Don Mattingly makes MLB history for Phillies not seen since the 1880 Providence Grays

Don Mattingly makes MLB history for Phillies not seen since the 1880 Providence Grays originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Philadelphia Phillies , after a rough 9-19 start to the season, fired Rob Thomson and turned the keys to the team over to Don Mattingly.

It was a move made out of desperation to save a losing season, and it's worked out about as well as it could've for the Phillies. They went 16-4 in his first 20 games as interim manager. According to Jayson Stark and Matt Gelb of The Athletic , that ridiculous hot start after his Phillies takeover had Mattingly make some MLB history not seen since 1880, nearly 150 years ago.

Don Mattingly makes MLB history not seen since 1880 "And Mattingly's 16-4 start over his first 20 games made him the first National League manager to take a job in midseason and win 16 of his first 20 since 1880, when Mike Dorgan took over Sadie Houck's 1880 Providence Grays in July and also started 16-4," Stark and Gelb shared. The Phillies have rebounded in a way that most fans would've have expected after their disastrous start to the season. But, somehow, the Phillies are not a sub-.

500 team, and Mattingly is getting a lot better production from the pitching staff and the lineup than Thomson was early this season. Of course, it's not solely due to Mattingly, as some players are just simply out of their slumps, most notably Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm, while their opponents have gotten a bit easier as well. MORE : Phillies ’ Aidan Miller finally beginning baseball activities amid back injury But that doesn't make this turnaround any less impressive.