MLB: 5 Major League Managers on the Hot Seat

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Jun 1, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (8) looks on during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

Don Mattingly. 5. player. 71. <strong>Record:</strong> 360-297 (.546) with Los Angeles. Manager. Los Angeles Dodgers

Similar to Joe Girardi’s situation in the Bronx, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly works under constant high pressure. Also like Girardi, Mattingly has risen to every challenge so far.

Yet the tide can turn quickly, and as long as Donny Baseball is managing the most expensive team in Major League Baseball, his spot on the bench at Dodger Stadium will always be hot. Consider his past experience.

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Mattingly narrowly escaped an early pink slip as the result of a slow start to the 2013 season, in which he recovered to lead the club on a 42-8 run that propelled them to the NL West title and made him the runner-up for the league’s Manager of the Year Award. Even then he wasn’t sure he’d be brought back and voiced those concerns to the media during an October press conference.

However, Mattingly and the Dodgers agreed to a new contract in January of 2014 and all seemed well…until LA lost in the NLCS again and there were more whispers about his future.

For Dodgers fans (and possibly the front office), it’s World Series or bust in 2015 – something Mattingly has to either follow through with or guard against for his own good.

"“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this year,” Mattingly said in October. “You always hear the talk of the payroll and stuff. To me, this is part of a building process for us. This was a different season from last year. Even looking at the playoffs, I don’t think we made an error in the series. They got the key hit, made the key pitch. We didn’t get the key hit or make the key pitch. We got beat. We didn’t beat ourselves. The year before, we were throwing the ball all over. This year, we got beat.”"

If his club is beaten again in the NLCS, Mattingly might be in trouble. If the Dodgers fail to make it to the postseason, he’s a goner.

In addition to the five listed here, Toronto skipper John Gibbons needs to take advantage of one of the best lineups in the American League in order to keep his job. Additionally, the Reds will be forced to decide whether they are contenders or rebuilders, which could impact the status of manager Bryan Price. Also, Bud Black of the Padres is sure to face some added pressure thanks to a newly star-studded roster in the final year of his contract.

But of course as we mentioned earlier, there are very few big league managers that could withstand a disastrous 2015 campaign.

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