Dodgers and Mattingly part ways

SFGate ^ | 10/22/2015 | Beth Harris

[xp38]

In 2015 ATT had the lowest HR rate in the majors.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/sort/HRFactor

[StoneWall Brigade]

As a fellow Braves fan I second that.

[Pelham]

I think Scioscia is a good manager but even good managers can get stale.

We also have the luxury of second guessing him and clearly remember when our own managerial decisions get validated. I always think he pulls pitchers too early, so whenever a reliever gets lit up I’m convinced I’m wiser than Scioscia.

But I think more of the Angel’s lack of success is due to Arte. He allowed the farm system to deteriorate. He let some of our better scouts go. He has traded off our prospects for aging ‘stars’. He’s in love with ‘stars’ rather than gamers. The bullpen became an afterthought in the Arte era.

If he wasn’t a meddling owner his GMs and Fat Mike would certainly be to blame, but he is a meddling owner. I had clients close to the Angel organization and some of the back office changes that Arte implemented didn’t reflect positively on his character IMO. I knew one of the players as well and he said that they couldn’t figure out what Arte was trying to accomplish, the way that he spent money didn’t make any sense.

But we’re stuck with Arte no matter what. Maybe he’ll let Scioscia out of his contract if the Dodgers want him.

[ifinnegan]

Mattingly was a Me First player and he was a terrible manager on just about all levels.

[ifinnegan]

I’ve noticed a lot of people really like Mattingly. It’s almost a cult.

They all seem to be from New York or the mid-West.

Why is this?

[ifinnegan]

“heard somewhere Bobby Cox could take a World Series Team and get you a division title”

That was Mattingly in a nutshell.

[CivilWarBrewing]

I'll tell you what's wrong with the Dodgers. They need a FIREY manager who runs out onto the field IN DEFENSE OF HIS TEAM AGAINST BAD CALLS MADE BY THE UMPIRES. Mattingly is a chair sitter who shows NO fire whatsoever.

The manager shouldn't just sit there and watch as his third base is left wide open for Mets' Murphy to STEAL THIRD!!!

The Dodgers cut many of their veterans because they spent too much on their pitchers and LOST THE PLAYOFFS ANYWAY. Get rid of Kershaw and Greinke and put MORE into frontline HITTERS INSTEAD. GO OFFENSE, NOT DEFENSE!! You can't put every game on the backs of the pitchers!!!

BRING BACK A PROACTIVE MANAGER LIKE LASORDA!!!

Getting rid of Mattingly was a good move. BRING FIRE BACK TO THE TEAM AND FIND ANOTHER LASORDA!!!!

[wideawake]

Some questions:

(1) Is there any evidence that screaming at umpires improves win/loss records?

(2) Is there any evidence that certain teams suffer more from questionable officiating than others do?

(3) Is it Mattingly's fault that a grown man like Seager forgot to do his job?

(4) The Dodgers spent under $90mm for 18 pitchers this season and over $90mm for a dozen bats. They clearly went offense - why do you think they didn't?

(5) Lasordas are difficult to find - they do not grow on trees. There aren't many Mattinglys that get their teams to four playoffs in five years. What does it mean to be "proactive" - other than screaming at umpires? Is it telling people to run off the basepath in order to sucker-charge shortstops when they are turned around in the air and can't defend themselves?

(6) One thing that was obvious to me is that the Mets had much more camaraderie between players than the Dodgers. Is that Mattingly's fault (it could be) - or is it the fault of a team that has a lack of leadership among the players? Bad locker room personalities like Puig?

(7) Do you thing Mattingly had more authority over personnel decisions than Farhan Zaidi?

[AppyPappy]

I watched him hit a home run in the championship game when he played for the Greensboro Bats(or whatever they were named then).

[RayChuang88]

Here's the problem with the Dodgers: they're a GREAT regular season team. But once the playoffs begin, the glaring shortcomings of team shows up in a big way--and in this case, a lack of timely hitting. And to think their hated rivals, the San Francisco Giants, have won three World Series already from the 2010 season on....

[wideawake]

Why is this?

Yankees fans like Mattingly because he was a team leader and the team's best player in their long postseason drought of 1982-1994. Fans liked his loyalty to the team and his gritty, never-say-die attitude.

Mattingly is also an Indianan, and a proud Midwesterner who did not go all "Hollywood" (or "Broadway"?) when he played in New York, but lived a low-key lifestyle and came back to visit and get involved in the Evansville area often.

[CivilWarBrewing]

1) A team can be HIGHLY motivated when their manager storms out onto the field and FIGHTS on their behalf. It's a morale booster!

2) Mattingly is dead wood. Lasorda brought character to the team and they loved him for it. Lasorda LOVED his Dodgers, Mattingly seems to be there WHY I DO NOT KNOW.

3) The Dodgers need a FIREY manager, not a bump on a log.

4) Get RID of Puig and MAKE ETHIER THE MANAGER! I think if you set Ethier loose as Manager, he'll become a REAL manager not just a figurehead.

[CivilWarBrewing]

New Dodger manager, Andre Ethier!

[CivilWarBrewing]

Seager needs to go. His mistake was inexcusable. Seager AND Mattingly’s fault.

[CivilWarBrewing]

..and I am in front of the TV saying "DON'T SWING FOR THE FENCE, IDIOTS.. GO FOR THE BASE HIT. BASE HIT, BASE HIT, BASE HIT. THINK 'BASE HIT'!!!!!"

You can 'nickel and dime' the opposition to death with base hits.

[Jolla]

Since 1965 2 championships in 50 years. As someone said recently the Dodgers are a baseball organization, the Giants are a baseball team.

[wideawake]

So you would argue that "firey" managers win more titles than calm ones?

Some of the fieriest in the league - based on game ejections over contested calls - are Gardenhire, Hurdle, and Scioscia.

All three have had their share of postseason disappointments along with the milder Mattingly.

[Sam Clements]

People like Mattingly because he was a great hitter who had his career cut short by injuries. He is alao a classy, modest person. I am tired of all the loud mouth people who do become cult people. If Donny had stayed healthy he would be Hall of Fame material, think along the lines of George Brett. Dodger fans and players don’t deserve him. I’m originally from Boston and would have every reason not to like him except I do.

[Dacula]

I have thought long and hard about your comment and wholeheartedly agree.

We have to strive to do better.. As a Braves team!
Better than Bobby Cox. He was good but he did not deliver championships. (1)
…

I coach Pony baseball and we play 12 regular season games. I would much rather play competitively during the regular season and get a few wins to gain confidence. Wins and losses mean very little in the regular season. It is how you finish.

We stunk it up to start the season. Really got our rear-end kicked but we have won 3 of our last 4.

There are 4 games left in the season and we should win out, no biggie if we don’t.

Come November 1st - IT IS THE PLAYOFFS!
Time to take home the Championship! We can do it.
Fredi is the same as Bobby but worse on purpose!
It is nice to be good but being a winner takes a completely different mindset. Bobby never had it. He was happy being good with mediocre competition,
Dacula

[RayChuang88]

Sure, the Dodgers have a big payroll, but they ended up overpaying for too many players and the clubhouse chemistry is not that great. And it doesn’t help the Dodgers that their TV deal shuts them out of 70% of the population of Los Angeles viewing audience; in sharp contrast, both the New York Yankees and New York Mets have their games seen by most everyone in the New York City area (just about all cable systems in New York City and NYC-area DirecTV/Dish Network subscribers can see the YES Network and SportsNet NY).