Don Mattingly and Joe Janish enjoying clam chowder on the Cape
That said, I want to publicly congratulate a man I worked for a few years ago: Don Mattingly. The Dodgers have announced that “Donnie Baseball” will be their manager after Joe Torre steps down at the end of this season.
From my experience working with him and his company Mattingly Hitting Products, I can tell you firsthand he is in real life the same person he appears to be publicly — a hard working, down to earth, intelligent, open-minded, all-around great guy with a positive, winning attitude and personality that make people want to follow him. At the same time he is completely comfortable in his own skin, and makes you feel comfortable in his presence — i.e., a guy with whom you can sit down and talk baseball for hours on end and forget that you are chatting with an icon whose plaque is in Yankee Stadium’s Memorial Park.
Will Mattingly be a great manager? We may have an idea around this time next year. Already there are people concerned with his lack of managerial experience, but the man he’s replacing — Joe Torre — had neither managing nor coaching exprience when he began his career in the dugout with the Mets, so who’s to say if it matters?
Whatever happens, I wish him the best of luck, and will quietly root for him — except when the Dodgers play the Mets.
Congrats to Donnie Baseball. Too bad some of his players didn’t know about his playing career (i.e., Matt Kemp). How out of touch today’s players are wth the games history that a guy like Kemp doesn’t have any idea of his new managers’ own outstanding career. Can you imagine someone playing for the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA and not knowing about owner Michael Jordan’s playing career? Wouldn’t happen! Good Luck Don, you’re gonna need it I’m afraid.
Nice idea with “off topics”. However, the correct caption should have been “I had clam CHOWDA with Donnie baseball.” Keep it coming.