Don Mattingly
From BR Bullpen
Donald Arthur Mattingly (Donnie Baseball)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
- Debut September 8, 1982
- Final Game October 1, 1995
- Born April 20, 1961 in Evansville, IN USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Don Mattingly is considered by many to be the greatest Yankee to never play in the World Series. He played his entire career with the New York Yankees, making his debut in 1982. In 1984, he led the American League with a .343 batting average, and in 1985, he was the American League Most Valuable Player. Mattingly hit over .300 each season between 1984 and 1989. He was also an excellent defensive first baseman, winning nine Gold Gloves in his career.
He received 15.8% of the vote in 2008 Hall of Fame voting.
In 1987, Mattingly tied Dale Long's record, set in 1956, hitting a home run in eight consecutive games (Ken Griffey Jr. later also tied this mark in 1993). Mattingly was the only one of the three players with more than 8 home runs during the streak - he had 10. Mattingly also set a record of 6 grand slams in 1987 (the only 6 slams of his entire career) which was tied by Travis Hafner of the 2006 Indians.
Mattingly's career was cut short by chronic back problems, and he played his final major league game in 1995. Ironically, the Yankees reached the World Series the season before Mattingly's debut and the season after his final game. The Yankees also reached the World Series in 2003, the year before Mattingly returned as a coach. Mattingly did get a taste of post-season play in 1995 in the AL Divisional Series. He made the most of it, hitting .417 (10-for-24), with 4 doubles, a home run and 6 RBI's. After three seasons at the Yankees batting coach, he became the team's bench coach in 2007. After being passed over for the open manager's position following Joe Torre's departure, he decided not to return to the team in 2008 and joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, Torre's new team. However, he renounced the position in January, citing family issues that required him to be present at his Indiana home.
Don and his wife Kim live in Evansville, IN during the offseason. His brother, Randy Mattingly, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 4th round of the 1973 NFL draft, then played in the CFL from 1974 to 1976. Don and his wife have three sons. His oldest son Taylor Mattingly was drafted by the Yankees in the 42nd round of the 2003 amateur draft. His middle son, Preston Mattingly, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round of the 2006 amateur draft.
Mattingly appeared in The Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat". He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. His first Baseball Card appearance was in the 1984 Donruss set.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 6-time AL All-Star (1984-1989)
- AL MVP (1985)
- 9-time AL Gold Glove Winner (1985-1994)
- 3-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1985-1987)
- AL Batting Average Leader (1984)
- AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1986)
- AL OPS Leader (1986)
- 2-time AL Hits Leader (1984 & 1986)
- 2-time AL Total Bases Leader (1985 & 1986)
- 3-time AL Doubles Leader (1984, 1985 & 1986)
- AL RBI Leader (1985)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 5 (1984-1987 & 1989)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1985, 1986 & 1987)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 5 (1984-1987 & 1989)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1985 & 1986)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 3 (1984, 1985 & 1986)
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
| Willie Hernandez | Don Mattingly | Roger Clemens |
[edit] Records Held
- Grand slams, season, 6, 1987 (tied)
