Don Mattingly, who guided the Philadelphia Phillies to the postseason after taking over as interim manager just 28 games into the season, will return as the team’s manager after signing a two-year deal, it was announced Wednesday.
Hired last season as a bench coach, Mattingly, 65, took the reins after Rob Thomson was fired in April. The father of Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly, Don Mattingly helped turn around the team’s fortunes immediately. Despite losing four games in a row during the final week of the regular season, Philadelphia clinched a National League wild-card berth with a victory in the final game.
The Phillies forced a decisive Game 3 in the NL wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves but bowed out with a 6-2 loss.