DODGERS The MATTINGLY Thread

It's time for the Dodgers to try a different manager
David Schoenfield | ESPN.com — 3 hours ago

Don Mattingly is out as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not exactly a surprise even though the Dodgers have made the playoffs the past three seasons. But when you have the highest payroll in the history of the sport, expectations are much higher than consecutive exits in the Division Series.

Is it Mattingly's fault the Dodgers haven't advanced further? After all, we always say the postseason is a crapshoot and the Dodgers won 92 games in 2015, 94 in 2014 and 92 in 2013. Is it Mattingly's fault Clayton Kershaw went 1-3 with a 5.13 ERA or that the offense averaged just 3.7 runs per game and hit five home runs in going 3-6 the past two postseasons? Is it Mattingly's fault the front office saddled him with too many high-priced veteran outfielders the past couple of years, creating unnecessary headaches with playing time? Is it Mattingly's fault Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy, two-fifths of the starting rotation, combined for just four starts this season, or that Yasiel Puig never got completely healthy?

No. But in five years of managing the Dodgers, I never figured out exactly what Mattingly's strengths were. Dodgers fans were certainly never fans of his tactical moves. He never came across as an upbeat leader in the Joe Maddon mold. Fair or not, the team seemed to lack a certain fire. Did he get the most out of his teams? I wouldn't say that either. The past two seasons the Dodgers were just one game over .500 each season in games that Kershaw and Zack Greinke didn't start.

I thought there were three key moments in this postseason that, as our friend Howard Cole wrote at Forbes, show why Mattingly "is the fall guy because he is not the Fall guy:

1. In Game 1, after Kershaw had walked the bases loaded, Mattingly correctly had to go the bullpen; his ace was cooked and lefty masher David Wright was up. Mattingly went to Pedro Baez, because Baez is his seventh-inning guy, even though Baez hadn't been that good the final three months of the season (33 hits in 32.2 innings). Chris Hatcher had become the top setup guy in front of closer Kenley Jansen as he had allowed 13 hits with 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings over the final two months. Why wasn't he used with the game at stake?

2. The Daniel Murphy play in Game 5. Lucas Duda walked to first and Murphy stole third. With the shift on for Duda, rookie shortstop Corey Seager wasn't paying attention after ball four, head down as he stood by second base, and Murphy continued past second and waltzed into third. This play is on Mattingly and the coaching staff as much as Seager, for not making sure the rookie was ready for such a possibility.

3. His weird maneuverings at the end of that game. He pinch-hit Carl Crawford for Yasmani Grandal in the eighth inning -- nothing wrong there as Grandal's shoulder injury was affecting him at the plate -- but then he double-switched backup catcher A.J. Ellis into the ninth spot, ensuring Ellis had to hit in the ninth inning against Jeurys Familia, a terrible matchup. He also hit Jimmy Rollins for Enrique Hernandez, when Rollins has been the worst hitter on the team. In the ninth, he hit Chase Utley for Joc Pederson, even though Pederson was more likely to run into a ball and hit a home run to tie the game or at least draw a walk.​

In the end, those moves exposed perhaps the main reason Andrew Friedman and his front office decided to axe Mattingly: Is he the right guy to lead the young players? It never seemed that Mattingly really trusted his young guys, thus, pinch-hitting the 2008 Phillies middle infield in the late innings of Game 5. The future success of the Dodgers will be dependent on Seager and Pederson and, Puig if they don't trade him, and the pitchers coming up like Julio Urias and Jose De Leon.

Friedman and his front office inherited a bloated payroll that left them with overpaid part-time players like Crawford and Andre Ethier. Puig remains a divisive player with untapped potential. But they also inherited Mattingly. Now they will get to pick their own guy. Former Brewers manager Ron Roenicke is a strong possibility. He's a sabermetric-friendly manager -- the Brewers were one of the early leaders in shifting -- and you know that will appeal to this front office. He's had some success and has experience; as Matt Williams showed with the Nationals, there is risk in giving a playoff-worthy roster to an inexperienced manager.

Mattingly will probably get another chance to manage, maybe with the Marlins. But in the end, it's kind of similar to Grady Little back in 2003 with the Red Sox: It just feels like a change is needed for this team to get over the hump. The Red Sox hired Terry Francona -- who had previous experience -- and won the 2004 World Series. Maybe that idea will work for the 2016 Dodgers.

 

Don Mattingly‏@DonnieBaseball 1 minute ago
So sad to be leaving. So many great memories. Thanks to all who supported
me, and the rest of you can go fuck yourselves! #Marlins2016bkitches!!!
2:59 PM - 22 Oct 2015 · Details

 

hence a kapler or martinez type

 

tbh
i don't think the nerds put as much stock [perhaps they should] in manager experience as others
otherwise they probably would have canned dbb last year and added maddon
i think they want control; specifically, someone they can mold into their type of leader
kapler and martinez both fit that mold
while a kennedy or showalter (if made available) type might be more to the fans liking, they're gonna do what they want to do