Don Mattingly has officially landed in Philadelphia
The Phillies announced Monday that Mattingly had been hired as the team’s next bench coach, a long-awaited move following his departure from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Mattingly will replace former bench coach Mike Calitri, who has moved into a new role as Major League field coordinator.
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who hired him before the 2023 season. He served as the team’s bench coach and offensive coordinator and helped them reach the World Series last season. The Los Angeles Dodgers ended up beating the Blue Jays 4-3 to win their second straight title.
Mattingly said before the season that he thought it would be his last with the organization.
“My job is just to be another set of eyes and ears for (manager Rob Thomson),” Mattingly said, . “Manage the game, try to stay a little bit ahead – I know it gets busy and fast sometimes when you’re thinking about your throw, and then you get into a hard hit situation and all those things get quick. So, really try to be another set of eyes, try to stay ahead with him and just try to lighten the load for him.”
Mattingly has his own management experience. He led the Dodgers to three straight NL West titles while managing the team from 2011 to 2015, then spent seven seasons with the Miami Marlins. Mattingly led the team to the playoffs in 2020, ending a 17-year drought, and earned NL Manager of the Year honors that season.
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The Phillies went 96-66 last season, their third under Thomson, and reached the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The Dodgers eliminated the Phillies in the NLDS 3-1.
