Mattingly Quits Dodgers Job

[photo courtesy of Dodgers.com]

From Dodgers.com comes the news that Don Mattingly decided to leave the Dodgers after being passed over as bench coach weeks ago. From the report:

Don Mattingly, named by the Dodgers as hitting coach two months ago and the presumed eventual replacement for new manager Joe Torre, stepped aside on Tuesday for family reasons and was replaced by Triple-A hitting coach Mike Easler.

Mattingly will remain in the organization as a special advisor and coach, but requested the change so he could spend more time at home in Evansville, Ind. Mattingly took the Dodgers job after losing out to Joe Girardi for the Yankees' manager job that Torre formerly held.

"I'm very grateful that the Dodgers have allowed me to take care of these family matters and I hope that everyone can respect our privacy during this time," Mattingly said in a statement issued by the team. "I truly appreciate the support of all Dodger fans since joining the organization and I look forward to helping the team win in 2008 and beyond."

This has been a tough offseason for Donnie Baseball. Mattingly traveled from shoe-in as Joe Torre's replacement, to Torre's right hand man in LA, and now has removed himself as Dodgers hitting coach. And now . . .


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