Phillies manager and former Kansas baseball player Rob Thomson returns to his roots
Former Kansas baseball catcher and current Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson returned to Kansas City this past weekend for his first managerial appearance at Kauffman Stadium against the Royals.
Rob Thomson spent three seasons with the Jayhawks baseball team from 1983 to 1985. Thomson hit .443 in 1984, which remains the all-time single-season batting average record in Kansas baseball history.
“It’s great, but I hope it gets broken,” Thomson said when asked about holding the school record.
The Ontario native is a proud Jayhawk alumnus who is grateful for his alma mater. Thomson often reflects on the impact his time at Kansas had on his career. He credited the University of Kansas for helping him at the beginning of his baseball journey.
I’m not sure where I’d be if I didn’t go to Kansas.” Thomson said.
During his playing career at Kansas, Thomson slashed .369/.448/.570 with a 1.018 OPS. Following the 1984 and 1985 seasons, Thomson received the Gib Francis MVP Award, as voted by his teammates. He was selected in the 32nd round by the Detroit Tigers in the 1985 MLB Draft.
Thomson spent 28 years in the New York Yankees organization before joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. He served as the Phillies’ bench coach for four seasons. Midway through the 2022 season, Thomson was named interim manager after the Phillies fired Joe Girardi. Thomson finished the regular season with a 65–46 record as interim manager, leading the Phillies to an 87–75 record and a wild-card berth, their first postseason appearance since 2011.
Since being hired as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Thomson has earned 229 wins, ranking him third in franchise history through his first 400 games. Under his leadership, the Phillies have advanced to the World Series and the NLCS during his first two seasons.
The Phillies manager still follows Kansas baseball and the University. Thomson visited Lawrence last January, before the Kansas basketball team played TCU. He met with the coaching staff, toured the facilities, and spoke to the team. He spoke highly of Kansas baseball head coach Dan Fitzgerald and the program’s turnaround.
“I think Fitzy is doing an amazing job. They have a chance to be national champions at some point,” Thomson said. “I think they’re starting to build a tremendous program, and it’s just going to get better.”
Thomson reminisced about his favorite memory playing at Kansas: his sophomore year at the Big Eight tournament in Oklahoma City, where he played in front of a large crowd. Although Thomson later represented Canada in baseball at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he fondly recalled his first experience with a big audience.
“That was a great experience. I ended up playing in the Olympics in front of 52,000 people, but at that time in Oklahoma City, we played in front of 8,000 or 10,000 people. That was the largest crowd I had ever played in front of. Coming from a town of 2,000 people in Canada, it was just a great experience.”
Thomson plans to attend a Kansas football game this season, specifically the Jayhawks’ matchup against Colorado at Arrowhead Stadium, as it takes place after the baseball season concludes.
