Don Mattingly stepped in as the Philadelphia Phillies' interim manager earlier this season after Rob Thomson was relieved of his duties in April. The 65-year-old had experience as an MLB manager before as he previously managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins before returning to coaching positions. He joined the Phillies this season after a three-year stint with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Mattingly's son Preston is the general manager of the Phillies, making it a family affair in Philadelphia. This father-son duo will continue their partnership in Philly as the team announced on Wednesday that they are giving Mattingly a two-year contract to be the manager. Mattingly led the Phillies to a 79-55 record during his interim position.
Philadelphia clinched an NL wild-card berth, but lost to the Atlanta Braves in three games. Still, Mattingly took the team to the postseason, which helped his case in earning a contract to stay. During his stretch of being a manager for MLB teams, Mattingly has posted a 968-1,005 record.
He's reached the playoffs five times as a manager, and was even named NL Manager of the Year in 2020 with the Marlins. We'll see if he can bring that spark back when taking over the Phillies full-time next season. The Phillies reportedly interviewed other candidates to fill the managerial position, but went with Mattingly in the end.
The younger Mattingly was invited to interview with the Athletics for their open president of baseball operations role, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported, but Mattingly turned it down. The Mattinglys become the first father-son manager-general manager duo in MLB history. Next season, the Phillies will be looking to make their sixth-straight postseason, dating back to 2022 when they reached the World Series when they lost to the Houston Astros that year.
Mattingly famously has never won a World Series title either as a player, a coach or a manager. Could he break that streak within the next two seasons? There's a chance if the Phillies can figure their roster out.
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