The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Thursday there was a mutual parting between the club and Don Mattingly. The 54 year old spent five seasons as Dodgers manager, going 446-363.
Mattingly guided the club three straight seasons with least 90 wins for the first time since 1976-78, and the Dodgers won three consecutive division titles for the first time in franchise history, all the while working diligently to maintain harmony in the clubhouse.
For as much regular-season success as the Dodgers had under Mattingly, they never advanced beyond Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, and the manager was 8-11 in postseason play.
Mattingly’s spent a significant portion of the last three seasons on the hot seat amid high expectations in Los Angeles. Significant changes in the front office after the 2014 season certainly didn’t lend to any relief.
Despite that, Mattingly leaves Los Angeles with fond memories and good relationships intact. “I felt very comfortable with Andrew, Josh [Byrnes, senior vice president of baseball operations] and Farhan [Zaidi, general manager],” Mattingly said of working with the analytically-driven front office.
“That situation was really good. I loved the information that I was able to get. It was really a learning situation for me and I really enjoyed it. … We had a great relationship all year long.”
For as much as Mattingly and the Dodgers’ front office were painted as being on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of philosophy, both parties routinely shared positive thoughts on the working relationship throughout the season.
Zaidi said praised Mattingly prior to the NL Division Series beginning for his preparation, work ethic, and willingness to incorporate various strategies and ideologies; Friedman and Zaidi reiterated that sentiment in Thursday’s press conference.
While Mattingly is moving on to new endeavors, it’s not without remembering those he encountered along the way during his tenure with the Dodgers. “There’s a lot of people I met within the organization and have great relationships with,” he said.
“I’ve been in the Dodgers organization for over eight years now. You meet a lot of great people. All the people behind the scenes: the girls that run the elevator, the guy at the front gate, the grounds crew, security guys, those people are really special to me. I loved the interaction with them.”
