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 Don Mattingly Photo Gallery
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As a National League fan, I didn’t see much of Don Mattingly. I knew he was a good player, but that’s about it. In today’s essay, Bill Schaefer fills in the details about Don’s career. We learn he was a lot more than just a good player…he was a great one, and a legitimate candidate for the Hall of fame. -GL

 

DON MATTINGLY:  FAME SECOND TO FAITH AND FAMILY

“A Humble Man of Grace and Dignity. A Captain Who Led by Example. Proud of the Pinstripes Tradition and Dedicated to the Pursuit of Excellence. A Yankee Forever.” – Don Mattingly plaque in Monument Park

I loved watching Don Mattingly play baseball.  A flawless fielder and an imposing figure in the batter’s box: powerful sloping shoulders, intense concentration, with his balanced stance the bat seemingly able to cover every inch of the strike zone.  And he was deadly in the clutch, able to rifle a ball to any part of the field with runners on base.

At the turn of the millennium, I had the opportunity to chat with Don in person and on the phone, preparing an article for a local publication. He was a sincere, nice man who liked to get right to the point but was quite forthcoming in his responses. He had been officially retired from active play for about three years, and was a special spring training instructor for the Yankees. He was soon to become an esteemed batting coach for the ball club.

Bill and Mary Mattingly had successfully raised five children in their modest home on the north side of Evansville, Indiana. In addition to daughter Judy, there were four boys, all good athletes. The oldest, Jerry, starred at Rex Mundy High and played basketball at the University of Evansville. Randy was a football hero at Rex and UE, and also a quarterback and punter in the Canadian Football League. Michael played baseball and basketball at the University of Southern Indiana.  Donnie, the youngest, led Memorial High in three sports; then rejected a baseball scholarship from Indiana State to sign with the NY Yankees. As Don told me:

“There was no way I wasn’t going to sign with the Yankees and go to college. I never had any misgivings about not attending Indiana State. For some guys college would have been the right choice but, for me, pursuing a career in baseball was absolutely the right decision.”

There were mild protestations from dad, Bill, who knew the odds against making the major leagues and wanted his son protected by a college education. But I got the impression it was pretty much a done deal from the start.

The spring of 1979 saw the genesis of Donnie’s baseball career, thanks to 27-year-old Jax Robertson, a novice Yankee scout. He had yet to sign anyone who would make it to the majors. 

“Donald Arthur Mattingly, 4/20/61, Evansville was just one of the names I was running down from my file of player cards in southern Indiana,” said Jax in an interview. He saw Mattingly play just two high school games before advising the Bronx team to draft him, which they eventually did—in the 19^th round. With below-average speed, a mediocre arm, and without great power, Don did not possess the tools that attracted baseball scouts. “If I were looking at me as a prospect, I certainly wouldn’t have been very impressed,” he admitted.  

Interestingly, it was a game of “long pepper,” which really caught Robertson’s attention. It’s a game in which the pitcher stands 30 to 40 feet from a hitter, whose job it is to put the head of the bat on the ball. “He was the best pure hitter I’d ever seen,” exclaimed the scout. “The most impressive thing about him was the way he manipulated the bat head. The way his hands worked toward the ball. He had that look in his eye, the eye of the tiger.”

Don touched on that very thought in assessing what it takes to reach the major leagues—or any goal for that matter:

“When you look at guys in the minor leagues, whatever level, they’re very close in basic skills. The difference is determination and the ability to make adjustments. Also, the player’s resolve to stay positive is very important.”

Mattingly credits his high school coach, Quentin Merkel, with providing a team prayer that has guided him through life, the essence of which is: You’re in God’s hands and if God be with you, who can be against you?  The future manager shared his mind set: “I’ve always pictured myself having success, being protected in situations. The power of this belief is real and always present.”

“The Hit Man” was having a Hall of Fame career when a nagging back problem first reared its ugly head in June of 1987. But through ’89 he was still well on track for the Hall. In 1990, the back issue flared and robbed him of his power. But we’ll take a look at the macro statistical picture and then specifically at four fantastic years.

