Don Mattingly is finally going to the Fall Classic.
After 5,231 games over 36 seasons as a player, coach and manager, the Toronto Blue Jays' bench coach will finally make his World Series debut on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I'm going to enjoy this, been enjoying this ride with this team," Mattingly said on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday. "It's a fun team, it's a team you can trust. That's probably the best word you can say as a coach or a manager, is that you can trust these guys."
The Blue Jays hired Mattingly on Nov. 22, 2022, after he left his job as Miami Marlins manager at the end of the 2022 season.
Before Miami, Mattingly won three division titles in five seasons as manager of the Dodgers. He also worked as hitting coach and bench coach for the New York Yankees, and as hitting coach of the Dodgers before his managerial stint in Los Angeles.
Watch the Blue Jays in the World Series on Sportsnet
It all comes down to Game 7 as the Blue Jays try to win their first World Series title since 1993. Watch Game 7 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Broadcast schedule
Of course, the Dodgers will now be his first World Series opponent. But Mattingly has no hard feelings toward his old team and is focused only on helping the Blue Jays capture their first championship since 1993.
"I had a great run there in L.A. and walked away from there feeling good," Mattingly told Patrick. "I don't feel any negativity towards those guys. Going back, it's more like going to New York this time of year, it's like, 'Hey, what do we have to do to win a game?'"
Mattingly spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Yankees, winning nine Gold Gloves at first base, three Silver Slugger awards, the 1984 AL batting title and the 1985 AL MVP award.
And what does the former Yankees slugger think about the plan for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani?
"I think, like anyone, there are places to go, to get him out," Mattingly said. "It doesn't mean you can go there all the time, it means you have to find different ways to get there."
Mattingly's quest for a first World Series title against Ohtani and the Dodgers will begin on Friday in Game 1 in Toronto. Watch the game live on Sportsnet and Sportnset+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
