Three days after we learned that the Phillies had dismissed manager Gabe Kapler from his managerial post, word comes that the Philies are starting to look towards hiring a new manager. The Phillies had been expected to look towards an experienced manager who would come with a resume that could generate immediate clout from his players. The Phillies are set to interview their first three candidates, and they are all big names.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports along with Mark Gonzalez of the NBC Sports Chicago and Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that big names Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter will interview for the Phillies managerial vacancy.
Joe Girardi and Buck Showalter will interview for the #Phillies’ managerial vacancy this week, sources tell The Athletic. Dusty Baker also will interview, per @MDGonzales. Showalter meeting first reported by @JSalisburyNBCS.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 13, 2019
All three names are considered among the biggest available names.
Right now the Phillies are not linked to Joe Maddon. Maddon was recently not renewed by the Chicago Cubs, and it was thought that the Los Angeles Angels might have fired manager Brad Ausmus to pursue Maddon. Maddon openly stated he was interested with a job with the Angels, a franchise for whom for many years he served as a coach and interim manager. The Angels, however, are dealing with the revelation that a team employee supplied the late Tyler Skaggs with opioids that might have led to his death. The report suggested that other Angels players were abusing the drug, too.
Here is a quick snapshot of the three:
Joe Girardi
Girardi already interviewed for the Chicago Cubs managerial vacancy and is set to interview for the New York Mets job as well. Girardi almost certainly will manage for somebody in 2020. Girardi has one thing that the other managerial candidates do not possess: a World Series Championship as manager. That World Series Championship came in 2009 against the Phillies.
The advantage for the Phillies could come in the form of bench coach Rob Thomson. Thomson served as bench coach for Girardi in 2008 and again 2014-2015. He served as third base coach the other seasons of Girardi's tenure as New York Yankees manager.
Of course, Thomson could depart the Phillies organization to work for Girardi. But the fact Thomson is still with the Phillies could help their chances.
Buck Showalter
This name emerged even before the firing of Kapler, when Matt Gelb of the Athletic reported that there was "mutual interest" between Showalter and the Phillies. Showalter is connected to Phillies president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak. MacPhail was president of the Baltimore Orioles when Showalter joined the Orioles as manager in 2010. Klentak was director of baseball operations.
Showalter has won manager of the year awards three times, but has never won a World Series. When he was hired by the Orioles, some suggested that Orioles owner Peter Angelos was behind the hiring. Might the Phillies owner do the same?
Dusty Baker
Baker has notably led four franchises: The San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals. It was MacPhail who hired Baker with the Cubs in 2002. Upon the hiring, MacPhail discussed Baker's strength, and that is credibility with the players:
"We're very thrilled to have him," Cubs president Andy MacPhail said. "His record speaks for itself. He's an enormously popular manager with his players. As result, the field of players that would like to play for the Cubs has increased with tonight's announcement by a large amount."
Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said once of Baker that there is "no other guy I'd want to be playing for".
Harper's influence could help other players buy in to the leadership, something which appears to have been lacking as of late.
Baker is 70 years old and may not manage for too long if he takes a job. Could Baker take the reigns of the Phillies and allow someone like Dusty Wathan to learn under his tutelage for a couple years from now?
