It's been awhile since there has been so much speculation about an MLB manager getting fired as there is right now about Don Mattingly. It seems like every writer, fan, and analyst thinks he should be giving his walking papers. While I don't necessarily disagree with them, it's not really all that easy.
Yes, the Dodgers are bad right now. They're in last in the NL West with a record of 19 and 26. They're team payroll is north of $200 million and they're simply not winning. But they're only 6 games out of first, and it's May. I know the expectations are high, but lets not freak out quite yet. Also, what has Mattingly done to deserve to get fired? Is it his fault the team isn't scoring runs? Not really, most of that blame should fall on the hitting coach. Is he to blame for their miserable bullpen? Nope, he didn't go out and spend millions upon millions of dollars on players that forced management to let veteran guys go. He didn't not sign a legit closer in the offseason. You certainly can't blame him for the multitude of injuries they have. So why is he getting the blame?
It's simple really, he's the manager. He's the one who does the press conferences, he's the guy they show in the dugout on TV. Mattingly is essentially the fall-guy. They could get rid of McGwire and Honeycutt but changing pitching and/or hitting coaches midseason hardly seems like a reasonable thing to do. They can't fire the players, so who is left? The manager.
Mattingly didn't do himself any favors on Wednesday when he benched Andre Ethier and then essentially called him for not being tough enough. I don't even know what that means to be honest. Does he think Ethier isn't trying to make plays and get on base? Odd thing to say. What it does tell me is that Mattingly is fed up and sounds like he's looking for a way out. He went from saying things like "we or us" when referring to the team and used "I and my." That just won't sit well. Not only did he criticize one of the team's most popular players, but he also went after the front office. You just can't do that these days. Is he right in saying they weren't able to keep experienced guys on the team because they spent so much in the offseason? Absolutely he is. But you just don't say it publicly. He criticized his employer and basically blamed them for the team's poor record. Not the brightest of ideas.
Look, I'm not saying Mattingly should be fired, but I think he has to be at this point. The Dodgers need to make a change, and right now that's the only change that can be made. The front office has to respond to what Mattingly said on Wednesday. They can't just let him criticize players and upper management without some sort of action. Several sources have said he'll be the manager at least until the start of the series with the Cardinals on Friday, but his future after that is unknown, at least to the public. Also, I don't think the Dodgers want to have a situation like there was in Boston last year. Bobby Valentine wasn't right for that team and for whatever reason they waited until after the season to let him go. It might not have changed much if anything, but it shows that the front office is paying attention to more than just dollar signs.
If the Dodgers continue to be cellar dwellers, Mattingly is gone. Actually, unless they win the World Series he's probably gone. His contract is up at the end of the season. Anything short of a miracle at this point won't save his job. What will be interesting is what happens with Ethier. I can't imagine he's too pleased by what was said about him on Wednesday and if they don't pick things up I won't be surprised if he's no longer wearing Dodger Blue by the trade deadline. Things are a mess in LA right now, and while they did win their series against the Brewers, I don't think that's going to turn their season around. Not suggesting that Mattingly getting fired will, but I can't imagine them winning a few games here and there will save his job.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports
No comments:
Post a Comment