Phillies remove interim tag, sign manager Don Mattingly to two-year deal
The move comes after a late-season collapse nearly cost the team a playoff spot and a wild card series loss to Atlanta.
PHILADELPHIA · The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Don Mattingly to a two-year contract, removing his interim manager tag. The decision was announced Wednesday by team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Mattingly took over in late April after the firing of Rob Thomson and led the team to a 79-55 record and a postseason berth. The Phillies nearly squandered a four-game wild card lead in the final week of the regular season before losing their National League Wild Card Series to the Atlanta Braves in three games. Twice, former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora rebuffed Dombrowski, first when the executive moved to fire Thomson and again after the season ended. The Phillies had started the season with a 9-19 record under Thomson, who had guided the club to four consecutive playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series. Mattingly, 65, was originally hired last offseason as a bench coach and had a year remaining on that contract.
With a potential Major League Baseball work stoppage looming in December, Mattingly represents a safe and familiar choice to lead a roster featuring stars like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. Dombrowski and Mattingly are set to address the media at an end-of-season press conference on Thursday. The Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs on Oct. 1 after their late-season stumble forced them to clinch a spot on the final day of the regular season.
Philadelphia extended its series against Atlanta to a third game with three dramatic solo home runs late in Game 2. The team's elimination marked its fifth straight postseason exit as it continues to pursue its first World Series championship since 2008. The Phillies' core players have averaged 91 wins per year over five consecutive playoff seasons but have fallen short of a title each time. Since reaching the World Series in 2022, the club has been eliminated earlier in each subsequent postseason, with exits in the NL Championship Series, the Division Series and now the wild card round. Mattingly was among three interim managers in baseball last season to have the interim tag removed, a group that included Andy Green of the New York Mets and Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox. A former six-time American League all-star with the New York Yankees, Mattingly is the father of Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly.
With files from CBC News, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports