Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly bought into team CEO Derek Jeter’s plan for the organization. The skipper just completed his third season in South Florida, one that was full of growing pains and angst as the fan base dwindled as the losses continued to pile up.
At times, Mattingly was in a “no-win” situation given the youth an inexperience of the pitching staff and the injuries that mounted throughout the season. Maybe he deserved a medal of honor for making changes daily and keeping the team’s composure in check for 161 games.