props to dbb and a nice little dig as well... "He [Puig] has got so much talent, it'd be really bad if he wasted it doing the stupid things that he's doing," Montero told reporters covering the Diamondbacks. "You have to respect to earn respect. If you don't respect anybody, you aren't going to earn respect." Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told reporters in response to Montero's comments, "Honestly, every team has guys that irritate you. They've got a few of them over there, too." __
Don is doing a great job. Like I said before, this team would probably have done great with or without him...I'm glad we didn't fire him. The players and pitchers are finally doing their jobs as a team.
fwiw... The Dodgers' decision not to fire Don Mattingly was "the best no-decision of the first half," CBS Sports' Scott Miller writes. After months of speculation about Mattingly's job security, the Dodgers finished their first half by winning 17 of their last 22 games, and although they're only 47-47, they're just 2 1/2 games back of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. __
Scott Miller | Senior Baseball Columnist Weekend Buzz: Dodgers' decision on Don Mattingly among first-half bests July 14, 2013 | 5:14 pm ET Best no-decision of first half: The Dodgers not firing manager Don Mattingly. Kudos to president Stan Kasten and general manager Ned Colletti for doing what few folks actually do in this instant-gratification, poll-driven, which-way-is-the-wind-blowing society. They exercised patience and restraint. It was mere weeks ago when Mattingly was so close to being fired that he was last seen at the end of a plank on a pirate ship. At least, that's pretty much what everyone wrote, said and thought. Now, the guy could wind up being NL Manager of the Year, and wouldn't that be something? The Dodgers have won 14 of their past 17 games. They have moved from a season-worst 12 games under .500 after a June 21 loss to the Padres to one over at 47-46 heading into Sunday's first-half finale. Over the past 21 games, Mattingly's crew is 17-4 (.810), the majors' best record. Against NL West opponents, the Dodgers are 14-3 in their past 17 games. On June 22, they were a season-worst 9½ games out of first place. Sunday, they were 2½ back. That's a net gain of seven games in the standings in 22 days. Matt Kemp's miserable season has become an afterthought. Yasiel Puig is getting all the love, but Hanley Ramirez has been every bit as important to the Dodgers since early June. From June 1 through Sunday, Puig (.392) and Ramirez (.389) ranked 1-2 in the majors in batting average. They also ranked 1-2 in on-base percentage, Ramirez at .444 and Puig at .442. Newly acquired starter Ricky Nolasco (Marlins) adds depth behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, who ran his record to 8-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.49. And even with Puig nursing a sore hip, Kemp back on the disabled list, Carl Crawford nursing a sore back and Mark Ellis also out of Sunday's lineup with a sore leg -- four of eight position players! -- the Dodgers are as healthy as they've been all year. What is this Mattingly, a magician? “Teams that score, score and score but don't have pitching, it wears you out,” he told reporters after Greinke's 1-0 beauty over the Rockies on Saturday night. “You can't keep scoring like that. A win like this, it tells you you don't always have to score five or six.” Even with Greinke missing several weeks earlier with a broken collarbone, Dodgers starters rank third in the majors with a 3.40 ERA. And Greinke is just hitting his stride. __
The only time I wanted him to be fired was when he said it was League's game to lose; which I thought was just an absolutely dumb shit move & thing to say. Outside of that I have always been a DBB fan.
And you could say the lack of those guys(or any healthy power hitters, relief pitchers,only 2 solid starting pitchers) was the only reason he was close to being fired.
Well of course. Manager has little control overall. But if they continued to play like that, and if they don't make the playoffs, he's gone. Part of the trade. Hired to be fired.
