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Podcast Episode

🚨EMERGENCY POD: PHILLIES LOCK UP DON MATTINGLY AS MANAGER 🚨

Catchin' Phils: A Phillies Podcast··17 October 2026·25 min

About this episode

Recorded live on YouTube right after the news broke, Josh Liddick and Austin Myers react to the Phillies signing Don Mattingly to a two-year extension as full-time manager.After Alex Cora turned the Phillies down twice, the team went with stability. Josh and Austin agree it's the right move, even if it isn't the splashy hire fans wanted. Mattingly took over a 9-19 team in the spring and got them back to the postseason, despite an early exit. The guys also run through the other candidates and why none of them clearly beat the guy already in the building.With Mattingly now the long-term manager, a coaching staff shake-up could be next. Josh and Austin debate who should stay, who should go, and whether a new hitting coach makes sense after a quiet offense late in the year.They also take on the elephant in the room: Dave Dombrowski's future. Between the Phillies' farm system, some big hits and misses, and Sam Fuld turning down the Athletics' GM job, the guys wonder what the front office looks like down the road. A press conference with Dombrowski and Mattingly is set for Thursday at 10:30 a.m.Is this the right hire to get the Phillies back on top of the NL East, or is a roster built around the same core still the bigger problem?Follow and leave a five-star review for Catchin’ Phils: A Phillies Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to Josh Liddick (⁠⁠⁠⁠Red Pinstripe Press⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Austin Myers (⁠⁠⁠⁠Phillies Perspective⁠⁠⁠⁠) on Substack to get their latest work straight to your inbox. The podcast is also streaming weekly on the Catchin' Phils ⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠.Follow Catchin’ Phils on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for more content.Episode timestamps:00:00 – Phillies make Don Mattingly the permanent manager00:32 – Relief that the Phillies didn't drag it out01:31 – Running it back vs. going with the most experienced option03:52 – Why the extra year through 2028 shows trust04:32 – Why the right hire isn't the splashy one06:00 – The case for a manager not on an expiring contract08:11 – Other candidates: Ross, Martinez, Espada, and more10:32 – Will Mattingly bring in his own coaching staff?11:34 – Keeping Caleb Cotham and rethinking the hitting coach12:15 – Mattingly's impact on Bohm and Stott15:06 – A final stop and a chase for a first World Series15:48 – Dave Dombrowski's future as the elephant in the room17:48 – Thursday's press conference and the tough questions18:22 – Dombrowski's hits, misses, and the farm system20:20 – Why Sam Fuld turned down the Athletics' GM job21:41 – Maybe stability in the front office is a good thing24:09 – Closing thoughts: the first domino has fallen