If Don Mattingly, manager of the last-place Los Angeles Dodgers, is feeling the heat of an increasingly hot seat for his team's lackluster start to the 2013 season, Mattingly is excellent at concealing the sweat.
Despite Los Angeles' 18-25 record, and last place standing in the National League West, Mattingly said the following in response to questions about his job security: "As far as any kind of rumors or whatever they are, I talked to Stan [Kasten, Dodgers owner] the other day. He didn't fire me that day," Mattingly said. "I'm still here. Ned didn't tell me I wasn't going to be here tomorrow or today. That's the way I look at it."
Mattingly has had to deal with serious injuries this season to shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Zack Greinke thus far, factors that could be lengthening his leash. Ramirez has only played in four games in 2013, missing the start of the season with a broken thumb suffered during the World Baseball Classic, then suffering a hamstring injury.
Greinke was off to a nice start, going 2-0 in his first three starts before sustaining a broken collarbone in a benches clearing fracas that started after he plunked San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin. Quentin charged the mound after the much-smaller Greinke, who lowered his shoulder and fractured his clavicle.
Of the stars who have been healthy this year, most are not playing up to their potential. Matt Kemp is hitting a disappointing .267 with just two home runs and 16 RBI, while Andre Ethier is at .262 with four home runs and 15 RBI. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, whom the Dodgers traded for to be a frightening presence in the heart of the batting order, has hit the ball well but not produced much power.
Mattingly said of his underwhelming set of stars, "Adrian and Matt, Hanley when he gets back, Andre, those are the guys, the guys in the middle of the order, that you count on to be run producers. That's what we do. How do you not stay with those guys? You don't just abandon ship and say, 'What do you do?' "
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