Thomson & Young Join Coaching Staff; No Ex-Phils on Staff

1998 Phillies Team Issue #18

The Phillies' 2018 coaching staff continues to take shape with the addition of Rob Thomson as the bench coach, Chris Young as the assistant pitching coach and Rick Kranitz officially getting the title of pitching coach.  At this point, only a first base coach is needed to round out Gabe Kapler's staff.

Thomson had served as the Yankees bench coach for four seasons (2008, 2015-2017) and their third base coach for six seasons (2009-2014).  He was one of the finalists for the Yankees' managerial vacancy, and that position was recently filled by Aaron Boone.  Thomson played four seasons in the Tigers' minor league system between 1985 and 1988.  His baseball cards can be found in a bunch of Tigers and Yankees minor league team sets and he received his sole mainstream card within 2009 Topps Heritage on a Yankees' coaches floating head card.

Young is not to be confused with the former All-Star outfielder or pitcher of the same name.  This Young pitched for six seasons in the Rockies, Pirates and Marlins systems but never made it to the big leagues.  He was the scouting supervisor for the Astros last season.  Young's baseball card appearances are sparse, with only two minor league cards to his name.

The recent coaching staff appointments had me thinking about this question:  When was the last time the Phillies' entire field staff was comprised of people who had never played for the Phillies?  I went back to 1970 (you can click on the chart below to enlarge) and I couldn't find one instance where there wasn't one ex-Phillie player as the team's manager or serving as a coach.  The names tinted in red below were one time Phillies players and there's nary a hint of red tint on the 2018 row.

In the last 49 seasons, there have been only a few times there have been only one ex-Phillie player on the staff:  Doc Edwards in 1970 and 1971, Bobby Wine from 1973 to 1976, John Vukovich from 1997 to 2000, and Milt Thompson in 2007 and 2008.