Could we really see Donnie Baseball back in the Bronx?
Yankees Fans Demanding Don Mattingly Replace Aaron Boone as Manager originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Nearly 20 years ago, New York Yankees legend Don Mattingly interviewed for the opportunity to replace Joe Torre as manager.
If the Yankees’ horrific summer collapse continues, it certainly sounds like fans are ready for Mattingly to finally get his chance in the driver’s seat.
The Yankees have fallen to 6 1/2 games back in the AL East and barely hold the AL’s third and final Wild Card spot, leading a frustrated fanbase to regularly demand manager Aaron Boone’s firing. Social media users have suggested the Yankees replace Boone with franchise greats Jorge Posada or Álex Rodríguez, neither of whom has ever served on a big-league staff, much less managed.
Others enjoy the idea of Mattingly, who played his entire 14-year career with the Yankees, donning pinstripes once again. The 64-year-old Mattingly owns a 889-950 record in 12 seasons managing the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, and he’s spent the last three seasons as the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach.
Unlike Posada and Rodríguez, Mattingly has previously been on the Yankees’ coaching staff. The six-time All-Star spent 2004-06 as the Yankees’ hitting coach before becoming Joe Torre’s bench coach in 2007.
The Yankees then interviewed Mattingly, former catcher Joe Girardi, and first base coach Tony Peña to succeed Torre following the 2007 season. When the Yankees opted to hire Girardi, Mattingly joined Torre in Los Angeles and became the Dodgers’ manager after Torre’s 2010 retirement.
“Bring back Donnie Baseball,” wrote one X/Twitter user. “He checks a lot of boxes and has actual pedigree.”
Added another: “I believe he would be a damn good Yankees manager, and he deserves the shot if anybody.”
It is unclear if Mattingly wants to manage again or if he’d accept a chance to meet with the Yankees. Mattingly was with the Marlins when New York dismissed Girardi after the 2017 ALCS loss.
One fan called Mattingly “a disciplined manager who understands the demands of playing for the Yankees under pressure.” Another X user outright begged owner Hal Steinbrenner to fire Boone and have Mattingly in the Yankees’ dugout before week’s end.
“It’s going to feel so good when you gain the respect of the fans finally in one move!” they wrote.
Related: Chris Russo Eviscerates Aaron Boone as Yankees’ Collapse Deepens
Related: Fans Begging Yankees to Replace Aaron Boone With Jorge Posada
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
