The Philadelphia Phillies saw a five-game win streak come to an end against the Cincinnati Reds, but the team is still surging under new leadership.
Since the team replaced long-time manager Rob Thomson with bench coach Don Mattingly, it has won six straight series and earned the best record in the National League amid a stunning turnaround.
“You can run through the records of every manager in the Hall of Fame. Not one of them has done what Don Mattingly has done over the last three weeks,” Jayson Stark and Matt Gelb wrote for The Athletic. “What he has done since taking over the once-wallowing Phillies is no longer merely stunning, team-changing and season-saving. It’s officially historic.”
Philadelphia Phillies’ Former Manager Rob Thomson Criticized For Lack Of Personal Big-League Experience
On the surface, Mattingly did not change much after taking over for Thomson. The team has stuck with largely the same group of players. But there is also at least one significant difference between Thomson and Mattingly, as the new manager brings a much stronger personal resume into the dugout.
In 14 seasons with the New York Yankees, Mattingly was a six-time All-Star, an MVP Award winner, a three-time Silver Slugger and a nine-time Gold Glover. Thomson never reached the major-league level in his own playing career, which peaked with four seasons as a catcher in the minors.
That lack of personal playing experience was an issue with at least one Phillies player during Thomson’s tenure, as former outfielder Nick Castellanos reportedly told teammates that he did not trust a manager who never played in the big leagues.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm Credits Don Mattingly’s ‘Player’s Perspective’ Amid Turnaround
And now one of the Phillies’ players who is enjoying the most notable turnaround under Mattingly has also noted the new perspective that he brings as a former player himself.
“Don has been around a lot of baseball, a lot of really good baseball,” Alec Bohm told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen. “He’s seen it all. As much as you can see from a player’s perspective, a coach’s perspective, a manager’s perspective. He’s been on all sides of the game.”
After years of trade speculation and up-and-down performances at the plate, Bohm has been mired in another slump this season. But Mattingly benched him for two straight games before he returned with a strong 1.231 OPS in 37 plate appearances afterward.
Mattingly might have leaned on his own personal playing experience to opt for Bohm’s reset and in his communication about his intention to the player. While Thomson had his own signature moments at the helm of the Phillies, Bohm’s reset might not have been possible without Mattingly.