Don Mattingly tells reporters to ask players about poor performance

There’s only so many times a manager can give stock answers to reporters asking questions. Sometimes, the manager can shoulder the blame, but after a certain amount of losses, even that stops being a logical response. For Don Mattingly of the Dodgers, he’s just tired of hearing it from everyone.

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Coming off of losing a series to the visiting Chicago White Sox, the Dodgers now have the distinct privilege of being the team with the third worst home record in the league at 13-19. Mattingly, whose team now sits a distant eight games behind the San Francisco Giants, had little to say to explain how the Dodgers have been playing as of late. In fact, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register says, Mattingly had very little to say in general before sending reporters elsewhere to find answers.

"I really think you should talk to [the players]. I’m tired of answering questions, honestly. …Home, away, whatever. I don’t know if that’s got anything to do with it. Just basically being (expletive). We’re just not that good. We’re just not getting it done."

The players had similar avoidance tactics, declining interviews and telling reporters to go ask other players. One player agreed with Mattingly, saying that the skipper had a right to be upset. The turmoil comes after a rough first two months in which egos have been called into question and playing time has been publicly argued over. Matt Kemp, in particular, has been one of the most vocal about his lack of playing time, which has only increased recently because of an injury to Carl Crawford.

The Dodgers are a game above .500 at 31-30 and have an off day on Thursday before heading to Colorado to face the Rockies.

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