PHILADELPHIA — If you think Don Mattingly looks strange in Dodgers blue, how about with Chief Wahoo on his cap or in Nationals’ red?
The Yankees great is a hot name in the managerial market. Mattingly had a phone interview with the Indians about their vacancy and also has been contacted by the Nationals.
Mattingly, the Dodgers hitting coach, said he’s focused on his current job, not worried about his next one. The Dodgers entered Game 5 of the NLCS last night trailing the Phillies 3-1.
“I’m getting the chance to talk to some people, which is good,” Mattingly said. “Some people at least are thinking that way. That’s a positive for me. But I’m worried about right now. We’ll see what happens. You deal with stuff as it comes.”
The Indians hope to meet with Mattingly after the Dodgers are done playing, and already have met with several candidates including former Mets manager Bobby Valentine and former Nationals manager Manny Acta. Mattingly said the Nationals seem willing to wait until after the World Series to hire someone.
The Yankees rejected Mattingly after the 2007 season when they were looking for a replacement for manager Joe Torre, picking Joe Girardi instead. Mattingly followed Torre to Los Angeles, and is believed to be the organization’s choice to succeed Torre when he retires.
But the Dodgers ownership situation has gotten cloudy recently with the divorce of owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie. That could be leading Mattingly to give other teams a longer look.
Cleveland and Washington would be rebuilding jobs, something Los Angeles would not be.
Wherever he lands, Mattingly said he believes he’s ready for the challenge.
“I’m just ready,” Mattingly said. “I’ve been around the game long enough, seeing things how they work. I just look at myself as being humbled to a point of knowing it’s not something that’s easy.
“There’s things I don’t know about it, but I’m pretty confident in my skills to deal with people and just the game itself, the feeling for the game, how it works. I’ve dealt with a lot of different situations,” Mattingly added. “I’ve dealt with younger guys. I’ve dealt with older guys. I’ve been a hitting coach. I’ve been a bench coach. I’ve seen a lot of things. You keep improving. You keep learning all the time. I feel like I’m ready to make the big step.”
Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa has been around Mattingly for four years now, two with the Yankees and two with the Dodgers. He said Mattingly probably could benefit from managing in the minor leagues first, but his learning curve has been accelerated from being with Torre.
“I think he’s learned by being around Joe,” Bowa said. “He’s got a good grasp of the game and obviously he has instant credibility. He was a great player. I think he would be learning on the job. Those decisions come real quick. If you can relate back to something you did, it happens a little easier. It goes pretty fast, but I think Donnie has a good grasp of the game.”
After spending his entire 14-year career with the Yankees and his first four years as a coach with them as well, Mattingly said he believes he’s benefited from the last two years in Los Angeles getting to see how the National League differs.
“The American League is a lot simpler,” Mattingly said. “There’s still a lot of work but dealing with double switches and when to pinch hit the kind of club you have to have put together it’s different in the National League. It forces you to work a lot harder.”