Rob Thomson becomes 1st Canadian full-time manager in MLB since 1935

After starting the 2022 MLB season as the bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, Canadian Rob Thomson has been elevated to the manager position, after the team fired Joe Girardi on Friday.

Thomson, who was born in Sarnia, Ont and grew up in nearby Corunna, Ont, becomes the first full-time Canadian manager since George Gibson (London, Ont) led the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935.

"As a bench coach you're spending a whole lot of time preparing for the other club and probably not so much time in the clubhouse," said Thomson. "I'm going to take the preparer hat off. I'm still going to prepare some, but I'm going to have my confidence in the coaches around me to keep me informed of information."

After being drafted in the 32nd round of the 1983 MLB Draft, Thomson toiled in the minor leagues for 136 games as a catcher and third baseman.

He latched onto a coaching job within the New York Yankees organization after his playing career, starting as a third base coach fort the single A Fort Lauderdale club in 1990.

He worked his way up to Field Coordinator, then Director of Player Development and finally Vice President of Minor League Development, where he was then promoted to the Yankees MLB coaching staff in 2003.

In 2008, Girardi (then Yankees manager) hired Thomson as his bench coach. He held that role for six seasons, winning a World Series in 2009.

In 2018, Thomson became the bench coach for the Phillies, which he has held until Friday's promotion.

Congratulations to 2019 Hall of Famer Rob Thomson on his new Manager position! https://t.co/J36D1U3r8n

— Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum 🇨🇦⚾️ (@CDNBaseballHOF) June 3, 2022

The Phillies currently sit at 22-29, 12 games behind first place New York Mets in the NL East. They were expected to contend for a division title and a playoff spot.