Don Mattingly is officially the Philadelphia Phillies’ new full-time manager, locked in for two years, but the real story isn’t just about who they hired. It’s about who they *couldn’t* get first, and why those legends decided to pass on the gig. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski went big game hunting, reportedly hitting up the Los Angeles Dodgers to get permission to chat with Phillies legends Chase Utley and Raúl Ibañez about the top job before Mattingly got the nod.
Utley’s Family Commitment Shuts Down Manager Dream
Turns out, both Utley and Ibañez said a hard pass to even talking with Dombrowski. Utley, at 47 years old, is currently a special assistant to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, and he straight up told the Phillies he’s not feeling the manager life right now. His reason? Family. “Considering where I’m currently at with my family, that commitment is not really realistic at the moment,” Utley said before the NLCS Game 3 loss to the Brewers. He’s “completely happy with how things are going currently” and isn’t looking to “add to” his plate, believing “everyone would totally understand that.” You gotta respect a guy putting family first, even if it leaves Philly fans wondering what could have been. And talk about a Phillies legend: Utley played nearly 13 of his 16 MLB seasons in Philly, snagging a World Series ring in 2008, five division titles, and six All-Star selections. He’s still top 10 all-time for the team in hits, home runs, RBI, and extra-base hits. Seriously, a true icon.
Ibañez Sticking With Dodgers, Too
Then there’s Raúl Ibañez, 54, who’s the Dodgers’ vice president of baseball development and special projects. He apparently took a couple of days to mull it over, which tells you how serious this was, before explaining to Dombrowski why he preferred to stay put in Los Angeles. Ibañez isn’t new to managerial buzz either, having interviewed for the Tampa Bay Rays’ job before Kevin Cash was hired. The guy’s got experience: a 19-year veteran, he’s worked in the MLB front office and even done broadcasting with ESPN. During his three seasons with the Phillies from 2009-11, Ibañez put up a .264/.329/.469 slash line, knocking out 70 dingers and bringing in 260 RBI in 433 games. He was part of three NL East winners, plus a World Series and NLCS run in Philly.
It’s clear the Phillies wanted to make a splash with a familiar face, but when their top two choices both opted out, they moved on to Mattingly. Dombrowski already announced that former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is joining Mattingly’s staff as the third-base and infield coach. So, the new era is officially underway in Philly, just not with the legends many might have hoped for in the dugout.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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