After two lackluster seasons as the Philadelphia Phillies manager, Gabe Kapler has been fired and former Yankee’s manager Joe Girardi was named the replacement.
Potential managerial candidates included Girardi, Dusty Baker, and Joe Maddon.
“Girardi is a very experienced manager that won a World Series with the Yankees and had a lot of success. That’s a pretty good track record,” said Shane Buraweski of Warminster, a mathematics major at Bucks.
The Phillies decision to move on from Kapler was a pleasant surprise to many fans. Kapler’s odd pitching rotations, questionable flipping of positions in the field, and an obsession with analytics all contributed to his departure.
Tom Hoezel, a computer science major, supported the firing of Kapler.  “I feel like Kapler lost the respect of the locker room. To have two straight seasons where the team collapses down the stretch, it is definitely concerning,”said Hoezel.
Up and coming cornerstones for the franchise such as Maikel Franco, Rhys Hoskins, and Odubel Herrera all turned in sub-par results this season. Young pitchers Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez, and Zach Eflin also did not meet their expectations. Many wonder if these poor performances were due to the teams prior management.
First year student Justin Henderson business administration major, expressed his frustration with the lack of production from young players.  “Guys like Rhys Hoskins have a ton of potential, but just didn’t play very well. The product on the field was disappointing to say the least,” he said.
With the recent success and World Series appearance for the Washington Nationals, it seems as though the pressure is on the Phillies front office to go all in for the 2020 season. With a relatively talented roster, the potential for a postseason run is definitely there.
Perhaps a signing of a successful manager will galvanize the organization, and bring back a Red October. Some students wondered if a new manager will be enough to make up for the glaring holes on the roster.
Engineering major John Alker from Warminster thinks that the Phillies will continue to struggle. “They have so many deficiencies on the roster, specifically in the pitching department. The pitching staff is very poor, and I don’t think the Phillies bats can make up for it,” said Alker
It is going to be interesting to see how much of a difference the team plays under new management. The Phil’s could be a playoff contender with a new coach. Go Phillies!