As tweeted recently (and w/ appropriate apologies to Bull Durham):"If you believe you’re playing well because you changed your manager or because you’re not getting laid or because you wear women’s underwear, then you are. And you should know that".

Thomson is just one win away from moving into 6th place on the all-time list of winningest Canadian managers. He's also the first manager born in Canada since George Gibson was fired by the 1934 Pirates.

Gibson started 432 out of 463 games at catcher for the Pirates from 1908-1910, which seems like a lot.

then he started only 92 G in 1911, even though the backup (62 G) only had a 57 OPS+ at age 28. of course, Gibson himself slipped to 49 OPS+ that year after posting 78/109/93 as an Iron Man.

of course, the only year he got an MVP vote was for that dismal 1911 season. maybe the 0 HR in 311 PA caught a writer's eye. or something. (he usually hit either 2 or 3 HR per season.)

There was no MVP award prior to 1911.

thanks. so Gibson got an MVP vote in a season when he had 311 PA and a 49 OPS+.

Right. I wasn't so much defending the vote, but explaining why he didn't get any earlier with much better seasons.

extrapolating an MVP vote for THAT season to Gibson's 150-games started-at-catcher, 109 OPS+ season of 1909 and - well, take a seat, 1909 teammate Honus Wagner, with your puny 177 OPS+ at SS !

;)

I'm sure he would have done very well in MVP voting in 1909, had there been one. The Pirates won the pennant (and WS), and voters back then loved catchers on good teams.

Finally looked him up to see he is not the same player as former Giant 2B Robby Thompson. Spell their names differently. About the same age, 2 years apart. This guy played catcher and 3B in the Tiger’s system, but didn’t play above the Florida State league.

At this rate he’s never going back to Matchbox 20.

I have not watched the Phillies since Girardi's firing, but for some reason I thought their new manager was a guy who played a few innings in the outfield for the Royals and Rays over a decade ago. Turns out that was one of three Rich Thompsons.

I'm sure he would have done very well in MVP voting in 1909, had there been one. The Pirates won the pennant (and WS), and voters back then loved catchers on good teams.

Gibson's iron man catcher effort that year - starting 150 of the Pirates 154 games at catcher - is even more impressive than it appears. He caught 149 of the Pirates first 150 games, and then after the Pirates had clinched the pennant, sat out three of the last four games to rest up for the World Series.

Looks as if the streak will end at eight, with the Phillies trailing 10-1. What's the record for most consecutive wins to begin one's managerial career?

What's the record for most consecutive wins to begin one's managerial career?

I'm not absolutely sure, but Joe Morgan won 12 in a row when he took over the Red Sox in 1988.

It is Scullianly ironic that Rob Thomson (who is neither Bobby Thomson nor Robby Thompson) and Joe Morgan (who is and isn't Joe Morgan) come up in the same thread.