Last week rumors and reports indicated the Miami Marlins hired Don Mattingly to be their next manager. Since the MLB frowns upon making such significant announcements during the World Series, the Marlins had to wait until this week.
Miami officially introduced Mattingly as the franchise's next manager on Monday.
Welcome to Miami, Donnie Baseball! pic.twitter.com/2VYq0lOdts
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) November 2, 2015
.@Marlins name Don Mattingly manager. pic.twitter.com/83Leqr4vBJ
— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2015
Owner Jeffrey Loria, team president David Samson and president of baseball operations Mike Hill were present for today's press conference to announce the hiring of Mattingly. The 54-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Fish, but says he plans on being in Miami for "at least" 10 years.
"Hiring a manager is one of the most important decisions a team can make, which is why it was so important for us to find the right long-term solution," Loria said during the official announcement, via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Don Mattingly to the Marlins family. He brings a storied life in baseball to our ballclub, and is one of the game's living legends. His experience as an All-Star, former MVP and accomplished manager of a team that won the NL West title three years running will be incredibly valuable to our organization. In addition to being a great baseball mind, he's also a wonderful person."
Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers parted ways on Oct. 22 even though the manager had never recorded a losing campaign in five seasons with the team. However, two consecutive early exits in the postseason likely played a role in his departure, despite his 446-363 record during his tenure.
Mattingly will succeed Dan Jennings, who was fired last week. Jennings took over as interim manager when the team dismissed Mike Redmond after 38 games in 2015. Jennings wanted to return as the team's manager, but the Marlins did not have that in mind for their long-term plans. Instead, Jennings was expected to return to his role in the front office as the team's general manager, but the team apparently rescinded that offer and he was fired.
The Marlins hope Mattingly can help turn the ship around in Miami, where Loria has gone through seven managers since 2005.
