With the Philadelphia Phillies stuck at the bottom of the MLB standings, the team’s front office knew action was necessary.
Many issues have contributed to the struggle, but completely overhauling the roster was never realistic. As a result, manager Rob Thomson was let go, and Don Mattingly was appointed interim manager in his place.
It’s unfortunate to see someone as respected as Thomson lose his position, but the move was essential to try and ignite a team that clearly has more talent than its performance has shown.
At the time of the change, the Phillies shared the league’s worst record (9-19) with the New York Mets. Mattingly steps into a difficult situation, but he’s exactly the right person to help steer the team back in the right direction.
Don Mattingly faces a major challenge with the Phillies
Looking at his managerial track record, some skepticism is understandable. In his previous role with the Miami Marlins, he posted a 443-587 record over seven seasons, only finishing above .500 once during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season (31-29).
Fired after 2022, this marks his return to a managerial role. However, it’s his earlier work with the Los Angeles Dodgers that should give Philadelphia fans reason for optimism.
Mattingly led the Dodgers to winning records in every full season he managed them. Over his final three years, they captured the NL West title and reached the playoffs each time. But it’s how they won two of those division crowns that stands out.
In 2013, the Dodgers were 12 games below .500 and trailed by 9.5 games in the NL West. The conversation wasn’t whether they’d return to playoff contention it was when Mattingly would be fired.
At the time, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti stood firmly behind his manager. He recalled an exchange with insider Ken Rosenthal during that rough stretch:
“I said, ‘Kenny, they’re going to have to fire me before they fire him,’” Colletti shared on Tuesday, via Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required), “because I ain’t firing him.”
That loyalty paid off. After a 30-42 start, the team caught fire, finishing with 92 wins and cruising to the NL West crown, 11 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The following year, the Dodgers again stumbled, sitting at 32-31. They ended that season with 94 victories and another division title, finishing six games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.
Don Mattingly aims to replicate Dodgers-style turnaround with Phillies
Not only does Mattingly serve as the common link in those Dodgers comebacks, but the roster situations also share similarities. The Phillies have several veterans off to slow starts who should positively regress to their career norms.
The Dodgers boasted Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke atop their rotation. Philadelphia has the potential for an elite rotation led by Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesus Luzardo. If Aaron Nola regains his form and Andrew Painter lives up to his prospect hype, they can match up with any rotation in baseball.
With over a month of runway, a 10.5-game deficit in the standings, and a record 10 games below .500 before May even begins, Mattingly should find this challenge manageable.
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