Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies manager responds to SP 'liking' tweets critical of his performance

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 10/26/23

Shortly after the Philadelphia Phillies saw their season come to an abrupt end in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, starting pitcher Taijuan Walker caused a stir by "liking" several posts on social media critical of manager Rob Thomson.

On Thursday, Thomson responded.

"People get emotional. He's a competitive guy," Thomson said via Dave Uram of KYW Newsradio. "I love Taijuan, I really do."

Thomson came under fire for his decisions during the NLCS, and after the Arizona Diamondbacks knocked the Phils out several fans took to social media to attack the manager for failing to use Walker during the postseason. Walker not only "liked" those posts but made one of his own, saying, "Disrespect is at an all-time high."

Disrespect is at an all time high #nextyear
— Taijuan Walker (@tai_walker) October 25, 2023

Walker signed a four-year, $72 million deal in the offseason, jumping from the rival New York Mets to the City of Brotherly Love. The 30-year-old even led the team in wins with 15, but somehow, he wasn't part of the team's plans in October. Instead, when the Phillies needed starters behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the NLCS and NLDS, Thomson gave the ball to Ranger Suarez four times and Cristopher Sanchez once.

Despite the obvious sour feelings, Thomson said he was sure "everything will be fine" while praising Walker's attitude.

"I want a guy like that," Thomson said. "That type of thing doesn't bother me. I'll call him at some point but I love him. I love his demeanor, I love his toughness."

The Phillies dropped the NLCS after owning a 2-0 and 3-2 series lead before losing Games 6 and 7 at home to end their season. The shell-shocked feeling isn't likely to dissipate soon, so seeing a player like Walker show their frustration isn't surprising. To his credit, Thomson handled questions about the situation the right way, which is a slight positive to begin what will ultimately be a very long offseason for the Phillies.

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