True. Well, my feelings on this have flip-flopped since I heard this news. Really, how many GREAT managers are there? There aren't many. Donnie makes a lot of bad decisions, and all I can hope for is that he stops making those bad decisions, or at least makes them with less consistency. Stay with Donnie. The players like him enough that they'll stick up for him when shit hits the fan and we all blame him, and to have command of the locker room like that with a bunch of superstars isn't easy to do. But like N.Z. said earlier, get someone that can make decisions like who to pitch to and when to make a double switch. The manager should have control, but baseball is a team effort where you gotta listen to those around you.
Got to wonder how much of that clubhouse control shit matters, Puig didn't seem to get controlled at all. Anyway, two words for you. BRAD AUSMUS! He's my new manager.
He isn't. Uribe saved his job by not knowing how to bunt. And this was only a couple of weeks ago. Truth.
Fordie.... Just because he's wearing our favorite baseball color doesn't mean he isn't capable of pulling shit like that for a payday. People are fucked up as a rule. I've learned a lot about human nature over the years, doing what I do.
Maybe he already has that guidance and is already using it...to me that's always been obvious. Don's got only 3 years under his belt, wouldn't it make more sense that he's already following other's advice. An old guy like Leyland or Baker would be less likely to listen to others, but Don has Hillam, Honeycutt, Wallach, Lopes, etc. ...all guys that have been around forever, and 3 of them have managed. I still think most of his decisions are made with guidance from his coaching staff. That's probably the case with most managers, but especially with a young one like Don. What else are they there on the bench for? What do you guys think they are talking about the whole game in the dugout? Dinner?
This is my biggest question. I thought he was, he was until the last couple weeks of the season when he suddenly went back 5 steps. That worries me. I still want him back as I said, but I pray he makes better on field decisions with more experience. Funny thing I think I noticed off the top of my head. In the NLCS, DBB rarely if at all called for sac bunts when he normally would've...and our offense sucked ass yet again and we seemed to ruin many rallies hitting into double plays. Am I right?
This is just wrong and NOT truth. If Uribe gets that bunt down we had a great chance to score and probably win that game being the home team. Just because you, me, and others here don't like the bunt in that situation doesn't mean it's totally ineffective and an automatic lose.
I personally do not want Donnie back. He mismanaged the bullpen all season and that's why I believe paco and the chupa were shit late in the year and postseason. He lucked out that the team finally got healthy and won a lot of games on talent alone. His decision making was questionable a lot during the course of the season and that's being nice. I think he serves better as a bench coach as opposed to a manager. Now with that said he is a players manager. A guy players like to play for. I think that's part of the reason why Hanley started having fun again and puig got away with a lot of the shit he did. If we do replace him we have to find a guy with similar characteristics but knows how to manage a baseball game. Now here lies a possible bigger issue....I don't like the idea of the FO making on field baseball decisions. That's what the manager is for. I hope it's not a regular thing but then again maybe the FO got tired of dbb's mismanaging as well. If it was the FO's decision to start CK on short rest then they need to stick to FO duties. Something tells me DBB wanted to start nolasco game 4 of the NLDS and the FO trumped his decision and told him to start CK. Then in turn, DBB started nolasco game 5 out of spite and the FO wanted Greinke. Maybe that's where this possible rift comes from. I may be looking into this part of it too much but how do things go sour in a matter of a few days? Ah....the offseason. Really wish we were still playing and avoiding all this chatter but it is what it is and I hope the right guy is brought in if we do go in a different direction.
Mattingly unsure about future with Dodgers By BETH HARRIS (AP Sports Writer) 3 hours ago AP - Sports . View gallery . . LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Don Mattingly said Monday that his 2014 contract option vested with the Dodgers' first-round playoff victory over Atlanta, but he isn't sure he'll be back as manager next season. He said that the organization put him in a difficult position with his players by not exercising a team option going into the final year of his three-year deal. ''It's been a frustrating, tough year, honestly,'' he told reporters while sitting next to general manager Ned Colletti. ''It puts me in a spot that everything I do is questioned because I'm basically trying out and auditioning, can you manage or can't you manage? That's not a great position for me as a manager.'' Mattingly's option worth $1.4 million would allow him to return, but the team has yet to say anything about his future. View gallery." Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly speaks to the media in the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles o … Colletti said Mattingly's status would be ''resolved very quickly.'' But it was apparent while Mattingly talked that he would like a multiyear deal. ''It's pretty easy to figure out,'' he said. ''I like being here, but I don't want to be anywhere where you're not wanted. I don't want to be somewhere where people don't think you're capable of doing the job,'' Mattingly said. Colletti made it clear that he supports Mattingly's return. But team President Stan Kasten and the ownership group headed by Mark Walter figure to have the final say. ''I think he did great,'' Colletti said. ''I have a lot of respect for this guy. He kept it steady for a tough period of time.'' View gallery." Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, left, and Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly speak to t … Mattingly is 260-225 in three years as manager, guiding the Dodgers to the NL championship series, where they lost to St. Louis in six games last week. When the Dodgers stumbled to start the season, falling to last place in the NL West while injuries piled up, speculation was rampant that Mattingly would be fired. Kasten indicated to him at the time that things needed to improve for Mattingly to keep his job. The team won 42 of 50 games during a torrid midseason stretch to take over first place and eventually won the division by 11 games over Arizona. ''It was quite a remarkable season,'' Colletti said. He wouldn't comment on the status of Mattingly's coaching staff, but it's possible changes could be made, although Mattingly indicated he would like to keep it intact.
look at that body language. get over yourself Donnie. no way you earned a full three year contract. what a punk.
I think for Donnie, what he's earned and hasn't earned isn't so cut and dry. Year 1: McCuntbag was still around. But he got great performances from Kemp and Kershaw. Barely above .500, but he had a shit team to work with. Year 2: Transition period. Matt goes down. Agon doesn't do shit outside of his homerun when he got here. Had Matt been around all year, we probably make a good run at the division. Year 3: First full year with his starting line up, and everyone gets injured. Still win the division pretty handily, and make it all the NLCS. Like I said, I'm not a fan of Don, but he's been dealt a shit hand by working for a terrible owner, and now working for owners who are trying to win back a fan base and prove that we're still relevant. Baseball isn't like basketball where you can assemble a great team and win the title. Stay the course and keep Donnie.
i believe in giving him credit for what we accomplished no question. but his shortcomings cost us in the post season and he gets to reap that as well. you could blame him early and pat him on the back through that hot streak. maybe he did learn things this playoffs but maybe not too. thats why he needs to shut up and show management next year instead of expecting 3 years or more based on that performance. good guy, players like him, probably a decent bench coach and not a manager in a lot of peoples opinion. and living in LA i'm sort of surprised you think you can assemble a great basketball team and win a title MZA...
I still can't blame Don for what happened in the NLCS. One guy gets one hit of the millions times we had runners on, and we steal those two games in St. Louis and win it here in LA. Series doesn't go to six if the offense could capitalize. I'll give you subbing in Dee, who let's face it, isn't a threat on the base paths as much as we would like him to be, and is going up against Molina, for Agon was a mistake, but this offense took a nap against two pitchers who we had on the ropes multiple times until game 6. And in terms of basketball, we've seen the Heat take 2 of three, the lakers take two of three. In basketball, all you need is a superstar and some supporting characters to take you all the way. In baseball, every single position has to be on point to win it all. And I totally agree about him staying quiet and doing his job next year. I mean, I get it. He's not happy that he doesn't have job security, but that's how it is in LA sports.
This isn't his choice. All that was said today (between the lines) is that he's due the 1.4MM, whether he manages here or not and Ned didn't publicly ratify any deal for next year. It's only money. He had a vesting option that was drafted into his deal 3 years ago and Gugg's couldn't stop it. If they could we're not having this discussion now. You really thing Guggenheim cares that much about DBB's $ if they can lure Larussa over here? No, they'd pay him 10MM if they thought he'd win us a WS.
Was just about to post the very same thing!!! I was thinking LaRussa comes back for a year and Brad becomes his bench coach to learn from the very best. I want an ex-catcher or pitcher to be our Mgr. The current WS Mgrs. are a pitcher (Farrell) and Matheny (catcher).
