Don Mattingly was one of the biggest names in baseball during his days as a player. The Phillies hope his experience as a Yankees icon and one of the most respected figures in the game can help their star-studded roster in his new position.
The Phillies hired Mattingly as their bench coach, the club announced Monday, filling the last open spot on the major-league coaching staff. Mattingly previously held the same position with the Toronto Blue Jays for the past three seasons.
“It’s interesting,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said via Zoom, “because (president of baseball operations) Dave (Dombrowski) and I have been talking about hiring a guy like Donnie with that type of pedigree, because, as great as our staff is, we don’t have that guy that’s been a star in the big leagues.