Don Mattingly Is Out as Los Angeles Dodgers Manager, Don Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to part ways, the club announced Thursday.
Los Angeles was 446-363 under Mattingly, finishing with a winning record in every season and winning the last three National League West titles. But the Dodgers have not reached the World Series since winning the championship in 1988.
Mattingly, 54, a former Yankees star, ranks sixth in wins among Dodgers managers.
The franchise with baseball’s highest payroll, a record $289.6 million as of the end of the regular season, managed just two playoff victories before losing to the Mets in the decisive Game 5 of their division series last week.
Los Angeles reached the postseason in three straight years for the first time, but the Dodgers won just one series, beating Atlanta in the division series two years ago, while losing three.
Mattingly had one year remaining on his contract. He returned to his off-season home in Evansville, Ind., this week.“You come to spring training, you work all winter, you scratch, you fight, all year long to get into this situation and you have a chance. It comes to a crash,” Mattingly said last week. “I don’t think there’s any way to soften that blow.”
He was a holdover from the previous front office regime, having been Manager Joe Torre’s handpicked successor in 2010 after he coached under him for seven seasons in New York and Los Angeles.
Mattingly worked this season under the new tandem of the president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and General Manager Farhan Zaidi, who had greater hands-on management than what Mattingly was used to under the former general manager Ned Colletti.
Between Zaidi’s expertise in advanced analytics and Friedman’s reputation for building a roster by crunching numbers, Mattingly had a plethora of data at his disposal this season.
“His preparation has been tremendous,” Zaidi said before the playoffs began. “We see how thorough he is.”
But the end result was still the same.
The laid-back Mattingly had the support of his players, who appreciated his support and positive attitude.
“He’s our guy and I believe in him,” first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said last week.
Left fielder Kike Hernandez said, “He had nothing to do with this.”
Mattingly’s name surfaced last month for the Miami Marlins’ opening. There also are current managerial openings in San Diego, Seattle and Washington.
While there was speculation the Dodgers would need to make a deep postseason run for Mattingly to keep his job, the front office was publicly supportive of him.
“I think he’s done a very nice job this season with the roster turnover we’ve had and mixing and matching players,” Zaidi said this month. “If you’re going to tell me a team’s success is solely driven by the manager, I just don’t think that’s true.”
Mattingly’s departure is the latest within the franchise.
Stan Conte resigned last weekend after nine years directing the team’s medical staff. The organist Nancy Bea Hefley retired at season’s end after 28 years with the team.
Los Angeles was 446-363 under Mattingly, finishing with a winning record in every season and winning the last three National League West titles. But the Dodgers have not reached the World Series since winning the championship in 1988.Mattingly, 54, a former Yankees star, ranks sixth in wins among Dodgers managers.
The franchise with baseball’s highest payroll, a record $289.6 million as of the end of the regular season, managed just two playoff victories before losing to the Mets in the decisive Game 5 of their division series last week.
Los Angeles reached the postseason in three straight years for the first time, but the Dodgers won just one series, beating Atlanta in the division series two years ago, while losing three.
Mattingly had one year remaining on his contract. He returned to his off-season home in Evansville, Ind., this week.“You come to spring training, you work all winter, you scratch, you fight, all year long to get into this situation and you have a chance. It comes to a crash,” Mattingly said last week. “I don’t think there’s any way to soften that blow.”
He was a holdover from the previous front office regime, having been Manager Joe Torre’s handpicked successor in 2010 after he coached under him for seven seasons in New York and Los Angeles.
Mattingly worked this season under the new tandem of the president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and General Manager Farhan Zaidi, who had greater hands-on management than what Mattingly was used to under the former general manager Ned Colletti.
Between Zaidi’s expertise in advanced analytics and Friedman’s reputation for building a roster by crunching numbers, Mattingly had a plethora of data at his disposal this season.
“His preparation has been tremendous,” Zaidi said before the playoffs began. “We see how thorough he is.”
But the end result was still the same.
The laid-back Mattingly had the support of his players, who appreciated his support and positive attitude.
“He’s our guy and I believe in him,” first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said last week.
Left fielder Kike Hernandez said, “He had nothing to do with this.”
Mattingly’s name surfaced last month for the Miami Marlins’ opening. There also are current managerial openings in San Diego, Seattle and Washington.
While there was speculation the Dodgers would need to make a deep postseason run for Mattingly to keep his job, the front office was publicly supportive of him.
“I think he’s done a very nice job this season with the roster turnover we’ve had and mixing and matching players,” Zaidi said this month. “If you’re going to tell me a team’s success is solely driven by the manager, I just don’t think that’s true.”
Mattingly’s departure is the latest within the franchise.
Stan Conte resigned last weekend after nine years directing the team’s medical staff. The organist Nancy Bea Hefley retired at season’s end after 28 years with the team.
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