Editorials

Should The Dodgers Stick With Don Mattingly At Manager?

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Mattingly has been praised inside and outside the organization for handling the clubhouse, especially one with a wide variety of egos, contracts and backgrounds. While most teams these days are diverse, the Dodgers lay claim to one of the more diverse in the league.

This past season, the 53-year-old dealt with a logjam in the outfield that eventually left Andre Ethier relegated to the bench after being a starter since 2006. He juggled the lineups early in the season before settling with Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford with Scott Van Slyke starting over Crawford against left-handers.

Despite his handling of the clubhouse, Mattingly has simply not shown he has what it takes to be a tactical manager in the postseason. He could continue as manager and continue to win division titles, but the moment becomes too much for him in October. He seems overwhelmed by the pressure situations and often hits the wrong button.

In the NLDS, he was doomed by his bullpen that struggled all season long. It was not entirely Mattingly’s fault, but there’s something to be said for making the wrong decision again and again.

Since Guggenheim has taken over, they have done all they can to improve the Dodgers and make them a standout franchise. Unless they bring a championship to Los Angeles, it will all be for naught. It’s puzzling that they have done all they can to improve the team, the farm system and the stadium, but when an improvement is available in the dugout, they simply stand pat. The Dodgers can win with Mattingly; however, it would seem like they win in spite of him rather than because of him.

Now Maddon has never won a World Series as a manager, although he was on the staff that won in Anaheim in 2002. He is a two-time Manager of the Year and led the Rays to the Fall Classic in 2008. Maddon handles the clubhouse, handles the pitching staff and is no stranger to letting instinct take over analytics when necessary. He provides a significant improvement over Mattingly in more than one aspect.

If the Dodgers plan to move above and beyond, they must be willing to make decisions that change the franchise. They missed that opportunity with Maddon and could be done in by their decision to stick with Donnie Baseball.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

6 Comments

  1. Donnie doesn’t have the correct instincts or temperament to “feel” his way through the big moments as this article points out…IMHO he never will..too laid-back and accepting…no “fire-within” to ignite true belief, so that all those players with “huge egos” play as a TEAM, and not for individual statistics!

  2. Like I said earlier…..the decision has been made….the point is MOOT. Maddon has already stated he is NOT coming to LA> and what is this fascination with Maddon? What have his teams won the last 2 years? NOTHING>>….

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