Phillies' Rob Thomson named 1st Canadian full-time manager in MLB since 1934 following Girardi firing

Canadian bench coach Rob Thomson will serve as interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies for the remainder of the season after the struggling team fired Joe Girardi on Friday.

Girardi is the first major league manager to lose his job this season, paying the price for his team's terrible start.

Expected to contend for an NL East title, the Phillies are 22-29 and 12 games behind the first-place New York Mets.

"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," Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. "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. I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track, and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward."

Thomson, born in Sarnia, Ont., and raised in nearby Corunna, Ont., was Philadelphia's bench coach and co-ordinated spring training for the last five seasons. He was hired before the 2018 season.

His first game is against an Angels team that has lost eight straight games overall and six straight on the road.

Thomson is the first Canadian full-time manager since George Gibson of London, Ont., managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934. Toronto's Arthur Irwin, who managed five teams between 1889 and 1899, is the only other Canadian to serve as a full-time manager.

"It's great. Rob's in our Hall of Fame, back in 2019, and he has always wanted to manage in the big leagues and now he is getting a great opportunity with a talented team," said Scott