I’m running in the Eagles Autism Challenge 5K to raise money for the Eagles Autism Foundation. You can support a great cause by donating here.

The Phillies are on the road to recovery.

Time will tell if they take all the necessary steps.

Step 1 involved changing managers. It was time. Rob Thomson was a good Phillies manager. At times, he pushed all the right buttons. His work guiding the 2022 team from the doldrums to the NL pennant will live in franchise lore. He worked hard. He was respected. I don’t think he lost this team. But they stopped performing for him.

I thought the Phillies should have moved on from Topper at the end of last season’s playoff defeat vs. the Dodgers. They didn’t. Instead, they hedged. Don Mattingly arrived to give the team a parachute if they fell. And fall they have. Dave Dombrowski wanted Alex Cora. That day will have to wait.

As we sit here now, I can appreciate Dombrowski acting. The season couldn’t be wasted. He recognized that a more impactful voice could better the Phillies now and into the future.

The next step? It might be a harder one for Dombrowski to recognize.