Part ways

The 2022 regular season is almost coming to an end. For some teams, they already clinched a spot in the playoffs and have to be well prepared for the postseason. At the same time, some teams are fighting hard for a spot in the postseason. During the regular season, for some teams, they decide to make a tough decision, which is to part ways with the manager. By far this season, we have seen 4 managers be fired.

 

Firstly, the Phillies began the season with 22-29 and decided to dismiss manager Joe Girardi. He was named the 2006 NL Manager of the Year while managing the Marlins. In 2009, he led the Yankees to win the World Series title. The Phillies hired Girardi in 2019 and he had a 132-141 record with the Phillies. Rob Thomson became the interim manager of the Phillies. Since Thomson took the job, the Phillies have a 61-43 record and it’s possible to see the team clinch a spot in the postseason.

 

In addition, Joe Maddon, who is a 3-time Manager of the year award winner, led the Cubs to win the World Series title in 2016, ending the 108-year drought. In his managerial career, he has won more than 1000 games. Maddon is surely one of the most experienced managers in the league. However, the Angels decided to part ways with Maddon on June 7. This season, the Angels went 27-29 during Maddon’s managerial stint. After firing Maddon, things don’t go well and the Angels are out of the playoff contention.

 

Thirdly, Charlie Montoyo was dismissed by the Blue Jays before the 2022 All-Star game. It’s Montoyo’s fourth season as the Blue Jays manager. This season, Montoyo led the Blue Jays with a record of 46-42. He’s the only manager to be fired from a team with a winning record. The Blue Jays decided to let John Schneider be the Blue Jays interim manager. Since Schneider began the new role, the Blue Jays have a winning percentage over .600. The Blue Jays just clinched a playoff berth.

 

Moreover, the Rangers fired Chris Woodward in August. The Rangers have a disappointing 2022 season. At the time of Woodward’s firing, the Rangers had a record of 51 wins and 63 losses. The Rangers spent a lot on signing several top free agents such as Corey Seager and Marcus Semien during the offseason. But, the team is again out of the playoff race.

 

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Don Mattingly won’t be back as Marlins manager next year. He led the Marlins to clinch a playoff spot in 2020. Mattingly is the leader in managerial victories for the franchise, but the winning percentage is under .500.

 

Playing in the big leagues is not easy. Being a manager in the majors isn’t easy, either. Making changes in the coaching staff isn’t an easy decision to make. 4 teams decided to part ways with their managers in the mid-season, in particular, 2 of these 4 managers used to win the Manager of the Year award and led a team to the World Series title. Thus, an award-winning manager doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Furthermore, it doesn’t guarantee that a new manager will dramatically change everything immediately. The Angels and the Rangers are out of the playoff race. Nonetheless, the Blue Jays are back in the postseason. At the same time, the Phillies could return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Rob Thomson and John Schneider each have done a great job.