As fans continue to digest the news of Rob Thomson’s dismissal as Phillies manager, at least one legendary member of the franchise isn’t wild about the idea of firing a manager so early in the season.

Speaking to me on Monday, prior to Thomson’s firing, for my Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said, as a player, letting go of the skipper at this juncture of the season is a bad look for the players in the clubhouse.

Thomson was let go after parts of five seasons as the Phils’ manager, coming off back-to-back NL East championships but also a string of disappointing postseasons and a 9-19 record and the worst run differential in Major League Baseball. Schmidt says the players are acutely aware of their role in this situation.

Schmist says the team is the victim of a small sample size.

One thing the Phillies have in their favor is playing in an era in which getting off to a dreadfully slow start is more permissible. With three wild card teams and three division winners, teams can rally after a rough first couple months. Schmidt, who never played during a time when more than two division winners in each league made the postseason, is not a fan of a larger postseason field.

Regardless of how the 2026 season ends, it appears inevitable that the sport is headed for a lockout once the final pitch of the World Series is thrown. Owners appear determined to push for a salary cap and floor to combat the disparity between ultra-spending teams like the Dodgers and Mets, and the under-spending teams like the Reds, Pirates, A’s and Rays.

Schmidt is currently engaged in a campaign aimed at educating youth sports participants about the dangers of not using sunscreen while playing sports. Schmidt talked at length about his battle with melanoma as an adult, diagnosed in 2013 with Stage 3, undergoing surgery, immunotherapy and radiation to treat cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. His desire is for parents and kids to avoid those kinds of troubles with skin cancer as an adult.

If you would like to learn more about Mike Schmidt’s history with melanoma and his work with young athletes to prevent skin cancer, visit MelanomaFoundation.com.

You can watch the full interview on WHYY’s YouTube page here.

And catch the entire Hittin’ Season episode here!