With the Philadelphia Phillies preparing for the offseason after an early postseason exit, the team has finalized who will be the manager of the team after expressing interest elsewhere. As the Phillies gave Don Mattingly a contract to stay as manager, he said he wasn't the first choice from the team, with Alex Cora being the name the ball club was interested in.
While Dave Dombrowski and Philadelphia had expressed interest in Cora first before going to Mattingly, the manager “never felt slighted,” according to NBC Sports.
“I never felt slighted,” Mattingly said. “I want what’s best for the Phillies. If Dave thought that was moving forward (with Cora), then I was going to be good with that. I don’t have an ego that says I have to be whatever. I just don’t need it. So, I’m thrilled to be back and honored that they have faith in me to do the job.”
Mattingly was put in as the interim manager after Rob Thomas was fired after the Phillies had a 9-19 record. Philadelphia would make a turn, finishing the season with a 79-55 record when Mattingly was the manager.
“You just have to keep going and show them what you can do,” Mattingly said. “To me, it’s stay humble, keep working, and worry about winning games. “I have a lot of confidence in myself. I don’t talk like that. But inside, I’m confident in the way I go about my business. I’m probably not always perfect, but I’m pretty confident.”
Don Mattingly continues on returning to the Phillies
Article Continues BelowTalking about next season, Mattingly said, “There are things I want to do differently,” such as pushing the defensive side as “it’s hard to score in today’s game.” Returning to the Phillies seemed like a no-brainer decision for Mattingly.
“I’m excited about being in Philly,” he said. “I think it’s what made me want to manage again. I enjoy the environment. It’s kind of how I grew up playing professionally. I’ve been other places, but this feels more like my personality.”
At any rate, Mattingly looks to improve with Philadelphia for the 2027 season.