Phillies rule out Jim Leyland from managerial vacancy

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking for a new manager, but all signs are that it will not be one prominent former MLB skipper.

The Phillies announced on Friday that they had parted ways with manager Joe Girardi amid their 22-29 start to the 2022 season. Girardi’s firing was one of multiple sweeping changes to the team’s coaching staff.

Addressing reporters after the news broke, Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski appeared to rule out one name that has been speculated as a possible replacement for Girardi — former Manager of the Year Jim Leyland.

“Jim Leyland is one of my best friends,” said Dombrowski, per 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. “I do know that Jim is not interested on getting back on the field as a manager.”

The Leyland link makes sense — he managed the Detroit Tigers from 2006-13 with Dombrowski serving as Detroit’s general manager throughout that span. But Leyland has not managed a team since leaving the Tigers and is already 77 years old (Tony LaRussa of the Chicago White Sox is the only active manager who is older).

Bench coach Rob Thomson will be holding down the fort for the Phillies in the meantime as their interim manager. As for Leyland, some of his funny antics in Detroit will probably be the last image that we have of him as an MLB manager.