Dee Gordon says hello to Don Mattingly before Gordon’s first game at Dodger Stadium as a Miami Marlin on May 11, as Lorenzo Bundy observes. (Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Don Mattingly and the Marlins have agreed to a deal for him to become the next Miami manager, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com confirmed today.
An official announcement is expected after the World Series. Mattingly will be the 15th manager in Marlins history and the second with Dodger ties, following Jeff Torborg (2002-03).
John Boles (1996-2001) later became a Dodger senior advisor, and Cookie Rojas, who managed the Marlins for one game in 2006 between Rene Lachemann and Boles, was the starting second baseman as a roookie for the Reds in the first game ever at Dodger Stadium. A week later, according to Baseball-Reference.com, Rojas got his first Major League hit — off Sandy Koufax.
But I digress. Mattingly will return April 25-28 to Los Angeles, when Miami plays at Dodger Stadium to start the Dodgers’ second homestand of the year.
jpc40
All Dodger fans should send a Thank You note to the Marlins for rescuing us by hiring Mattingly. We should then follow that up with a sympathy card. Now living in the Philadelphia area I have it on good authority that Phillie fans are appreciative of the boost this gives them for getting out of the cellar in the NL East
Scott Landkammer
I think letting Mattingly go was a huge mistake, yet to be realized. Just who in the hell are they going to get to replace Mattingly? Anyone short of Ron Roenicke will not be an improvement, and not only was letting Mattingly go a mistake it might cost them Grienke when he follows Mattingly. I think they should have let Friedman and Zaidi go personally. They had a season to turn the team around and did no better than Mattingly did the 3 Yrs prior to them arriving AND it cost the team a hell of a lot of money to do the same as the previous 3 Yrs. All I know if with this being Vin Scully’s last year, whatever changes are made better result in them being World Champs or I too will find a new team to root for after 45 Yrs of following them. Vinny will be the last reason for me to do so otherwise!