How Dave Dombrowski Led the Phillies to the World Series

In Philadelphia, Dombrowski inherited many of the team’s current top players, like Harper and J.T. Realmuto, the talented catcher. But when Realmuto became a free agent after the 2020 season, Dombrowski anchored him to Philadelphia with a five- year, $115.5 million contract. When he saw the team needed more punch, he signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, two significant contributors, especially in the postseason.

To stabilize the outfield defense between Schwarber and Castellanos, Dombrowski acquired center fielder Brandon Marsh from the Angels in August, along with the nervy relief pitcher David Robertson and the versatile right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who will start Game 3 of the World Series on Monday.

Perhaps the most decisive move was firing Joe Girardi as manager after a disappointing 22-29 start this season, and replacing him with his bench coach, Rob Thomson, who had never managed in the big leagues. Many players see it as the turning point.

“During the season, you make adjustments, you make a manager change, things like that,” Harper said, “and it just kind of goes from there.”

Harper and other players also laud Dombrowski’s human skills. They point to the accommodations he makes for their families and his willingness to collaborate on issues surrounding team rules and travel. During the division series, Dombrowski wanted the team to spend a night in Atlanta to ensure proper rest. But when the situation came up again, the players asked if they could go home that time, and Dombrowski conceded.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/sports/baseball/dave-dombrowski-phillies-world-series.html