donnie bb saying all the right things but will he have a job if the team struggles? vote for yourself... Mattingly doesn't want to be a distraction for the Dodgers By Bill Plunkett | Orange County Register January 27, 2013 | 10:33 pm LOS ANGELES – Since taking over the team last year, the Dodgers' new owners have spent money to revamp their roster, refurbish their stadium, rebuild their scouting department and restock their minor-league system. But they have yet to spend any on their manager. Don Mattingly was told in the fall that the Dodgers were not ready to pick up the 2014 option in his contract, leaving him (for now) a lame-duck manager of a high-payroll, star-laden team with expectations as outsized as the salaries. That is a combination that could make for uncomfortable temperatures if the Dodgers stumble out of the gate or fail to meet those expectations. With high payrolls and high expectations for their teams, both Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and Angels manager Mike Scioscia will be on the hot seat in 2013. But Mattingly insists it will not make him angry or concerned if the issue is not addressed before Opening Day. "Not at all. I'm absolutely fine with it," Mattingly said. "The way I look at it is this – somebody that comes in and spends $2 billion on a team and takes the payroll over $200 million, they're not going to hesitate to get rid of the manager if they don't like him. I feel I got a vote of confidence (by returning for 2013). If they didn't like me or didn't like the job I'd done, I'd already be gone." Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten would not comment on the situation, saying only that he thought very highly of Mattingly and the job he has done with the Dodgers during a very turbulent stretch in the franchise's history. GM Ned Colletti was given a multi-year extension last September by the new ownership and has indicated Mattingly's contract status will be addressed at some point. In the meantime, though, that status could create a frequent line of questioning for Mattingly and his players – something the manager would like to avoid. "You know going into the season there's going to be a stretch of games where we lose six of 10 or just don't look good," Mattingly said. "I don't want to become a part of the story line or a distraction for my ballclub. What I want to do is cut out as much noise as possible – and that goes for all the talk about expectations and payroll and anything that distracts my players from what they need to do – and I don't want that noise to be about me. "I want them to be able to prepare, to focus on what they need to do to be at their best. I want to cut out anything other than that and 'Let's play our best baseball.'" In his first two seasons as manager, Mattingly has a 168-155 record (.520), finishing third in the NL West in 2011 and second in 2012. "I can tell you this – it's not going to affect how I manage or how I prepare the ballclub," Mattingly said of his contract status. "I can't worry about it. I'm confident in myself. And, you know what? I have confidence in Stan and Ned and the belief they have in me." __
i believe it is a distraction just by the fact the media is already talking about it i say they should extend him for another year its not like they can't fire him if he fucks up
Let him sweat it out for the first half of the season. He needs to motivate this team right away. We've got high priced assclowns who have failed with other teams, and we've got those who are coming off injuries. Oh, so many excuses to whine and be losers. I think everyone should feel the heat that Donnie is under to get fired up and win games. If we are looking good by All Star Break - then give DBB another year. If we get into the playoffs - add another year to that. If we win it all - then give the man a big multi-year. I'd give him the axe only if we are way out of it - regardless of the reasons why. jmho.
It's only a "distraction" because the media makes it that. If it wasn't this, it would be something else. I don't see why the organization should mold the way it does business to appease fish-wrap Bills. If it's a distraction, so what. Baseball is a fairly simple sport and everyone involved should be able to handle a few dumb questions. With that said, am I reading into this quote too much? "You know going into the season there's going to be a stretch of games where we lose six of 10 or just don't look good," Mattingly said. Our team would have to be amazing if our worst stretch of the season is losing 6 of 10. The '27 Yankees even lost 6 of 10 during one stretch.
think you may be but i do like what he said here albeit being the good company soldier... "The way I look at it is this – somebody that comes in and spends $2 billion on a team and takes the payroll over $200 million, they're not going to hesitate to get rid of the manager if they don't like him. I feel I got a vote of confidence (by returning for 2013). If they didn't like me or didn't like the job I'd done, I'd already be gone."
should have added another answer to the poll... extend him only if he grows back his porn stache fear the stache!
I don't think Kasten is an ass kicker, though. If things go bad, he might just give everyone a hug and a raise.
Fire him. Guy is a Torre clone. Been described as a "players manager" just like his master. It's hardly a compliment, I would rather be a manager who knows what the fuck I'm doing on the field.
I'm on the DBB team. I like him and the fact that he has fire, stands up for players, allows other coaches to do their jobs, the players like him and he seems to genuinely love the Dodgers. I agree with BM, this is a non-issue and just something the scum media talks about to stir shit up.
the only reason this is an issue is because all rotation spots are covered and the whole lineup is set, and writers need to write about SOMETHING...
it may be a non-issue as far as we're all concerned but i guarantee you mattingly -- despite what he says publicly -- isn't that thrilled about it reporters are going to continue to ask him and the players about it i don't know if it will be a distraction per se, but it will get annoying after a while
I dont think it will be if they start strong... Butmif they are 3-10 after 2 weeks, all hell will break loose...
The guy's not John McGraw. Like NZ wrote, he is a Torre clone, and we failed (although so many were sated by our rise to an "elite" club under him). I think failing is failing, however you spinit. If you have a club like the Giants, who , IMO, over achieve almost every year now, it is an example of what a savvy, clever manager can do with a club. Mattingly now has a club underneath him that should ABSOLUTELY win....win something at least. If he don't, then off this guy and get someone else. There's guys out there as clever and as good as Donnie, every day of the week. Letting his coaches coach, argues when umps blow calls (every fucking game pretty much), and being a players manager doesn't make a winner. Makes a nice guy...but we all know where they wind up. If we suck, they'll blame it all on Luis Cruz or something....that he wasn't Mike Schmidt. It's started already. How come the SF Giants are WC again with all the shit they had happen to them last year? Cabrera, PigPen, wilson, Mota...all down one way or the other...and where they?Champs of baseball. Leadership. We don't owe Mattingly shit. If he deserves it-give it to him. If not-out the door. Let him go into the season, see what he puts together, then act intelligently and practically as so deemed deserving at that time. A long extension is just more LAD stupidity. Anybody can continue on and on with this boring fucking mediocrity we've been accustomed to. Fuck it...I'm tired of all the BS. 1988. Gimme a break.
