I haven't heard Mattingly is a bad Mgr. Yet, I have heard tons of press, and analysts point out over and over, Donnie has had more than his hands full, babysitting over priced and hyped Personalities, ie, Puig, Ramirez, even Kemp when he wasn't ready to play CF.....
Any way you slice and dice it, I'm not sure what criteria to use to grade Don's report card, as a skipper. If its merely the lack of going forth to the Series then sure he's failed. If its not pulling Kershaw out prior to a 3 run HR, then that's debatable. The game today, was literally a game of inches. Kershaw gave up 2 hits prior to the bomb, should he of pulled Kershaw then? Questionable at best, since those two hits off the glove of Gordon and Ramirez, were so close, it truly is a game of inches......
Would I of pulled Kershaw at that point, just prior to his hanging curve HR. One knock on Kershaw's last two outings, was sooooo predictable, ie, Kershaw gets the count with 2 strikes with nothing but Fastballs, then throws the big hook, and that much was too predictable. St. Louis batters were waiting on that pitch, too dang predictable. I'm not sure how Donnie was to blame, since the Cards have an approx 4.00+ ERA against the Bums since 2013, and of course Kershaw lost 2 NLCS games last year. Should Don started Greinke as his #1 SP. I think he should have. Greinke was the Pitcher last year, who stopped the bleeding.....and Zach is a pretty damn good hitter too......
So guys, please help me out, in what sense would you give Donnie a failing grade as a Mgr. I'm totally open minded on this one, and would appreciate any info ya'll provide on Mattingly as a Mgr.....I'll respect any input given....and thanks for as much....
Back to the Bums, when I moved to California in 68, I lived an hour south of Frisco and Oakland. In 67, I lived in Shreveport, home then of the AAA Giants, and note: I hated those effing Bums, but loved Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Perry, McCormick, et al. Even got all of these guys autographs in a exhibition game in Shreveport, and again in Candlestick, when the OF fence was nothing but a chain link.....
I went to Candlestick and Oakland to see some great History in the making. Saw a double header of the A's vs. those great O's teams...and of course Mays and Mantle were my favorite players of that era......
then I moved to Southern Cal. Had mixed feelings about the Bums, I always admired Koufax, and saw him Pitch in L.A. (on vacation in 64) Drysdale too, and didn't mind the Alston Teams. Tho' I'd root for the Giants any day over L.A.
then along came Tommy f'kng Lasorda, like the movie Fletch, I've never despised a shit head of a Mgr, than Lasorda, he ruined any taste for Dodger blue. Lasorda IMHO was one of the worst Mgrs, IMO in the history of the game....Just my 2 cents. If not for the scouting reports, Gibson would of never had that back door slider which he was told to wait on with 2 strikes, shades of waiting on Kershaws 2 strike hanging curve.
anyway-yes, I even got a disdain for Vin Scully, as I once said, if I hear another effing "Farmer John" Ham, bacon and hot dog commercial I would never watch another Bums game.....
So there you have it, the only time, I even watched regular season Bums games, was when Torre came to L.A. and with Don at the helm, I've enjoyed those games, but disdain players like Puig and Ramirez, they have their heads up their asses.
should Matttingly of benched both for insubordination???? Therein lies the Question and more if you want to toss as much this way, I'd appreciate it.....
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Thanks band of brothers....!
