Don Mattingly took over a Philadelphia Phillies team that was 9-19, got it into the playoffs and may now be headed out the door.
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Philadelphia does not plan to bring Mattingly back as manager next season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The reported plan is to announce a mutual parting of ways and offer him a chance to remain with the organization in an advisory role. The Phillies have not announced a decision.
That is quite a thank-you for a rescue job.
Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson in April and went 79-55 over the rest of the regular season. The Phillies made the wild-card round, where the Braves ended their season Thursday with a 6-2 win in the deciding Game 3.
After the loss, Mattingly declined to make his future the focus.
"I'm not concerned about myself in this situation," he told reporters. "I want the Phillies to do what they need to do to set themselves up for success."
Mattingly said he had not discussed the offseason with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Until the club announces its plans, his departure remains a report.
Still, the apparent outcome is striking. Philadelphia was headed toward a lost season when Mattingly took over. He gave the Phillies five more months and a postseason appearance. If Nightengale's report holds, that will have been enough to finish the year, but not enough to keep the job.
