Fredi Gonzalez: Where Does He Rank Among NL East Managers?
By Adam Greene
Nov 2, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly (left) holds his son Louie (right) after a press conference at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
1. Don Mattingly (Marlins): Mattingly has been a phenomenal coach in the National League. Having been the Dodgers Manager for the past 5 years, his worst year was his first in which he won 82 games to 79 losses, and his number only went up from there. With a Managerial record of 446-363 he’s done well, but was never able to get a cast of mostly overpriced players to get over the hump and into the World Series. The Giants essentially dominated their division while he was the Skipper, but even in a year that saw them win it they were showed up by the Mets on their quest for a World Series. The $300 disappointment isn’t all Mattingly’s fault, and really you can’t particularly blame him for it.
Yes, with that type of talent he should have gotten his team into the big series, but when you look at the Dodgers staff as a whole, they were lead by two of the best pitchers in baseball and then a group that probably let their inflated and overpayed egos get in the way of listening to their manager. Mattingly and the Dodgers mutually agreed to split ways, and why the Dodgers would think of getting rid of him is beyond me considering the record that he compiled there. But here we are now with the Marlins and a team pieced together by hired castoffs and a newly emerging farm system.
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It will be interesting to see what Mattingly can do with them, so absolutely be on the lookout for the Marlins to emerge in a tight race for the NL East title for the next few years. It’s hard to say how much a manager’s role plays into the success of ball-club, but Mattingly is smart and has developed some great young talent with the Dodgers. With a new setting and a team not built on double and sometimes triple what other teams spend will be very interesting. If he can adapt, then look for him to stay at the top of this list for a very long time.