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PHOENIX — There appears to be a misconception regarding Rob Thomson’s path to potentially shedding the interim tag from his position.
Since becoming the Phillies’ interim manager on June 3, Thomson has led the team from the brink of death to the brink of its first playoff berth in more than a decade. He will receive serious consideration for National League Manager of the Year.
Thomson has built a strong case to be hired as manager, barring the interim tag, this off-season, and barring the squad suffering a monumental collapse, there’s little reason to believe he won’t.
But when the subject of Thomson’s tenure as manager is raised, Phillies officials are quick to say the club must adhere to Major League Baseball’s hiring protocols — known as the Selig Rule — and go through an interview process that takes into account the depth of applicants, including minorities. The Selig Rule, established in 1999, governs the interview process as it pertains to high-level positions such as field manager, general manager, assistant general manager, scouting and player development executives.
According to a person familiar with the situation, there is some flexibility in the Selig Rule, and the Phillies would qualify for an exception if they wanted to hire Thomson based on his performance this season. As much as Major League Baseball is committed to hiring minorities, it doesn’t believe in “mock” interviews when an obvious internal candidate is in line for a promotion, as Thomson would be.
Now, the Phillies can still make the choice to conduct full-scale Selig Rule interviews for their managerial position, but they won’t be required to if they decide Thomson is their guy. The team, according to the person familiar with the situation, is expected to follow Selig’s rule when filling positions on the coaching staff.
Thomson, 59, is in his fifth season with the Phillies. He joined the club as Gabe Kapler’s bench coach in 2018 after 10 years on the New York Yankees’ major league coaching staff and 18 years in player development with that club.
The Phillies were 22-29 when Thomson took over for Joe Girardi on June 3. They are now 72-58 — 50-29 under Thomson — and in control of the second NL wild-card spot with 32 games to play.
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