The Dodgers are making progress on an extension with manager Don Mattingly, and a deal is expected to be completed soon, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Mattingly is under contract through the 2014 season thanks to a $1.4MM option that vested when his Dodgers defeated the Braves in the NLDS. However, Mattingly made his desire for a multiyear contract known shortly after the season in a surprisingly candid press conference.
Mattingly has led the Dodgers to three straight winning seasons, including an NL West Division Championship and an NLCS berth in 2013. His job was called into question earlier in the season when the Dodgers were struggling despite the team's gaudy payroll, but Mattingly silenced critics by helping the Dodgers to a dominant 42-8 run that placed them firmly atop the division. The deal has been in the works for some time now, as ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne reported back in November that the two sides were discussing a multiyear deal.
It’s about time. While I’m skeptical that he can take that next step or six and be an elite manager in the next couple years, Donnie is deserving of this one. Even if he needs to be fired on performance next year, it’s not like the Dodgers can’t afford to pay him regardless. Removes a big distraction, of which the Dodgers have enough of anyway – crowded outfield, Puig’s lead foot, etc.
Completely agree. Great way to avoid the lame duck situation.
Mattingly seems to be good at dealing with personnel issues, the part of the manager’s game that we see only indirectly as fans, but we should understand is at least as important as in-game decision making.
Or moreso. Mattingly is a disciple of Torre, and Torre’s ability was to manage big ego’s. Don’t remember much fame about Torre’s in-game decisions. Being a L.A. child in the 70’s though, I’d still have preferred that the Dodgers didn’t go in this Yankee background direction with their managers, though it’s all about background and nothing to do with the now.
One of the better technical managers the team’s had since Tommy was Grady Little. The problem for Little seemed to be his ability to deal with clubhouse issues. We were reading about them in the paper, which means the manager isn’t doing that part of his job very well. Torre was the rock star approach to managing. I suppose he got the respect of his players and raised the profile of the team just by being there, but I’m not sure what else. Mattingly from what I have read sheds his calm demeanor in the clubhouse and gets his players’ attention with the kind of intensity that athletes understand. Getting through to bunch of very rich kid athletes can’t be easy.
What this really means is that the blame game pretty obviously going on over the NLCS loss is finally over, and the Dodgers can be about winning next year.
Beltran should have taken one in the ribs in his next at-bat after Hanley got hit … (because my opinion is he was their best hitter)
OK, since Hanley getting hit in the ribs had everything to do with Kershaw getting rocked in game 6.
If Beltran had not gone 2-3 against him with 1 RBI maybe things would have ended differently.
So you are saying that the Dodgers didn’t win because they failed to injure Beltran ….
So you are saying that the Dodgers lost because they failed to injure Beltran ….
If Hanley hadn’t been drilled in his first at bat in game 1, then there probably wouldn’t have been a game 6.
There’s no way to know that.
Ah, I see you missed the use of the word “probably.” The Dodgers outhit the Cards in the first two games, so it’s hardly improbable that taking one of the hottest hitters in baseball out of the lineup was a factor.
In baseball there are the teams who are victorious, then there are fans of the losing team whom make excuses. Kershaw blew it with the worst start of his career in game 6. Move on.
If Hanley wasn’t hit in the ribs, the Dodgers probably win games 1 and 2, and there is no Game 6.
Because Hanley would’ve hit magical home runs in both games?
Not necessarily home runs, and not “magically”. The Dodgers lost in the 13th inning of Game 1 by one run, and lost Game 2 despite only giving up 1 run on 2 hits. There were definitely some poor managerial decisions in there, but Hanley not being able to swing the bat was huge. The Dodgers outhit the Cardinals in both games.
Kershaw could’ve only given up one run in Game 6 and the Dodgers still would have lost that one. Michael Wacha only allowed 2 hits, no runs.
So you’re saying Wacha won because he gave up less runs. Hahaha. I’m not denying Hanley is a valuable bat. But, I find it ridiculous to hear you guys still complaining about it. There’s a new season coming up. I don’t know about you, but I am excited for 2014.
Wacha gave up zero runs. Even a good game for Kershaw, you can expect he’ll give up a run or two. He had an awful start, no doubt, but the Dodgers offense was equally terrible in Game 6. I can’t really complain about a game that wasn’t even remotely close. If the Dodgers scored 3 or 4 runs in Game 6, it would’ve been tougher to take Kershaw’s implosion.
Game 1 and Game 2 were easily winnable for the Dodgers, though.
That’s true. Had Kershaw given up less runs in game 6, the rest of your team may have stayed more competitive because the game was in reach. Game 1 and 2 were easily winnable for the Dodgers? Well they were also easily winnable by the Cardinals. The Cardinals bats were more clutch.
And part of the reason that the Cardinals bats “were more clutch” was that they weren’t missing the hottest bat in the middle of their lineup because of fastball to his ribs…
Here you go again. Even with an injured Hanley, the Dodgers had more dollars on the field. What now? There were 8 other hitters in your lineup. Baseball is not a game that can be won because of 1 player, that sport is basketball.
Are you sure that the Dodgers had “more dollars on the field”? Because Kemp and Ethier weren’t on the field for the NLCS, either…
Beltran ($13m), Holliday ($17m) and Molina ($14m) were all getting compensated pretty well.
The Cardinals payroll was roughly 100MM less than your dodgers, even with Kemp and Hanley injured, Yes, the Dodgers had more dollars on the field.
its about time now donnie can stop crying about an extension next up Kershaw or Ramirez
10 years 5 mil
As a Padre fan, I would love to see the Dodgers lock this guy up for as long as possible. He has the highest payroll in baseball and can’t make it to the World Series? The Trolley Dodgers are exactly that, when they come to San Diego, they need to watch out for the trolley, its red, slow, and usually doesn’t hit people unless they are drunk (as often LA fans are known to be drunk in San Diego).
Yup, no one gets drunk in Padre-land.
As a Padre fan, I would love to see the Dodgers lock this guy up for as long as possible. He has the highest payroll in baseball and can’t make it to the World Series? The Trolley Dodgers are exactly that, when they come to San Diego, they need to watch out for the trolley, its red, slow, and usually doesn’t hit people unless they are drunk (as often LA fans are known to be drunk in San Diego).
The Dodgers should take a page out of Mattingly’s book – he can manage versus righties, and get a guy to come in and manage against lefties. Mattingly can manage the first 5 1/3, then a series of managers named Paco can finish off the rest of the game.