Notes: Mattingly on continuity; Monte rests

From personal experience, Marlins manager Don Mattingly understands how continuity within the clubhouse helps create a culture for an organization.

In his fifth season in Miami, Mattingly at last is seeing the fortunes of the Marlins starting to turn after two rough years of building around mostly prospects.

Historically, the Marlins have been a franchise seemingly in constant transition with players and managers.

Last September, chief executive officer Derek Jeter extended Mattingly’s contract through 2021, with a mutual option for '22.

The Marlins, off to a terrific start, swept a four-game series at Baltimore on Thursday. With their 8-7 victory, Mattingly collected his 282nd career win with the Marlins, the most by any manager in club history. Jack McKeon had 281 from 2003-05 and 2011.

Personal accomplishments aside, Mattingly notes that continuity is important, because it establishes stability.

“Just the fact that players know what to expect,” Mattingly said Friday in a Zoom call. “That they are comfortable with you, and that they can talk to you. It’s not like a different system all the time. I’m pretty consistent in my personality with them.”

Mattingly knows what it was like to play for a different manager seemingly every year.

A former All-Star and MVP with the Yankees, Mattingly’s playing career lasted from 1982-95. In that span, New York made 12 managerial changes. Billy Martin alone had three stints, and Lou Piniella two.

“Actually, I’ve seen it firsthand as a player in New York,” Mattingly said. “We changed managers every year for a long time, until Buck Showalter came in and established like a three-year [tenure].”

Showalter managed the Yankees from 1992-95, Mattingly’s final four seasons.

The Yankees finally stabilized their managerial carousel when Joe Torre held the post from 1996-2007, followed by Joe Girardi from 2008-17, and now Aaron Boone (2018-present).

“Up until [Showalter], it was a different manager every year,” Mattingly said. “It may have been the same guy again, but it was a different manager each time. And then from there, it went to Joe [Torre] and then to Joe Girardi. All of a sudden, over 25 years, you had three guys. Then you do establish that continuity. I think it’s important.”

For the Marlins, from 2005 until Mattingly took over in 2016, there were eight manager changes, including Brandon Hyde as an interim skipper for one game in '11.

“Obviously, I was happy that Derek wanted me back this year,” Mattingly said. “Because I wanted to be able to finish the job. I knew the kind of talent that we had coming. I’m happy to be here, and I think continuity is part of creating consistency. “

Monte gets a day
In the third inning of Thursday’s win at Baltimore, Monte Harrison received a scare when he crashed squarely into the wall in left-center attempting to make a catch on Anthony Santander’s triple.

Harrison was shaken up, but he stayed in the game.

As a precaution, Harrison had X-rays taken on his knee after the game. They came back negative, but the rookie was out of the starting lineup on Friday in the series opener against the Mets.

Magneuris Sierra started in center.

“They did an X-ray last night to make sure that he didn’t have anything going on,” Mattingly said. “He got sore as the game went on, which we kind of expected when you run into something like that. His knee was a little sore.”

On Friday, Mattingly said Harrison was feeling better.

“We’ll get that swelling out of there,” Mattingly said. “It’s probably a good day to get him a day, and then get him back in there [Saturday].”

A former football player, Harrison rocked the wall pretty good, prompting Mattingly to joke: “I think they checked out the wall, and it had a little crack in it.”

Guzman optioned
The Marlins made a couple of roster moves prior to Friday’s game. Right-hander Humberto Mejía was recalled, and right-hander Jorge Guzman was optioned to the alternate training site.

Mejía made his MLB debut as the starting pitcher against the Mets, while Guzman was sent down the day after his first big league appearance.

Guzman is Miami’s No. 24 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The right-hander worked one inning, giving up two home runs while walking one and hitting a batter..

His fastball maxed out at 98.2 mph, per Statcast, but his command was shaky and he was unable to establish his secondary pitches.

“It’s not real complicated,” Mattingly said. “He’s a guy who’s got power stuff. He’s touched 100 [mph] in the past. But at this league, you’ve got to be able to get secondary stuff over, and you’ve got to be able to throw it semi where you want it.

“You can’t throw it down the middle. No matter how hard you throw it, it’s going to get hit.”