Mattingly mourns Newcombe's passing

JUPITER, Fla. -- During his days as a coach and manager in Los Angeles (2011-15), Don Mattingly had the fortune of regularly interacting with legendary former Dodgers great Don Newcombe.

A word Mattingly uses to describe Newcombe is “class.”

The Dodgers family and baseball world is now mourning the passing of Newcombe, who died Tuesday at age 92.

“A guy, for me … class,” said Mattingly, the Marlins manager since 2016. “Every time you’d see Don, impeccably dressed. Sharp. He’d be in full suit. He’d have a hat. Matching shoes. Just a great guy. He would talk to the club every year in L.A.”

Newcombe was MLB’s first Cy Young Award winner in 1956, a year that it was given to one pitcher to represent both leagues.

Newcombe also is a link from the Dodgers going from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and he was a teammate of Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella.

“This guy changed our thinking,” Mattingly said. “He was part of the changing times. I loved being able to listen to him speak and have conversations with him. He was part of breaking the color barrier in the game, and part of the civil rights movement going on. Obviously, the move from Brooklyn to L.A."

“Just a tremendous guy,” Mattingly said. “I feel very fortunate to have been in contact with him through the years, and loved being around him, every day.”

Unified effort with analytics: Analytics is playing a greater role in the industry, and after years of not embracing the data, the Marlins now feel they are up to speed with the rest of the league.

“It’s a unified effort in how we look at players,” Mattingly said. “That’s what’s really been nice when we think about what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Chief executive officer Derek Jeter and ownership made a commitment to building an analytics department, which is headed by Dan Greenlee, the director of player personnel.

“It really has been an effort to make sure everything is unified in the decision making, where we’re listening to what’s going on with analytics,” Mattingly said. “Analytics has been good listening to our opinions. How we put this together, and explaining where this information is coming from, and how the numbers are being put in.”

Sleeper in camp: With 68 players in camp, it’s easy for some to fly under the radar.

One player who can be classified as the “sleeper,” or someone who may surprise and make the Opening Day roster, is Rosell Herrera.

The 26-year-old is a switch-hitter who can play literally all over the diamond. He seamlessly plays all three outfield spots, as well as up the middle in the infield.

One reason the Marlins did not sign free agent Carlos Gonzalez is because they want to get a long look at Herrera.

On Wednesday for instance, Herrera took batting practice and fielded fly balls with outfielders, before joining another field where infielders were practicing.

The versatility has made the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder a serious candidate to win a utility player spot.

The Marlins claimed Herrera off waivers from the Royals on Jan. 2. He split time in 2018 with the Reds and Royals, and he is out of options. So, he has to either make the team or risk being designated for assignment.

The versatility is playing into Herrera’s favor, and he will be given every chance to make the club.

Up next: Full-squad workouts continue at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex. They are open to the public.