Castellanos Shares Candid Feelings About Girardi, Managerial Change

The Philadelphia Phillies have been a different ball club since Rob Thomson took over as manager in June. No one can deny that. After Joe Girardi was fired on Jun. 3, the team went 65-46. It was clear they were playing with a different energy than before. 

In a recent interview, outfielder Nick Castellanos went into greater detail about why that might be. The veteran told Jesse Rogers of ESPN: "Sometimes managers manage for the 'W' that day but in the process hinder the feelings and personalities of other players. We didn't have everyone feeling the best versions of themselves. When Thomson was able to come in, with no pressure on him, he just went out and let baseball be played."

Several Phillies players have praised Thomson's managerial style (and some have subtly shaded his predecessor in the process) but Castellanos' comments have been the boldest yet. He is not the first player to credit Thomson for the team's incredible turnaround, but his words make it more evident than ever before that Girardi was part of the problem. Simply put, it sounds like certain players weren't happy during the previous manager's tenure.