MLB - Sports Rumors

Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:36 am EDT

Mattingly to replace Easler as Dodgers' hitting coach

By Joe Zedalis

Don Mattingly

Getty Images

With the Los Angeles Dodgers' offense ranking among the worst in the league, the club is expected to change hitting coaches at the All-Star break by replacing Mike Easler with Don Mattingly, according to sources close to the situation who requested anonymity because the move hasn't been finalized. Mattingly is due to take over when the Dodgers start the second half of the season in Arizona on July 18.

Manager Joe Torre declined to comment.

If Easler is dismissed, the Dodgers would have let go a hitting coach in midseason for the second consecutive year. Bill Mueller replaced Eddie Murray last June.

Easler, who is expected to be reassigned within the organization, is the Dodgers' eighth hitting coach in the last 10 seasons. The Dodgers appointed him last January, after Mattingly resigned from the coaching staff to tend to family matters amid his divorce proceedings.

Source: Los Angeles TimesNew Window

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28 Comments

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  1. rogerthat
    1. Posted by rogerthat Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    UNO! Go Donny Hollywood!
  2. nyyanks818
    2. Posted by nyyanks818 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:42 pm EDT

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    1st and probably last :)
  3. LA Looks
    3. Posted by LA Looks Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    The Dodgers need all the help they can get at this point..so let's get Mattingly in there...THE ORIGINAL Yankee MUSTACHE...someone tell Giambi he can shave now, the mustache-master is back in baseball. I hope Jeff Kent doesn't get jealous.
  4. C-TOWNMAC
    4. Posted by C-TOWNMAC Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    donny baseball! good to see him back. he is a real asset to the game. too bad he couldn't find someone to whack his ex. oh well, a couple thousand miles should be far enough. 84 fleer don mattingly, awesome. go browns.
  5. bctahoe75
    5. Posted by bctahoe75 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:03 pm EDT

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    Let's hope Donny and Joe can light a fire under this team of underachiever's. Billy Beane has it right, let's rid ourselves of Jeff Kent, Nomar, Andruw, and the other overpaid, past their prime players and start giving our minor league players a chance. No way this team goes anywhere even if they make the playoffs, and it certainly is not because of Joe Torre. How did we let J.D. Drew and Damon get away. They got game unlike Kent and A. Jones
  6. JS
    6. Posted by JS Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    Bout' time. Dodgers are pathetic.....
  7. joarby2
    7. Posted by joarby2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    Welcome back Don...too bad the Yanks betrayed him! One clueless Joe left town and another clueless Joe replaced him!
    #7...don't fool yourself. LA tried to build their team the way the Yanks did (some old superstars and some young superstars) but it has a lot more to do with personality than anything! Clueless Joe was just lucky to be on the recipricating end with the Super Yankees at the time. There is no way he can do it now...I am glad. I have been saying this for the last 4 years and now the moment of truth is upon him!
  8. richard nixon
    8. Posted by richard nixon Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:58 pm EDT

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    dodgers gm ned colletti has shown that a world series championship will never be delivered to los angeles as long as he holds that job.
  9. OGD
    9. Posted by OGD Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    we are only a game behind first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  10. Spanky McPherson
    10. Posted by Spanky McPherson Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

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    Now we're talking. Time to lock Donny in a room with Loney and see what comes of it.
    Then go grab Dunn from the Reds for DeWitt, a prospect, and some cash. Ethier + Stults for Jack Wilson. Walk away with the NL West.
    LF Kemp
    C Martin
    1B Loney
    RF Dunn
    SS Wilson
    2B Kent
    CF Jones
    3B La Roche/Nomar
  11. thomasg.
    11. Posted by thomasg. Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT

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    It was time for a change long ago , but we shall see . GO BLUE !! DODGERS !!!!!
  12. ftbllfrk951
    12. Posted by ftbllfrk951 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:04 pm EDT

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    Hopefully he can wake our hitters up
  13. HB
    13. Posted by HB Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    Well it definitely could NOT hurt ............By the way what ever happened to Matt Kemp being a
    power hitter ?????? I like the guy but he's too dumb running those bases STILL. He needs to go deep & trot around the bases. And one last thing , Kemp as the lead off hitter is NOT working, Why not try Martin lead off then Kemp #2 .Martin likes to steal & that would put pressure on the pitcher making them throw Kemp's favorite fast balls .GO BLUE!!!
  14. Wil J
    14. Posted by Wil J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    #12 Not a bad idea.
  15. eight inches
    15. Posted by eight inches Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:37 pm EDT

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    Will he be able to teach Androoooo Jones to hit? When I see the Dodgers consistently make deals like that I just LOL. Couldn't happen to a better team.
  16. optimus b
    16. Posted by optimus b Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

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    if he can help sorrowful jones
  17. hatc73
    17. Posted by hatc73 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    It isn't Easler's fault. His record as a hitting coach speaks for itself. That is why they are reassigning him as opposed to firing him. You need to have players that are serious about listening and getting better. Best of luck to Mattingly.
  18. David Allspaw
    18. Posted by David Allspaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:39 pm EDT

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    #10 - Adam Dunn for Blake DeWitt? Have you been drinking paint thinner? Dunn is big, slow in the field and stupid at the plate. The only thing he does well is hit home runs and he seems to do that out of pure luck. I will believe Adam Dumb is worth more than a bag of used baseballs when he decides to hit for average and cut down on the strikeouts.
  19. zubee
    19. Posted by zubee Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:49 pm EDT

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    Good to see Don Mattingly back in uniform. Now he needs to get some healthy ballplayers to coach.
  20. animalou
    20. Posted by animalou Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:55 pm EDT

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    excuse me.... who hired mattingly...colletti ...... why does anyone think that anything colletti does will work...the WORST GM IN BASEBALL
  21. thomasg.
    21. Posted by thomasg. Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT

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    Amen !!!!!
  22. mik58rod
    22. Posted by mik58rod Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:19 pm EDT

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    I agree with #19 Adam Done is not a good trade.A 223 Avg is not what the Dodgers need right now.Leave Dewitt at 3rd base,this dude is suppose to be in AA baseball!He is doing a good job.
  23. Dallas
    23. Posted by Dallas Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    Well, Dread Colletti let Rich Harden slip thru his slimny fingers as he has a true slugger, a healthy SP, & so on! I would have offered a young, semi-talented & low cost Kemp & his bad baserunning & all his K's for Harden. No one will take Jones at 18Mil a year, we also have Ethier, Young, Repko & others that can pick up the slack until Pierre comes back. Or I would package Kemp & younger talent for a true Slugger - we need both a hitter & SP & again, Dread has looked silly in not being able to create a trade that actually pays off for the Dodgers! They will go nowehere with this lineup as it is I can hear it now, "Now batting, playing LF for the Dodgers, Richie Sexson" ! McCourt, do us all a favor & can Colletti as he has hurt more than helped build this team!
  24. thomasg.
    24. Posted by thomasg. Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:08 pm EDT

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    Fire Colletti dump jones and kemp and bring back REPKO !!!!! GO BLUE !!! DODGERS !!!!!!!!!!!

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