Don Mattingly has given the Phillies a jolt since taking over as interim manager, and he’s not hiding how he feels about the job beyond this season.
Before Wednesday’s loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Mattingly said he would be open to staying in the role, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“Oh, I would do it,” Mattingly said. “I kind of committed myself to two years with the Phillies when I came over.
So, whatever [president of baseball operations] Dave [Dombrowski] wants to do in that regard. But yeah, I think I would like to do it.”
The Phillies turned to Mattingly after a 9-19 start led to Rob Thomson’s dismissal. Mattingly arrived in Philadelphia in January as a bench coach, then stepped into the manager’s chair and has already put together a strong run. The club is 42-23 since he took over.
That surge has pulled Philadelphia within three games of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East race, even with a couple of rough losses in recent days. Since the start of June, the offense has also shown more life.
Mattingly’s résumé is no mystery. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011 to 2015, right as the franchise began its rise from irrelevance to regular contention under Mark Walter’s ownership. After the Dodgers moved on from him in 2015, he took over the Miami Marlins in 2016 and spent seven disappointing seasons there before leaving.
The Phillies still have issues to sort through, though. A season-ending injury to right fielder Adolis Garcia, a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove winner, has left a major hole on defense, and the possibility of a trade remains on the table to help patch that spot.
Wednesday’s game in Cincinnati was another reminder that the pitching staff needs help if Philadelphia wants to take the next step. The Phillies struck first, scoring twice in the top of the second on a triple by Justin Crawford and a wild pitch that brought Crawford home. But the Reds answered with seven runs across the third and fourth innings, and Philadelphia never recovered.
For now, the results and the reaction around the Delaware Valley suggest Mattingly has plenty of support. The fans have embraced “Donnie Baseball,” and the team’s recent record gives that backing some weight.
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