Marlins name Don Mattingly as manager

MIAMI - The Miami Marlins today announced that Don Mattingly has been named as Manager, signing a four-year contract covering the 2016-2019 seasons. The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill.

 "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," said Marlins Owner and CEO Jeffrey Loria. 

"I'm thrilled to welcome Don Mattingly to the Marlins family. He brings a storied life in baseball to our ball club, 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.

Don's brand of strong and focused leadership is exactly what this team of talented players needs to help us compete at the highest level."

Mattingly, 54, joins the Marlins after five seasons as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing with a winning record each year while becoming the first Dodgers manager ever to lead the team to three consecutive postseason appearances (2013-15). He has compiled a 446-363 record for a .551 winning percentage as a Major League manager and is the only manager in baseball to win more than 90 games in each of the last three seasons.   

 Mattingly, who played for the New York Yankees for 14 seasons from 1982-1995, was a six-time All-Star and won nine Gold Glove Awards, in addition to being named the 1985 American League Most Valuable Player. He compiled a .307 average with 2,153 hits, 222 home runs and 1,099 RBI in his career, winning a batting title in 1984 with a .343 average. He currently shares the ML records for the most consecutive games with a home run (eight) and for the most grand slams in one season (six in 1987).

 Prior to becoming the Dodgers' manager in 2011, Mattingly had seven seasons as a Major League coach (2004-2010). He spent three seasons as the Dodgers' hitting coach (2008-2010), one season as the bench coach under Joe Torre with the Yankees (2007) and three as the Yankees' hitting coach (2004-06). In addition, he served seven seasons as a special instructor for the Yankees during Spring Training.

A native of Evansville, Indiana, Mattingly was drafted by the Yankees in the 19^th-round of the 1979 MLB Draft and made his ML debut in 1982.