps has been mediocre. The rotation has continued to disappoint as well.
That does not stop changes from being made. Fingers get pointed, blame is assigned, and it is much easier to fire a manager or coaches than it is to overhaul a roster midseason. Girardi was going to be sacrificed although it will not change anything.
The inevitable has happened. The Philadelphia Phillies have fired Joe Girardi, making him the sacrificial lamb for their miserable start.