Watch proud dad shed tears at rookie pitcher’s Phillies debut
A proud dad couldn’t hold back tears as his son, Orion Kerkering, made his MLB pitching debut at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Topper will be back in the Philadelphia Phillies dugout for another two more seasons.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson received a one-year extension that will keep him in Philly through 2027, the team announced on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Thomson, who has served as manager since 2022, was on the final year of his initial deal with the team.
Since taking over for former manager Joe Girardi on June 3, 2022, Thomson has led the team to four-straight playoff appearances.
He signed a two-year contact on Oct. 10, 2022 after leading the team to a World Series run that fell short in six games against the Houston Astros. He’s guided the Phillies to back-to-back National League East division titles the last two seasons.
Thomson is 10th all time in wins as a Phillies manager with a 346-251 record and first all time in winning percentage at .580 with a minimum 315 games. He’s third in winning percentage among active managers behind Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (.621) and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (.584).
Despite the team’s success under Thomson, the Phillies have fallen short of a World Series title despite a star-studded roster that includes sluggers Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto along with star pitchers Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and, for this past year, Jesús Luzardo.
After falling short to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NL championship series, the Phils’ offense sputtered in NL divisional series losses to the New York Mets and the Dodgers.
Thomson, 62, was originally hired by the Phillies as a bench coach in 2018 to serve under Girardi, who he followed to Philadelphia from the Yankees. He served in several positions, including first and third base coach, player development and minor league managerial roles, in 28 years with New York.
Before he began coaching, Thomson played four minor league seasons as a catcher in the Detroit Tigers farm system from 1985 to 1988.
