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Philadelphia Phillies to hire Don Mattingly
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that they are looking to hire former Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly.
According to Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that the team is looking to hire Don Mattingly as bench coach.
It was previously reported that Mattingly and the Phillies had mutual interest in a role within the organization.
Dave Dombrowski said the Phillies have «mutual interest» with Don Mattingly for the bench coach job. «It's not official, but we have really focused on speaking with Don and trying to make that happen, and we're hopeful that it will.»
Corunna Ontario native Rob Thomson doesn't seem to have any qualms with that
«I think it'd be awesome,» Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who previously worked with Mattingly in the Yankees organization, said. «I think it's a perfect fit for our ball club and just his intelligence and presence and experience. It would be a really good fit.»
If the Phillies do indeed hire Mattingly, it would make the baseball lifer's new job a family affair, as his son, Preston, is Philadelphia's general manager.
Dombrowski said that he's talked with both Don and Preston about that situation and making sure that everyone involved would be comfortable.
The executive doesn't believe that the possibility of having a father on the coaching staff and a son in the front office would create any issues in the clubhouse.
«When you start talking about Don and Preston, you talk about two people that have immense credibility, so there's nothing that's going to come down there. Confidentiality is still confidentiality,» Dombrowski said. «They probably have dinner (together) a little bit more than most general managers and bench coaches would have, but that's acceptable.»
Mattingly has been a bench coach in Toronto for the past three seasons.
It was reported by Mattingly himself shortly after the Blue Jays' World Series loss that he wouldn't be returning to the Toronto.
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