Donnie Baseball Next To Lead Dodgers?
Via the Evansville Courier & Press -
As Joe Torre enters the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting coach Don Mattingly appears to be the logical choice as Torre’s successor.
Of course, Mattingly has been through all of this before in New York. He interviewed for the Yankees’ vacancy following the 2007 season but was bypassed in favor of Joe Girardi. Torre left the Yankees and Mattingly followed him west. Together, they helped guide the Dodgers to back-to-back National League Western Division championships.
“This is my time to really kind of get myself back together because the season kind of beats you up,” Mattingly said. “There’s just so much time, day in and day out. You play about 210 games, counting spring training and everything in like 240 days, so when you get home you really try to mellow out and get yourself back together, which takes some time.”
Although he may always be considered a Yankee first, he’s enjoyed his first two years with the Dodgers.
“It’s been a good organization for me,” Mattingly said. “They’ve treated me really well and I’ve been fortunate, really.
“It’s been two great organizations with the Yankees and now the Dodgers.”
He wasn’t about to proclaim himself the front-runner if Torre, who turns 70 on July 18, does in fact retire after his contract expires.
“We’ve got a good young club and the organization seems to like me and have confidence in me, so we’ll have to see what happens,” Mattingly said.
He said he and Torre have a good rapport and there are no secrets.
“As far as Joe, it’s whenever he wants (to retire) as far as I’m concerned,” Mattingly said. “He’s great at what he does and there needs to be no timetable.”
At 48, Mattingly has plenty of time in his bid to become a manager.
“I haven’t set an amount of time, but I’d like to do it, that’s for sure,” he said.
“I’ve set it as a goal for myself.”
Given the mess in Dodger Town between Frank and Jamie McCourt, I’m not sure why anyone would want to work for that team. But, Mattingly is saying all the right things here.
Someday, someway, it would be nice to get Mattingly back into the Yankees family. Sure, Tony Pena and or Kevin Long could walk and create an opening. But, would that work – having Donnie there with General Joe in charge? Sounds like a QB controversy waiting to happen…no?
Tony Pena is one of my favorites in the Yankee organization, and I hope he stays with the team for a long time.
That said, I think it’s in Donnie’s best interest to stay in LA for now, and assume the managers role once Torre leaves. If for nothing else, it looks a lot better to have manager of a team on your resume, than it does to say bench coach.
I’d like to see Don Mattingly come back to the Yankees, but not at the expense of Kevin Long. Hopefully he is a guy who sticks around for quite a while.
Well, that’s why Mattingly left to go to LA when Girardi got the job – he didn’t want to be a distraction. And you KNOW there would have been rumors of him taking over after 2008, and/or in 2009 when the Yanks were slumping in Atlanta.
Considering his undistinguished career as a coach under Torre while in NY, there isn’t much about Mattingly that screams “hire me” apart from his legendary status as an ex-player.
Honestly, I like Donnie, but I’ll pass on hiring him. I don’t like the idea of hiring guys that are fan-faves, only because it becomes harder to fire them, even if they deserve it.
I wish Mattingly all the success in the world…just over in the NL.
MJ Recanati wrote:
Exactly why I would stay in LA, if I were Mattingly.