Phillies' Bryce Harper reacts to Rob Thomson firing

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Phillies' Bryce Harper reacts to Rob Thomson firing

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 8:03 AM ET

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper will miss "Topper."

The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday. Harper said that he learned of the news alongside media members. He expressed his respect for "Topper," who coached him for eight seasons in Philadelphia.

Bryce Harper speaks on Rob Thomson firing

"I talked to Topper this morning, just told him I appreciate him," Harper said (h/t Jason Dumas of WPVI-TV in Philadelphia). "Obviously, he wasn't supposed to be around that long. Everybody knows that he kinda took the job and was like, 'I don't know if I'm going to do this for a long time.' Then we started winning. Obviously, he's done great things for us. We all had a lot of fun in here, a lot of great memories. Talked to him this morning, told him I appreciated him, and if he ever needed anything, just to reach out."

Thomson, who had been with the organization since 2018, assumed managerial duties during the 2022 season after the Phillies fired Joe Girardi. The team promoted him to full-time manager after going 65-46 in 111 regular-season games and leading the Phillies to the World Series. Philadelphia lost the Fall Classic to the Houston Astros in six games.

Bryce Harper said he found out about the news at the same time as all of us: pic.twitter.com/nzX697ljpt
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) April 28, 2026

Thomson, who compiled a 355-270 regular-season record in Philadelphia, guided the Phillies to three more postseason appearances but failed to advance past the National League Championship Series in those trips. Philadelphia clearly felt change was needed after a 9-19 start this season.

Harper — who was slashing .260/.345/.500 with six home runs entering Tuesday — shouldered blame.

"We love Topper in here. He was a great manager for us over the years," Harper said (h/t PHLY Phillies). "I've played for a lot of guys over my 15-year career, and Topper is definitely one of the guys at the top. He was a Steady Eddy, really good for the clubhouse, really good for the team. But obviously this year hasn't gone as planned, and as players we take that, and we're the ones that kinda make those decisions happen."

"We love Topper in here..

I've played for a lot of guys over my 15-year career and Topper is definitely one of the guys at the top."

- Bryce Harper pic.twitter.com/SnO0ZuH8TO
— PHLY Phillies (@PHLY_Phillies) April 28, 2026

Former New York Yankees star Don Mattingly is now set to serve as interim manager. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Tuesday that he contacted Alex Cora, whom the Boston Red Sox fired this past Saturday, about managing the club. The one-time World Series champion declined his offer to spend more time with his family.

Philadelphia hopes the early move lights a fire under Harper and others. If it doesn't, the Phillies season could continue to go sideways.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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