A Mattingly reunion in Miami

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Earlier this week, media members, Marlins employees and players alike took turns greeting a familiar face with a "relaxed gray" haircut -- in his words -- and immaculate tan.

Don Mattingly, the longest-tenured and winningest skipper in franchise history, made his return to loanDepot park as the Blue Jays' bench coach. Last September, Mattingly and the Marlins mutually agreed to part ways after his seventh season in South Florida so a new voice could be at the helm.

"Obviously, I've been on this side a few different times, but it's been a while since I've been on the visiting side," Mattingly said. "It's definitely always good flying into Miami. It's one of those places you've been long enough you feel like you know where you're at. And it's a good feeling walking in the ballpark, even though it's a different entrance. But still, it's been good."

While Mattingly now calls the American League East home, he keeps tabs on his former ballclub in the National League East. During Tuesday's batting practice, Mattingly caught up with general manager Kim Ng in front of the visiting dugout. The pair's careers overlapped with the Yankees, Dodgers and Marlins. A little bit later, Mattingly walked down the third-base line to chat with relievers Steven Okert and Tanner Scott, catcher Jacob Stallings and infielder Joey Wendle.

When Miami and Toronto met for the three-game series, Mattingly's former club was in playoff position. The Blue Jays are within striking distance in the AL Wild Card race.

"It's something that you like seeing it go [well] and happy for the guys that I had over there," said Mattingly, who received a tribute on the jumbotron in the middle of the first inning on Monday. "And Kim, she kind of built it the way she wanted it, and then kind of was doing some things she wanted to do. It's good to see her have success. And we'll see where we go. Hopefully we all meet up in a really good place."

Mattingly's successor, Skip Schumaker, played for his 2013 Dodgers. At the time, Mattingly never considered whether Schumaker would want to pursue a coaching career, but he said in hindsight it makes sense because Schumaker always paid attention and was prepared as a bench player.

"Donnie was great to me," Schumaker said. "2013 was one of my favorite years in the big leagues, and Donnie was a player's manager. I remember that the most. He really cared about the player. You would see him always clapping when you were successful, and he knew how hard the game was. I always took that away from him because he played before and he was really successful at it. He also knew how hard this thing was.

"He's a family guy. [His son] Preston was on our staff in San Diego, who I loved. So he's just a really good man, a good person. We went to the playoffs and everything, so it was a hell of a run that we went on. I learned a lot from him, and I'm glad he's having success over there."