Their paths couldn't have been more divergent, but they're on baseball's biggest stage.
who've made it to the World Series after failing to win at least 90 games in the regular season.
He spent four seasons in the minor leagues but never made it higher than single-A ball before turning to coaching in 1988. Thomson joined the Phillies as bench coach in 2017, after he was passed up for Yankees manager. Following Girardi's exit, he was elevated to interim manager, signing a two-year contract during the Phillies' postseason run."Dusty" from his mother because, as a child, he'd camp out in the only part of the family's backyard that wasn't filled with grass.
A three-time Manager of the Year, Baker is a likely lock for the Hall of Fame after becoming only the 12th MLB manager toalong with rookie Glenn Burke while playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977.put them at ease after dealing with a stern tactician in Girardi, who didn't hesitate to bench players for making mistakes.