In a sport like baseball that’s been around for over a hundred years, it’s rare for something to happen for the first time. But on Thursday, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson will write his own page in the baseball history books by becoming the first Canadian to lead a team in the World Series.
In typical Thomson understated fashion, he downplays the significance of the historical achievement.
“There have been so many firsts this year that I really haven’t had time to think about them. I am Canadian. I live there in the offseason,” Thomson told CBC. “I love our country and who we all are, but I really didn’t think of it that way as the first Canadian to lead the World Series.
“I’m just very happy to manage the World Series.”
The Thomson Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series to earn their spot in the Fall Classic. They will face the American League champion Houston Astros with Game 1 scheduled for Friday.
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Thompson may not be celebrating his achievement, but it is significant, said Scott Crawford, director of operations at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, of which Thomson is a member.
“It shows Canadians can do the heavy lifting. We know as much about baseball and we’re as good at baseball as any other country,” Crawford said. “With Rob on the big screen for the World Series, it just goes to show that if Rob can do it, you know, from a small town in southern Ontario, then anyone can do it in Canada.”
Thomson has traveled many places during his decades-long baseball journey, but has always remained close to the small town he grew up in. He was born in Sarnia, Ontario, but his home was just down the highway in Corunna, a small town of about 2,000 people.
And as the 59-year-old steps onto baseball’s biggest stage, many townspeople will be watching closely and celebrating the man they’ve known since he was a little boy.
At Antonio’s Pizza, along the town’s main street, the large sign in front of the restaurant wishes Thompson and his Phillies good luck. Inside, staff are decked out in Phillies gear, proudly promoting the Rob Thomson World Series Special. It includes a pitcher of beer and a Philly pizza inspired by the famous Philly cheesesteak.
“I think that’s great. I think that says a lot for a person to come from a small town and start on a small baseball field and work their way up to the World Series. is amazing,” said Ann Maitland, one of the restaurant’s servers.
Rick Corner is also very proud.
“He was the bat boy on a lot of [local] teams,” recalls Corner, a longtime friend of the Thomsons who spent many hours playing baseball with and against the family.
“They were a stalwart baseball family, eating, sleeping, drinking, baseball, all of their lives,” Corner said. “Yes, I guess the potential was there (to lead a team to the World Series), but La Coruña was a small community of 2,000 people. I don’t think anyone could imagine that.”
As a player, Thomson was good enough to play college baseball at the University of Kansas and was eventually drafted by the Detroit Tigers. But after a few years in the Tigers’ minor league system, he realized his future in baseball lay in coaching.
For the past 30 years, he has coached in the Detroit, New York and Philadelphia Yankees organizations. He finally got a Major League head coaching job that year when the Phillies fired his predecessor, Joe Girardi, a few months into the season.
“[Thomson] always wanted to be a manager. He didn’t get the chance with the Yankees, but it worked really well for him in Philadelphia and the players love him,” Corner said. “He is a very humble person. Nothing is about Robbie Thomson. He takes care of the team, he takes care of supporting the guys.”
Corner has stayed in touch with Thomson over the years, most recently visiting him in Philadelphia just after Thomson took over as manager. He was also instrumental in setting up an exhibit at the Moore Museum near La Coruña that pays tribute to Thomson’s baseball career.
“I met Robbie at his house to ask his opinion. He says I support you 100% whatever you want to do there. So at the museum itself I tried to build a timeline display “Corner said.
The exhibition presents objects, photos and uniforms from the time when Thomson played as a child in La Coruña until today. It includes jerseys from his time at the University of Kansas and his days with the Tigers and his jersey from the 1984 Canadian Olympic team, of which Thomson was a member.
“Rob gave me some Yankees jerseys from when he was there and some Phillies jerseys. There are so many photos and stories on display. I’m very proud,” Corner said.
Corner said he hopes Thomson’s emergence onto baseball’s biggest stage will lead many to the museum to see where it all began for his lifelong friend. But it is more than that.
“If I can inspire a little kid who sees this posting to see that this man came from a community of 2,000 as a bat boy and made it to the big leagues. If that can inspire a little kid, so I achieved my goal,” Corner said.
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