Don Mattingly felt a tinge of awkwardness when he was offered the chance to serve as a coach under Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n
Mattingly passed on a guaranteed spot in the AL dugout when he left his job as Toronto’s bench coach<\/a> to manager John Schneider after the World Series, which the Blue Jays lost in seven games to the Dodgers.<\/p>\n A six-time AL All-Star, Mattingly<\/a> thought at the time he was finished with baseball.<\/p>\n He’s not only still in the game \u2014 he’s now the interim manager<\/a> for the Philadelphia Phillies and has them back in the thick of the playoff race.<\/p>\n He’ll also coach against Schneider and his Blue Jays staff at Tuesday’s All-Star Game played in Philadelphia’s home Citizens Bank Park.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is weird being on the other side,\u201d Mattingly said Monday. \u201cI was kind of torn a little bit. But then I go home and my 11-year-old asked me, \u2018Do we get to go on the field for Home Run Derby?\u2019 It’s like, OK, well, I’m done with that. He made that decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Mattingly is taking directions from a pair of his sons in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Mattingly originally took the job in Philadelphia to serve as former manager Rob Thomson’s bench coach at the urging of his young son, Louis.<\/p>\n “He was kind of like, \u2018Dad, you can\u2019t stop. You\u2019ve got to keep going,\u201d\u2019 Mattingly said in January. <\/p>\n Mattingly kept going and joined a Phillies organization where another son, Preston, is the general manager.<\/p>\n Mattingly said in November he left his role in Toronto after reaching his first World Series<\/a> because of a desire to spend more time with his family. <\/p>\n It’s one big family reunion in Philly.<\/p>\n Blue Jays All-Star second baseman Ernie Clement said Mattingly was missed in Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s awesome that he teamed up with Preston,\u201d Clement said. \u201cThey’re just doing a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n Mattingly is 45-24 with the Phillies since he took over when Thomson was fired in late April after they had lost 11 of 12 games and were tied for last in the majors. Led by All-Stars Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Jhoan Duran, Jes\u00fas Luzardo and NL starting pitcher Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, the Phillies are just two games back of Atlanta in the NL East.<\/p>\n