Nightengale: By going to Marlins, did Don Mattingly take worst job in baseball?
NEW YORK — Don Mattingly just accepted the worst managerial job in baseball.
He is the new manager of the Miami Marlins, a team that has had eight managers since 2010.
Then again, maybe it’s the best job in baseball.
Where else can you sign a four-year contract, and have a three-year paid vacation after you’ve been fired, just like Ozzie Guillen?
Mattingly, if nothing else, has got to be a glutton for punishment.
All things Marlins: Latest Miamia Marlins news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
He’s the only man in baseball who has worked for the holy trinity of owners:
► Played and coached for George Steinbrenner in New York.
► Coached and managed for Frank McCourt in Los Angeles.
► And now managing for Jeffrey Loria in Florida.
And if there were any question about where Mattingly stands in his new team’s power structure, it was answered Thursday. Dan Jennings, who left the front office and took over as manager of the Marlins in May, was fired as general manager.
That means Mattingly will have only one boss.
Don Mattingly hired as manager of the Miami Marlins
It’s Loria.
He’s the one who openly talked about hiring Mattingly nearly two months before Mattingly was even fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They interviewed about a dozen folks for the job and brought in Larry Bowa and Phil Nevin twice as finalists, but it was really nothing more than a stall tactic, waiting for Mattingly to be fired.
San Diego Padres to hire Andy Green as next manager
(Technically it was a mutual parting of the ways in L.A., but that’s only a Hollywood term for termination.)
Mattingly can be his own man in South Beach, now that he has the boss’ ear.
He doesn’t have to pore through the front office’s statistical analysis studies. He doesn’t have to listen to the front office’s lineup suggestions. He can even have a say about who’s on the roster.
Maybe now we can find out what kind of manager Mattingly really is.
Mattingly, the Marlins’ 10th manager since Loria assumed ownership of the team in 2002, is the splashiest name they’ve ever had in the manager’s chair, employing everyone from cigar-chomping Jack McKeon to trash-talking Guillen.
Mattingly, the 1985 American League MVP who had a .307 batting average in his 14-year career, is known for his folksy personality. He took the fall for the Dodgers failing to reach the World Series with a record $310 million payroll, yet he was the only Dodgers manager to lead the team to three consecutive division titles.
Now, he takes over a team that has an abundance of young talent, including power-hitting All-Star Giancarlo Stanton and ace Jose Fernandez, but hasn't had a winning season since 2009, going 71-91 this past season.
Mattingly should not only be able to get the most out of that raw talent, but also calm Loria, who never bothers to hide his disgust for the team’s failings.
Mattingly can shape the clubhouse the way he wants, get them to play his style and mold a new image in South Florida.
The man who has never won a ring as a player, coach or manager finally can do things his way.
It could be the start of a beautiful marriage, or just another ill-fated relationship in South Florida.
At least this time, Mattingly can have a say in the matter.
GALLERY: MANAGERIAL CAROUSEL
