Mattingly doesn't want Yanks job

MantleMarisFordBerra

Kinda disappointed, I've been a fan of Donnie Baseball since I was a kid & figured the job was his. It does say a lot about his character to remain loyal to Torre, maybe that's why he was my favorite player. In any case, if Mattingly's off the table, I hope we get Joe Girardi.

Mattingly doesn't want Yanks job
Posted: Tuesday October 16, 2007 06:48AM ET
Yankees bench coach Don Mattingly has told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre, according to a friend. The friend, who requested anonymity because the situation is unresolved, said he spoke directly with the former Yankees great in recent days. Mattingly's stance could open the door for the Yankees to bring back Torre for a 13th season because he was the leading candidate for the job.

perkdog

Wow, you got to respect Mattingly for this. A class act for sure..

RedHeart54

But then this was just released at newsday.com.

"Don Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, told Newsday this morning that a report stating Mattingly does not feel ready to replace Joe Torre as manager is inaccurate. The story was first reported by the Star-Ledger last night, using a "friend" of Mattingly as a source.

Schulte said by phone this morning that the story was "a fabrication." The story stated that Mattingly, the Yankees' bench coach, "has told a member of the [owner George] Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre, according to a friend."

The Yankees brass is to convene in Tampa around noon to decide who they want as manager in 2008. If they decide to replace Torre after 12 seasons, Mattingly is believed to be the leading candidate. Mattingly is a particular favorite of Steinbrenners."

baseballfan

no one wants to be the guy that follows the man.

i don't blame him

perkdog

<< <i>no one wants to be the guy that follows the man.

i don't blame him >>



No disrespect but Im not sure the Yankees succes in his Tenure is all because of him.

ctsoxfan

<< <i>

<< <i>no one wants to be the guy that follows the man.

i don't blame him >>



No disrespect but Im not sure the Yankees succes in his Tenure is all because of him. >>



Very true.

I actually like Torre, but c'mon - it wasn't like he won 4 WS rings with the Kansas City Royals.

perkdog

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>no one wants to be the guy that follows the man.

i don't blame him >>



No disrespect but Im not sure the Yankees succes in his Tenure is all because of him. >>



Very true.

I actually like Torre, but c'mon - it wasn't like he won 4 WS rings with the Kansas City Royals. >>



Or even the Cardinals for that matter.....

stitzen

Or any of the other teams he 'managed' before coming to the yankees and 'winning' 4 world series.

rube26105

he won more postseason games than any manager in mlb at 74,sure done alot better than most of the teams out there in rings and wins,george dont seem to realize,ya cant win every year,no matter who ya got!i still think he stays,george says that every years,hes a bit nutty,plus hes getting up there,that dont help his mind out for making decisions none im sure,if he is the one making them anymore???

MantleMarisFordBerra

Not so fast my friend...


By Jon Heyman, SI.com

Don Mattingly did not tell the Yankees he isn't ready to be manager or take himself out of the running for consideration, Mattingly's longtime agent Ray Schulte said on Tuesday afternoon.

"Donnie's in a situation where he loves Joe [Torre] and he loves the Yankees,''' Schulte said in an interview with SI.com. "He looks at it as a win-win situation. If Torre comes back, he works with Joe, and he has a great relationship with Joe. If he doesn't, he could be considered for manager.''

This has been a touchy situation for Mattingly, a Yankees icon, since the Yankees were ousted from from the postseason in the Division Series for a third straight season and failed to win a World Series for a seventh straight time. Since their quick exit from the playoffs, the focus has been on Torre's tenuous situation and the fact that Mattingly, his bench coach, was the most likely replacement.

"Don thinks of Joe as a mentor. He has the utmost respect for Joe. The confidence he has is because of Joe,'' Schulte said. "He's got the passion for the job. It just boils down to timing.''

Schulte called the report in Tuesday's Newark Star-Ledger that Mattingly told a member of the Steinbrenner family that he doesn't feel ready for the job and is unwilling to replace Torre "a fabrication.'

"It's absolutely not true,'' Schulte said. "I spoke to Don this morning, and he was just blindsided.''

Yankees higherups -- including Steinbrenner's two sons -- Hank and Hal -- and club president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman are meeting at an undisclosed location in Tampa today discuss the Torre situation.

The support for Torre among the top brass appears fairly thin. But fans and players have strongly supported Torre, and at least one potential star free agent, Mariano Rivera, suggested the call on Torre could impact his decision. The Yankees, however, remain confident they can re-sign Rivera.

Mattingly, a longtime George Steinbrenner favorite, has been seen as the most likely successor should the Yankees decide to make a change. Joe Girardi, who declined to discuss the situation when reached by phone, is another strong candidate. Other possibilities include Bobby Valentine, Tony La Russa and Tony Pena, the Yankees' first base coach.

DeutscherGeist

The likes of Mattingly, so great, yet so humble. Of course, he does not want to make it easy for Joe Torre to exit, so that is why he is not making an issue of saying that he is ready. Joe Girardi was also a class act in not wanting to comment about the situation. Ambition is a wonderful trait, but one also has to see it in a broader perspective too. There is no harm in having Torre back next year while Mattingly stays on as his mentee. Its not like he has been bench coach for 6 years and its enough already.

Carew29

Why would Mattingly want a team no stars, with Alex ( btw,Mr. Moreno has a big on his face right now) ,Mariano,Posada bailing if Torre goes.

Estil

<< <i>Wow, you got to respect Mattingly for this. A class act for sure.. >>



Can I respect Mattingly for this and yet be disappointed at the same time? I really did want my boyhood idol to take over and maybe at long last get that championship.