Don Mattingly Named Advisor To Expansion Franchise Hopeful

Former New York Yankees legend Don Mattingly is a busy man. He was just hired last month as the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, after stepping down at the end of the 2022 season as Miami Marlins manager for the past seven years. 

But now 'Donnie Baseball' will be doing double-duty in the coming year, also lending his baseball knowledge to a group hoping to bring an MLB expansion franchise to Music City. The Nashville Stars are a group headed up by former major league legend and 3-time World Series winner Dave Stewart. They're bringing in Mattingly as an advisor to the Nashville franchise hopeful. 

The Nashville Stars, the favorites to land MLB's next expansion franchise, bring in another baseball legend: former MVP and veteran manager Don Mattingly. Mattingly will be a baseball advisor in the group led by Dave Stewart, the former three-time World Series champion and GM.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 9, 2023

“Simply put, Don Mattingly knows baseball,” Stewart said in a statement. “He was a pure hitter, played near-flawless defense, and has been successful as a manager and coach because of his baseball mind. He is well-respected around the game of baseball, and we are lucky to have him with us.”

Mattingly was a 6-time All-Star and 9-time Gold Glove winner and finished his iconic Yankees career with a .307 lifetime average with an .830 OPS in 14 seasons. 

Other advisors to the Nashville project listed on their website include Bruce Bochy, R.A. Dickey, Mike Shildt, Barry Zito, and Todd Jones. 

Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports