PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Don Mattingly admitted to feeling a bit of an odd sensation when he was invited to serve as a coach under Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for this year’s All-Star Game.
When Mattingly departed his position as bench coach under Toronto manager John Schneider following the World Series — which the Blue Jays dropped in seven games to the Dodgers — he gave up a guaranteed spot in the American League dugout for Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic.
A six-time AL All-Star himself, Mattingly believed at that point his days in baseball were behind him.
As it turns out, he’s not only still involved in the sport — he’s now running the Philadelphia Phillies as interim manager and has guided them back into serious contention for a playoff spot.
On Tuesday, he’ll be in the opposing dugout from Schneider and the Blue Jays coaching staff when the All-Star Game is played at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
