JUPITER, Fla. — Just call him Donnie Marlin.
Now that he is manager of the Marlins, Don Mattingly knows he has a “monster’’ challenge ahead of him trying to beat the Mets’ mighty arms in the NL East.
The Mets knocked Mattingly’s Dodgers out of the postseason in the NLDS last season. It was the last game Mattingly managed in Los Angeles, setting off a chain reaction that landed the former Yankee in Miami.
“That pitching staff is a pretty good challenge right there, putting those monsters together,’’ Mattingly said Friday of the Mets’ starting rotation before his first workout with the Marlins.
“The thing about the playoffs is it’s just momentum based,’’ Mattingly told The Post.
“We win Game 2 in L.A. and they kill us in Game 3, we win Game 4 and we are feeling good, man. We’re going back home.
“We got a good inning going and [Jacob] deGrom gets out of that inning early on — if we get one hit in there, he could be out of that game early and that would have changed the whole thing. That’s baseball. He got the big out.’’
The Dodgers had chances in each of the first three innings to break the game open — but they couldn’t get the big hit against deGrom.
The Mets survived and swept the Cubs in the NLCS.
“I was surprised by that,’’ Mattingly said. “Because the Cubs were the hot team.’’
Terry Collins’ Mets, though, caught fire.
Mattingly, 54, said he was happy for Collins.
“I like TC, he’s one of those guys who doesn’t have that name,” he said, “so it’s like he doesn’t get any credit, but he got the job done.’’
Mattingly — going back to his time when he was a star with the Yankees — knows this is a game of relationships, not just numbers. He respects the numbers, the analytics in the game. They tell a story, but it is not the entire story.
“There are so many guys, to me, who can manage a baseball game, an actual baseball game,” Mattingly said. “Managing people is so important. You have to be able to talk to these guys that’s what the game is — I will protect my players as long as they work hard — and they know that. You have to understand your players and have a feeling for them and to me, that’s where TC is awesome. And he changed over the years, too. You have to change in this game.’’
For the Marlins to have success, Mattingly said, they have to look inward. This is a franchise that has a history of getting caught up in issues that can destroy a team.
“For me, always take care of ourselves,’’ Mattingly told reporters earlier. “For me, that’s what it comes back to. I understand the division is tough, we need to play up to our best level. We feel we’ve got a good club. This is a great opportunity. It’s just exciting to be here. These guys have a little confidence about them. They feel good about themselves that they overcame some things and this is a fresh start.’’
Mattingly’s Dodgers could not overcome the Mets in a five-game series, even with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke pitching four of those games.
“It was just the right time,’’ Mattingly said of leaving L.A.
As a Yankee, he worked for the toughest of bosses, George Steinbrenner. Now, he is working for another demanding boss, Jeffrey Loria. Think of him as Boss Lite.
“The Mr. Steinbrenner, Yankees training ground is always good for lots of different scenarios,’’ Mattingly said. “Jeffrey and I became friends over the last few years. I want to know the little things he wants from his club and I will take care of them and do the best job I can for him.
“Jeffrey is a fan, he wants to win. He loves the game. He loves being around. He reacts like a fan and that’s just the way it is.’’
Mattingly will have more control over this lineup in South Florida than he had in Southern California.
“This is a great day, a new place, a new opportunity,’’ Mattingly said, flashing that easy smile. “I’m looking forward to see what we become.’’
Donnie Baseball time in South Florida is off and running.