Phillies manager honoured by hometown Ontario museum

Rob Thomson honoured in museum exhibit A New museum exhibit honours Corunna’s Rob Thomson who was recently hired as the Philadelphia Phillies manager. Sean Irvine reports.

In a museum in Mooretown, Ont. packed with antiques of generations gone by sits a new, seemingly out of place, baseball sports display.

Its focus is Rob Thomson, the current manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the first Canadian full-time major-league manager since the 1930s.

Thomson, who hails from Corunna, a community south of Sarnia, Ont. is currently leading his team in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the San Diego Padres.

The best-of-seven is tied at a game a piece. If the Phillies win, they advance to the World Series.

The accomplishment is history, in real-time, for the operators of the Rob Thomson display at the Moore Museum.

“We’re excited to have it here because it is a new part of history. We’re excited to persevere it and take note of it,” says museum coordinator Fiona Doherty.

The museum collection is a trip through Thomson’s career, claims assistant Kari Boone.

“Autographed baseballs, autographed cards and program from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and some photographs of him when he was younger, you know up until playing and managing,” Boone said.

Thomson’s managing career is the highlight showing everything from his time with the now-defunct London Tigers AA franchise to his roles with the New York Yankees and in Philadelphia.

But the credit for the collection does not belong entirely to the museum.

Instead, an old rival from the diamond in Corunna started the process.

Rick Corner played against Thomson’s brother, Rick, growing up and knows Rob well.

While they say timing is everything, Corner says he first suggested the display over three years ago as a tribute to a "local baseball hero."

“I’ve got total support for Rob. He is the most humble guy around and he deserves something like this,” Corner said.

But he contends Thomson’s playoff run and career is not the main goal of the display.

“If I can inspire a little kid, growing up in a small community like Corunna, to achieve things like Rob has achieved over the years, well, that is the main inspiration,” he explains.

A thought echoed by Bonne.

“It was just to give kids that opportunity to realize that from being a bat boy in Corunna, you can make your way up into Major League Baseball.”

The Moore Museum is open Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.