It’s been eight days ... and you’re probably still not over it.

If you’re a diehard Phillies’ fan, you can gain some relief from the Eagles’ quandary of a start, and the fact that the Sixers will likely flounder again when Joel Embiid incurs another injury.

The Phillies’ cardiac collapse likely will have a lasting sting until the day pitchers and catchers report to welcome a new chapter in 2026. It doesn’t help matters either that the Dodgers appear to be on their way to their second consecutive World Series title.

Don’t dismay, Phillies fans. The club has rehired manager Rob Thomson, and there are already several indications that they’ll bring back the core of shortstop Trea Turner, first baseman Bryce Harper, and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.

But ... should they? Or are there some other possible changes that can help the Phils back to the World Series for the first time since 2022?

In this version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll weigh the decision to bring Thomson back, and also look at the state of the Phillies supporting lineup cast.

Also, I’ll rewind the tape of a current high school football coach who made a major impact on his baseball team during his senior year.

Don’t Rob Him ... In a recent Times News Facebook poll, the question was posed whether the Phillies should fire Thomson.

Well, apparently most of you want to see him back in the dugout.

An overwhelming 74 percent wanted Thomson back, and 26 percent elected to have him pack his bags.

Rob-bing Him ... Like he has had for the last three seasons, Thomson had his share of questionable moves this season, highlighted by Bryson Stott’s controversial bunt in Game 2 of the NLDS, and the choice to walk Shohei Ohtani in Game 4 to load the bases.

For me, there also was the possible early pull of Jesus Luzardo in Game 4, and the early entry of Johan Duran — also in that game.

Thomson took over for Joe Girardi 51 games into the 2022 season, and guided the team to a 65-46 finish that resulted in a trip to the World Series.

Over the last three seasons, Thomson had led the team to two division titles and another playoff appearance. He has the highest winning percentage (.580, 346-251) of all the Phillies 58 managers who ran the team for more than one year. Bob Allen had a .710 percentage for his 35 games (25-10) in 1890.

Thomson also was hired as the interim manager and then given the post by current president Dave Dombrowski.

The Phils’ front office likely created enough scenarios to fire him, but Thomson does have enough scenarios in his corner. Firing him would have been a missive sent to the current core as a way to ignite them further.

Unfortunately, the Phils don’t have another Dallas Green in their system. Green was a major part of the 1980 championship when he replaced Danny Ozark in August of 1979 after Ozark couldn’t get the club to the Big Dance in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Ozark began the Phils’ resurrection in 1973, and the team had a winning record two years later.

Bruce Bochy, definitely a Hall of Fame manager and one of the nicest guys in the business, is available and may have changed the culture and the scenery. As of this writing, there were nine managerial positions still open.

Around Philadelphia, Jimmy Rollins’ name was floated as a possible replacement for Thomson, but the former Phils great probably should stick to his gig in the booth for TBS.

Old Switcheroo ... The rumors about Schwarber leaving to test the free-agent market have already heated up. One has him joining the Mets, who are reluctant to give Pete Alonso his requested seven-year deal.

Would the Phillies sign Alonso? If they lower his bid, they might. Alonso is two years younger, and the Phils could bump Harper back to the outfield.

Other teams reportedly in the mix for Schwarber are the Reds, Padres, Cubs and Mariners.

Change the Supporting Cast? ... Aside from possibly shaking up the trio of Turner, Harper and Schwarber, there could be some movement among Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. All three will enter their arbitration years in 2026.

Bohm was reportedly readily shopped on the trading market last winter, and was ready to head to Seattle for a pitcher, notably George Kirby. It was the time to deal Bohm off his All-Star appearance and arguably a career year.

This season, Bohm slipped offensively in nearly every offensive and defensive analytical category with 11 homers and 59 RBIs despite a slight hike in his average to .287. With the possible departure of Schwarber, Bohm will likely be back at third base.

Like Bohm, Stott also looms to be back at second unless Dombrowski can pull off a trade. Seattle’s Jorge Polanco, who does have a club option, and Gleyber Torres are the two top names in the free agent market.

Marsh is the wild card here, especially with the emergence of Harrison Bader, who provided a presence at the top of the lineup as well as a steady glove.

In the second half of the season, Marsh rebounded after a slow start, but his bat fizzled in the postseason.

Cast Away ... Have we seen the last of Nick Castellanos? It’s likely, as the controversial outfielder has probably played his way out of Philly.

He fell in disfavor with Thomson over being benched for his lack of production. And then Castellanos literally blamed the fans in his quote, “We don’t want to be reprimanded” after the Phils’ Game 2 loss to the Dodgers.

Ironically, Castellanos did come up with two big hits in the final playoff games even though he hit just .133 in the NLDS.

He did rebound to hit .250 in September after he struggled to a .180 average in August and a .207 slate in July. However, Castellanos hit one homer with 11 RBIs in the final month, and had seven homers over the final two months.

Castellanos finished with a sub-par 17-homer, 72-RBI, .250 season with 133 strikeouts in 547 at-bats.

Look for the 33-year-old to be dealt for a reliever.

Justin-In Time ... There will be plenty of speculation of whether top prospect Justin Crawford will be the Phillies left fielder or center fielder to open the 2026 season.

Many scouts believed Crawford would already be with the parent club, as most prospects like him would have been part of the landscape. A few weeks ago, Crawford was expected to be added to the postseason roster.

This season, Crawford hit. 334 in 112 games with 147 hits, seven homers, 49 RBIs, 58 walks, 46 steals (caught 11 times), and had a .411 OBP. The 21-year-old had a 13-game hitting streak in August, and hit better than .340 in that period.

In the spring, Crawford should have a legitimate shot to win the center field or left field job.

Another Interesting Phill-er ... Think back to the 1975 Phillies team, when they had the likes of Garry Maddox, Larry Bowa and Dave Cash as leading base-stealer candidates.

However, guess who led the team?

It was Mike Schmidt with 29 swipes, and he was caught 12 times. Maddox had 24 steals and three caught, Bowa 24 and six, and Cash 13 and six.

Another unlikely candidate was Dick Allen with 11 steals and caught just twice.

Scrapbook ... Each column, I peel back the pages to briefly review the career of a former standout from our area.

Northern Lehigh head football coach Joe Tout had an outstanding three-sport career in football, wrestling and baseball at Panther Valley, where he was a 1995 graduate. Tout was known for his football prowess, as he was an AP Small School First-Team All-State choice as a lineman, recording 103 tackles in the process. Tout went on to play at New Haven University.

On the wrestling mat, Tout also made his mark, posting a 64-30 career record, and won a district title as a heavyweight in his first season with the sport. He also was a three-time regional qualifier, and notched third- and fifth-place district finishes.

Forgotten in the mix was his baseball career with the Panthers. Tout missed his junior year with a shoulder injury, but returned with a banner season his final year.

A first baseman, Tout his .367 with two homers and 30 RBIs in 21 games. One of Tout’s homers will forever be embedded in Panthers baseball lore, as he belted a grand slam against Marian that gave them the Schuylkill League Division III title.

Final Thought ... Oh, by the way, there are 116 days until the expected pitchers and catchers first day on Feb. 10, 2026.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.