Los Angeles Dodgers announce 2015 coaching staff

The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that their entire Major League coaching staff will return in 2015, ending speculation that Don Mattingly would be ousted by the team's new brain trust.  The staff consists of the following coaches:

Don Mattingly – Manager (fifth season)
Lorenzo Bundy – Third Base coach (second season)
Chuck Crim – Bullpen Coach (third season)
Rick Honeycutt – Pitching Coach (10th season)
Davey Lopes – First Base Coach (fifth season)
Mark McGwire – Hitting Coach (third season)
Tim Wallach – Bench Coach (second season, fifth on staff)
Ken Howell – Assistant Pitching Coach (third season, 8th on staff)
John Valentin – Assistant Hitting Coach (third season)
Steve Yeager – Catching Instructor (fourth season)
Rob Flippo – Bullpen Catcher (14th season)
Steve Cilladi – Bullpen Catcher (second season)

For all the criticism thrown at Mattingly for his in-game decisions, he certainly has proven at the very least to be a successful manager of locker room egos.

Mattingly enters his fifth season as the Dodgers’ manager after leading the club to a second consecutive NL West title and a 94-68 record in 2014. Los Angeles’ record has improved in each of Mattingly’s four seasons and his .547 winning percentage (354-293) as the Dodger skipper ranks fourth in franchise history among managers with at least 500 games managed.

Another reason for Mattingly's success has been his outstanding supporting coaches, with Mark McGwire, Rick Honeycutt, Davey Lopes, and Tim Wallach being particularly effective in their respective roles.

Last year, under the tutelage of hitting coaches Mark McGwire and John Valentin, the Dodgers led the Majors with a .333 team on-base percentage and ranked among  the NL leaders in batting average (.265, 2nd), slugging percentage (.406, 2nd), extra-base hits (474, 3rd) and runs scored (718, 2nd). Los Angeles also led the Majors with a .286 batting average with runners in scoring position (420-for-1469).

Dodger pitchers ranked fourth in the NL in 2014 with a 3.40 combined ERA, including a 3.20 mark by the club’s starters, the second-best mark in the Majors. Los Angeles also established a franchise record with a National League-best 1,373 strikeouts. Since Rick Honeycutt took the reigns as pitching coach in 2006, the Dodgers have led the Majors with a 3.67 team ERA, a .247 opponents’ batting average and 11,209 strikeouts.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services