TORONTO — The last time Don Mattingly was at Rogers Centre, the confetti was still falling on the Dodgers after Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
So many players and coaches in that dugout wanted to get Mattingly his first ring. It had taken 5,231 games over 36 seasons as a player, coach and manager for Mattingly to reach that first World Series with the Blue Jays, but even after the heartbreak, the baseball lifer returned to Canada as interim manager of the Phillies on Monday with fond memories.
“It’s emotional. If you’re the team that doesn’t get the last out, it’s a crash,” Mattingly said. “No matter if it’s at that level or the first round, that feeling is the same. Once you get away from that, from last year’s standpoint, you’re really proud of the team and what they were able to accomplish. The guys who were in there, you feel for those guys, they laid their hearts out there.”
Having Mattingly as bench coach was a dream for Blue Jays manager John Schneider. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Schneider had Mattingly’s poster on his wall. The initial awe wore off, of course, and the two grew close, the veteran Mattingly helping the younger Schneider lead this organization back to the World Series.
Looking back on Mattingly’s days in Toronto, they were more subtle to the public eye than some of the other roles he’s held over the years. He wasn’t starring at first base for the Yankees or facing the media each day as the manager, but he was heavily involved in every aspect of the club’s day-to-day work, particularly its offensive game planning.
“It was his experience. It was the quiet swagger that he had,” Schneider said. “It was very calming and very confident. It was great for me, too, to bounce things off of him. In the role he was in here, he was active, he was loud, he got after it a little bit with guys. I’m sure he’s a little bit different in the manager role, but he was great, man. He came here like we all did, expecting to win.”
After Mattingly left the Blue Jays following the World Series, he joined the Phillies where his son, Preston, is general manager. Mattingly took over managerial duties after the Phillies fired Rob Thomson following a slow start to the season. The Phillies have since gone 26-11 entering Monday’s game, led by a stacked pitching staff that the Blue Jays will see this week in Toronto.
“I was messing with him, saying I hoped that [Cristopher] Sánchez got stuck at the border or something,” Schneider said. “His response was, ‘I wanted to give him extra rest, but Preston wouldn’t let me.’ It’s a unique situation he’s in with his son being his boss, if you will.”
There’s a camaraderie among most managers, particularly Schneider and Mattingly. Schneider has always held a great sense of respect for the 29 other men who do this job, recognizing how rare the opportunity is but also how demanding. Only they can understand the day-to-day responsibilities and the scrutiny that comes with it.
They respect each other’s games, too. On Monday, Schneider will switch his signs up. Mattingly knows all of Schneider’s signs, which he needed just in case Schneider got ejected from a game and Mattingly needed to take over.
“I see Schneids as being more comfortable all the time with who he is and what he wants to do,” Mattingly said. “In my three years there, I just thought he got better and better. Schneids is a risk-taker. He’s not afraid to gamble and do stuff. He’s always trying to do stuff. I like that.”
The two friends traded some texts early Monday, Schneider even sending over “a little care package” for Mattingly. Come 7:07 p.m. ET, there’s a game to play, but these two managers still share a bond and friendship that’s bigger than the game.
“I want Schneids to do great. I wish these guys well,” Mattingly said, “other than the days they play the Phillies.”
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