Through 14 seasons, Don was on six American League all-star teams, won nine gold gloves, achieved a Most Valuable Player award and captured a batting title. He had a .307 lifetime batting average (higher than Mays, Mantle and Aaron) and totaled a lofty 2153 hits.

But how about ’84, ’85, ’86, ‘87? Let’s review:

• From ’85-’87 stroked 96 HR with just 114 strikeouts
• MVP 1985
• Batting Title 1984 (.343)
• RBI Crown 1985 (145)
• Led league in hits twice (broke Earl Combs 1927 club record with 238 in ‘86
• Led league in doubles three times (broke  Gehrig’s ‘27 club record with 53 in ‘86
• Led league in slugging, OPS, OPS+
• Over the four year span averaged 121 RBI, 211hits, .337 batting average, 155 OPS+
• In 1987, set a then-major league record with six grand slams (Travis Hafner tied in ’06)

Without the back ailment Don would have been a shoe-in for a plaque in Cooperstown. On paper he still looks awfully good. Unfortunately, Mattingly dropped off the ballot in 2015.  By the way, Donnie Baseball was also ambidextrous, having actually played in a game in 1983, as a left-handed second baseman, and in three games as a left handed third baseman, in 1986!

I asked Don why he was so good in pressure situations.

“I grew up in a competitive atmosphere with my brothers and through the years it was preparation and concentration. Even in batting practice I tried to hit every good pitch hard. This carried over to game situations. I just enjoyed playing.”

In 1995, the Yankees, like Gigi in Alan Jay Lerner’s Best Movie musical, were “trembling on the brink.” They simply could not handle the Mariners in Seattle. It was the Captain’s final year and he influenced many of the players who would carry the Bronx Bombers to three World Championships to close out the millennium. Paul O’Neil credits Don with helping him enormously with the New York media. Bernie Williams, Mike Stanley, and Derek Jeter all had words of praise, with Jeter saying, “He led by example, regardless of what happened.”

Many feel Mattingly quit because of his recurring back issues, curtailing his power production, and that he would never be the hitter he was half a dozen years earlier. I wondered, had he put together a great year in ’95, might he have continued?

“No, I would have retired anyway. On the road that year, increasingly, my thoughts were constantly of wanting to be home. My heart wasn’t in the game-I just longed to be with my wife and kids in Indiana.”

Ironically, Don said he thought he’d regained his power stroke in late ’95 and believed he could have pounded out some strong numbers the following year. He certainly finished with a flourish, batting .417 in the divisional series with a spate of ribbies and a dramatic home run.

At the age of 50, Donald Arthur Mattingly began his managerial career in 2011, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He replaced the just-retired Joe Torre, his former manager. For five years he guided the Dodgers to three consecutive National League West division titles, finished second for National League Manager of the Year in 2013, and led his team to a nifty .551 winning pct. (446-363). Clayton Kershaw summed up the players feelings about their manager, “He’s so positive. All he asks of us is just go out there and play the way we’re supposed to. When it’s that simple, it’s easy and fun to play.”

The last five years with the Miami Marlins have been challenging, but last year bore fruit with a stunning playoff berth and a 2020 National League Manager of the Year for Mattingly, in the most bizarre season ever!

Twenty-one years ago, Don told me he wouldn’t be shattered if he were not inducted into the Hal of Fame. 

“All the fame I need in this lifetime occurred on August 31, 1997 when my number 23 was retired in ceremonies at Yankee Stadium. It was like a dream that day…I felt like a kid again…looking out at number 3, number 4, number 5, number 7. All those great players and to have my number retired with them.”

Any regrets, I asked?

“No regrets. Oh, there’s a tingle inside when I consider all those World Series rings I missed out on. But when I weigh it against all the blessings I have with my family and the moments I’ve been able to share with them, it’s not even close.”

I have a hunch his answer would be pretty much the same today.

Bill Schaefer