The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant change last week in hopes of saving their season.
They fired manager Rob Thomson after a four-year stint that included a National League pennant and replaced him with long-time New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, who joined the team as Thomson’s new bench coach in the offseason.
The early results were encouraging, as the Phillies rattled off four wins in a row after the change, though the jury is still out on just how far Mattingly can take his new team.
“The front office sought a fresh perspective in elevating Mattingly,” Charlotte Varnes wrote for The Athletic. “But he said his approach will not differ too much from Thomson, a manager whom Phillies players praised for his even-keeled, steady nature.”
Philadelphia Phillies Make History With Father-Son Mattingly Duo
After helping the Toronto Blue Jays reach the World Series last year, Mattingly joined the Phillies in part because his son Preston serves as the team’s general manager. Though he said he wouldn’t want to return to managing, he walked back those comments once it was announced that he was taking over for Thomson. And he addressed the unique dynamic that the team’s dugout now has with the front office.
“We both want to win games,” Mattingly said of working with his son, per Varnes. “We’re just like every player. We’re here to win. My coaches are here to win. The players are here to win. Preston’s here to win. (President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s) here to win. I’m sure ownership’s here to win. The fans want to win. It’s all coming back to better baseball.”
Philadelphia Phillies GM Preston Mattingly Breaks Silence On Dad’s New Job
And now that his father has replaced Thomson, Preston Mattingly has spoken out about the immediate benefits of bringing in a new voice.
“Everybody that leads has a different cadence to how they do things,” Preston Mattingly told MLB Network Radio. “Even if you do things similarly, I think the way you throw the schedule out there, the way you talk to players, the way you interact with your staff, I think just a different cadence and a different voice for players, I think brings a little bit of urgency, so I think kind of that’s what we’ve seen the last few days.”
The Phillies do appear to be playing with a new sense of urgency under Mattingly, earning back-to-back walk-off wins in a double header early in his tenure, for instance. And if he can guide the team to another deep playoff run, he might have to discuss a longer stay with his son.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
