Don Mattingly open to managing the Phillies beyond this season 

Prior to Wednesday night’s game against the Cincinnatti Reds, interim manager Don Mattingly was asked by ESPN’s Buster Olney if he would be open to managing the team beyond this year. 

"Oh, I would do it,” Mattingly said. “I committed myself to two years with the Phillies when I came over. So, whatever Dave [Dombrowski] wants to do in that regard, but yeah, I would like to do it.” 

It certainly will be up to Dombrowski, who confirmed during the transition from Rob Thomson to Mattingly that he reached out to the then-recently fired Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, with whom he has a close relationship, to see if Cora would be interested in taking over the managerial role for the Phillies. 

When the Phillies brought in Mattingly as the new bench coach in the offseason, there was immediate speculation that the 1985 MVP who managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins would potentially take over the reins of the team. 

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That speculation became reality sooner than many expected, including Mattingly, when the Phillies fired Rob Thomson on April 28 after a 9-19 start to the season. 

Mattingly, during his introductory press conference as the bench coach, stated that he had no desire to manage again citing the time and effort it requires. He managed for 12 years between the Dodgers and Marlins, posting an 889-950 record (.483). 

Obviously, minds can change, and it certainly seems like that is the case with Mattingly. 

The Phillies have turned their season around since he took over, posting a 42-22 record. They are well within striking distance of the Atlanta Braves, who, entering Wednesday, lost 17 of their last 24 games, allowing the Phillies to turn what was once a 10-game hole in the NL East to just two games nearing the All-Star break.