Don Mattingly has worn the baseball’s two most iconic uniforms as a player and manager.
Now he will don the colors of the most unorthodox team in the major leagues.
Mattingly, known as Donnie Baseball during a stellar career as first baseman for the New York Yankees, has been hired as Miami Marlins manager, a source close to him confirmed Thursday to the Sun Sentinel.
Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers the past five years, Mattingly will be the Marlins 10th manager under owner Jeffrey Loria. He is the seventh since 2010, not counting a one-day interim term by Brandon Hyde.
The Marlins declined to comment and an official announcement is expected to be delayed until after the World Series. Mattingly reportedly has agreed to a four-year contract.
Mattingly, 54, guided the Dodgers to a .551 winning percentage (446-363) and three National League West titles. But even with baseball’s biggest payroll ($270 million), the Dodgers couldn’t get past the National League Championship Series under Mattingly and exited after the divisional round of the playoffs the last two seasons.
He comes to a team that has not had a winning season since 2009. The Marlins, if they have a tradition, it is turmoil and upheaval.
Nonetheless, their odd history includes two World Series championships, an achievement that has eluded Mattingly as a player, coach and manager.
Mattingly has been known to be the first choice of Loria since before his tenure with the Dodgers ended last week by mutual consent.
Earlier in the week he confirmed in an interview with syndicated radio personality Dan Patrick that he had met with Marlins officials about the job and was intrigued by the challenge.
Despite a payroll that ranked next to last at $69 million and is expected to increase marginally in 2016, the Marlins have a wealth of talented young players, including Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez and NL batting champion Dee Gordon, who played for Mattingly in Los Angeles.
“It’s just an interesting place because of the young talent that they have and the challenges that it brings, with a young roster, with a situation that’s not going to go out and buy players. You have to develop players and you have to be able to work from within,” Mattingly said on the Patrick show.
Mattingly will be working under an owner known for meddling and second-guessing, but then he played for the master of those attributes with the Yankees, George Steinbrenner.
Marlins managers since 2010 (not counting Hyde): Fredi Gonzalez, Edwin Rodriguez, Jack McKeon, Ozzie Guillen, Mike Redmond and Dan Jennings.
Mattingly was a six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner during a 14-year career with the Yankees. He had a career average of .307, was the American League batting champion in 1984 and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1995.
He succeeds Jennings, who moved from the general manager’s post to the dugout early last season despite not being a player or coach at the professional level.
Jennings took over from Redmond after the Marlins struggled to a 16-22 start and guided them to a 71-91 finish in third place in the National League East.
Although Marlins officials said Oct. 6 that Jennings would return to his role as GM, his situation with the clubs has since become uncertain. He has not resumed front-office duties, pending a meeting with Loria that has not taken place, according to reports.
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