The Philadelphia Phillies have the distinction of employing the oldest general manager in the league in Dave Dombrowsi, 69, writes Jared Diamond for The Wall Street Journal.
While he’s only been the Phillies’ president of basketball operations since 2021, his career began as an administrative assistant for the Chicago White Sox in 1978.
Over the past nearly half-century, he’s seen the entire league and its operations dramatically change.
Dombrowski’s longevity can be credited to his own ability to evolve with the league.
He’s built two separate World Series championship teams — the 1997 Florida Marlins and 2018 Boston Red Sox — and won three other pennants, including with the 2022 Phillies.
Furthermore, he’s led four ball clubs to the World Series in four different decades.
Baseball Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland called Dombrowski “a combination of the old and the new.”
When it comes to today’s league, guided by the analytics revolution, Dombrowski’s approach to team building can be summed up by 10 words he used after signing star shortstop Trea Turner to a $300 million contract in 2022.
“I really philosophically believe that you win with star players,” Dombrowski said at the time.
His hope is that the Phillies’ star players can help him reach the mountaintop for a third time this year.
Read more about Dave Dombrowski’s decorated tenure as an MLB executive in The Wall Street Journal.
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Last month, the Phillies headed into the NLDS with a batting champ, a home run king, and sky-high expectations. Here’s why they thought the first-round bye could be the edge they needed. Yeah, no.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in October 2025.
