12-Year MLB Bench Boss Slams Door on Return to Managing
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When the team was struggling, Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly was rumored as a candidate to take over for manager John Schneider.
Now that the Jays are holding onto an American League Wild Card position at 38-33, the rumors have quieted. More significantly, Mattingly has himself decided his days as a bench boss at the MLB level are over.
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In an interview with Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer on the Phillies Extra podcast, Mattingly effectively put to rest any rumors he will manage again, saying "I think the managing side of things is over for me."
"I'm kind of at an age where ... I'm kind of getting to the same point that I got to with Preston (Mattingly's son and the Phillies' farm director) and his older brother," the elder Mattingly said. "My son Louie is 10. He's kind of getting to that age that I want to be involved with that."
Mattingly continued: "I think the older you get, the less you enjoy the role, the travel, the busses, and the hotels. I still love the ballpark and the field. But it's getting tougher for me to say in a full-time role to have the time, and feel like I have the energy to do it at the manager level. That's a whole different level."
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In his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-15) and Miami Marlins (2016-22), Mattingly went 889-950, leading his teams to four playoff berths in 12 seasons.
Manager Joe Maddon #70 of the Chicago Cubs and the National League and Coach Don Mattingly #8 of the Miami Marlins and the National League look on in the first inning during the 88th MLB...
Manager Joe Maddon #70 of the Chicago Cubs and the National League and Coach Don Mattingly #8 of the Miami Marlins and the National League look on in the first inning during the 88th MLB All-Star Game against the American League All-Stars at Marlins Park on July 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. MoreThe losing record underscores the success Mattingly had behind the bench of the Dodgers, his first-ever managerial job after being promoted from hitting coach.
The Dodgers never posted a losing record in Mattingly's five seasons, and his final three seasons kicked off an unprecedented run of eight consecutive National League West titles.
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In Miami, Mattingly's teams only produced a winning record once, but they took advantage of it to clinch a Wild Card berth in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then won a playoff round against the favored Chicago Cubs.
Mattingly, 64, left the Marlins voluntarily after the 2022 season with more wins (437) than any manager in franchise history. He was named the Blue Jays' bench coach prior to the 2023 season.
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"I've enjoyed the bench coach because John Schneider's a good guy," Mattingly told Lauber. "Originally I came in, Schneider was a young manager. He's grown by leaps and bounds since then. He's passed the point of me. He's a really good communicator. The managing side, I feel like, has passed me by.
"Maybe managing Louie's 12-year-old team, maybe I can still do that."
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