Mattingly’s wait adds extra tension to Blue Jays-Dodgers World Series duel

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TORONTO — Don Mattingly has waited 43 years in professional baseball for this chance. The former Yankees captain, six-time All-Star and 1985 American League MVP finally made it to the World Series at 64. His long-awaited arrival comes as the Toronto Blue Jays face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a Fall Classic loaded with storylines and history.

What makes this matchup remarkable is not only Toronto’s first appearance since 1993 but also Mattingly’s place in the opposite dugout from the Dodgers, the team he once managed but could never guide to baseball’s biggest stage.

Weight of four decades without October’s biggest prize

Don Mattingly’s record looks like it belongs to a Hall of Famer, with one glaring hole. Across 14 seasons with the Yankees from 1982 to 1995, he earned nine Gold Gloves, six All-Star nods, one MVP award and a batting title. He finished with a .307 average and 2,153 hits. Yet, the World Series always stayed out of reach.

The Yankees’ timing only made it worse. They won the title in 1978, just before his debut, then launched a dynasty starting in 1996, the year after he retired. His absence during both eras left a permanent mark on his career.

“You can work hard for it. You can try your hardest and do everything you think you need to do to get there and sometimes you still don’t get there because you’re not supposed to get there,” Mattingly once told a reporter in 2002. “Maybe I was just chosen to be the one guy who never gets there.”

Those words sounded resigned at the time. Today, with Toronto holding home-field advantage after finishing one game better than Los Angeles in the standings, they carry a different meaning. Game 1 at Rogers Centre is set to start the long-awaited chapter.

Five seasons in Los Angeles built foundation without payoff

Mattingly’s history with the Dodgers gives this series another twist. He managed the franchise from 2011 through 2015, compiling a 446–363 record and three straight division crowns. His 2013 club came within two wins of the World Series before losing to St. Louis. Subsequent playoff exits followed, and in 2015 the two sides parted.

Los Angeles went on to win its first World Series in 32 years in 2020 under Dave Roberts and added another in 2024. The groundwork Mattingly laid helped shape the Dodgers’ current success, though he never got to celebrate it with them.

When Toronto hired him as bench coach in November 2022, general manager Ross Atkins pointed to his value: “Experience and credibility are words that get used a lot in professional sports and in corporate worlds, but it’s hard to quantify how valuable that is. I think Donnie’s hiring is something that will have a calming impact and influence here.”

Dodgers’ rotation presents familiar challenge

The Dodgers arrive with one of the most dominant rotations in postseason history. Their starters carry a 1.40 ERA across 10 playoff games, with opponents batting just .132 in that span. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow headline the group, with Shohei Ohtani adding his unique two-way threat.

Mattingly knows the Dodgers’ philosophy from his years inside the organization. He understands their process and their pressure points. That knowledge becomes a weapon for Toronto as it prepares to face a pitching staff that has overwhelmed every opponent so far.

“We’ve been counted out all year,” Mattingly said after Toronto clinched its pennant. “But this group plays together. They believe in each other. That’s what championship teams do.”

Toronto’s offense scored 847 runs in the regular season, ranking fourth in MLB. The team led the league with a .281 batting average and posted a .794 OPS, good for third overall. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. anchors a lineup that blends power with depth, supported by veteran bats such as George Springer.

Mattingly: Personal redemption amid professional responsibility

For Mattingly, this October is about more than finally reaching the World Series. It represents validation after decades of disappointment. The bench coach role in Toronto looked like a step back when he accepted it after leaving Miami, but now it feels like fate.

Manager John Schneider runs the dugout, yet Mattingly’s voice resonates. Players credit his calm presence and decades of experience for helping them navigate high-pressure moments throughout this postseason run.

“I’ve waited my whole career to get here,” Mattingly told reporters after the ALCS. “You go through the highs and lows, but you never stop believing. This group never quit, and that’s what makes this special.”

Strategic chess match with emotional stakes

The matchup itself is compelling. Toronto holds home-field advantage, giving the Rogers Centre crowd a chance to set the tone in Games 1 and 2. The Blue Jays last lifted the trophy in 1993 with Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off.

Los Angeles, seeking its third title in five years, cruised through the National League playoffs and arrives well-rested. Their rotation and bullpen have dominated in a way rarely seen in October.

For Mattingly, the irony is strong. He helped shape the Dodgers, hired some of the staff still in place, and evaluated players who remain on the roster. Facing them now adds an emotional subplot to the chess match between Schneider and Roberts.

The moment arrives after 15,695 days

From his first professional game with the Yankees’ Class A team in Oneonta in 1979 to this World Series appearance spans 15,695 days. In that time, Mattingly played 1,785 regular-season games and managed another 1,290, never reaching the sport’s ultimate stage.

“I don’t know if I necessarily believe in destiny,” Mattingly said this week. “I believe in who plays the best. I think the teams that are meant to win, win.”

Now, he finally stands on the edge of the one achievement missing from his career. Ohtani chases his second ring after signing the richest contract in baseball history. Guerrero Jr. leads Toronto’s attempt to end its drought. Freeman and Springer bring October pedigree. But Mattingly’s story looms largest.

At 64, after decades of near-misses, he is finally part of the World Series. The fact that it comes against the Dodgers, the team that parted ways with him in 2015, adds symmetry to the journey.

Blue Jays carry momentum against rested Dodgers

Toronto reached this stage by eliminating the Yankees in the Division Series, extending New York’s October frustration, then outlasting Seattle in seven ALCS games. The decisive win came on Springer’s home run in Game 7, sending the Blue Jays to their first World Series in 32 years.

The Dodgers swept through the National League playoffs, needing just 10 games to claim another pennant. That rest could help or hurt, as history shows.

Mattingly has been on both sides, managing teams that thrived after long breaks and others that stumbled. His knowledge may once again be key.

For Toronto, a championship would end three decades of waiting. For Mattingly, it would end a 43-year search. Only four wins separate him from the one prize that always slipped away.

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