Don's back as Yanks' hitman

NY Daily ^ | 11/4/03 | ANTHONY McCARRON

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Each year since Don Mattingly retired in 1995, the Yankees have had a "We'll take whatever we can get from Donnie Baseball" approach. They've always wanted him to join Joe Torre's coaching staff, but he's always wanted to stay at home in Indiana with his family. So they've used him as a spring training instructor and invited him to be a midseason breath-of-fresh-air for hitters. They've even dangled the hitting coach job before him, at least three times.

Finally, Mattingly has accepted.

The Yankees are expected to announce today that Mattingly is the team's new hitting coach, a baseball source said yesterday. "It's a big deal," the source said.

His hiring will be the first step in the team's revamping of its coaching staff, with Willie Randolph probably being moved to bench coach and Luis Sojo coaching first. If Lee Mazzilli is unsuccessful in his bid to become Baltimore's manager, he'll likely be the Yankees' third-base coach.

But Mattingly, the most recent Yankee captain until Derek Jeter was named to that position in June and perhaps the most popular Yankee since Mickey Mantle, is the big news.

The Yankees have been working on him ever since Rick Down was informed Oct. 27 that he was not going to be invited back. Hiring the 42-year-old Mattingly was one of George Steinbrenner's priorities during the Yanks' organizational meetings last week and Steinbrenner even personally recruited Mattingly, calling him several times.

Mattingly has resisted the Yankees' advances for the last several years, saying he wants to remain on his horse farm on the outskirts of Evansville as his kids grow up.

Last spring, when Mattingly was a guest instructor, he was asked about being a coach and said, "I hope to be able to do it in the future. I'm in the same boat I've been in. I've got a senior in high school, a freshman in high school and a fifth-grader - I made a commitment to being around for them.

"That's the reason I quit playing, and nothing's changed. I know I don't have time to do it full-time. My priorities still lie at home with my three boys."

But his oldest son, Taylor, is now a farmhand in the Yankee system - he was drafted in June in the 42nd round and played 24 games for the Yanks' Gulf Coast Rookie League team over the summer, batting .224 in 24 games.

The Yankees first offered Mattingly the job after Chris Chambliss was fired following the 2000 World Series and then again when Gary Denbo was let go after the 2001 Fall Classic.

He certainly has the pedigree for the job and has shown enthusiasm for it in his brief stints during the spring and the season.

He worked with Jason Giambi at first base during spring training 2002 and has always been a swing doctor of sorts when he joins the team in midseason for a week or so. He helped David Justice several times, for instance, and Tino Martinez gave Mattingly a lot of credit for the revival season he had in 2001.

Mattingly's No. 23 was retired by the Yankees in 1997. He was the American League MVP in 1985 and won the batting title in 1984.

He holds the major-league record for grand slams in a season with six in 1987 and tied another record by homering in eight consecutive games the same year.

Mattingly's 53 doubles in 1986 are the club's highest total ever and his 145 RBI in 1985 are the highest total since Joe DiMaggio had 155 in 1948.

Mattingly is among the Yankee all-time leaders in multiple categories. He is fifth in hits with 2,153 behind Lou Gehrig (2,721), Babe Ruth (2,518), Mickey Mantle (2,415) and DiMaggio (2,214). He is second in doubles (442), behind only Gehrig (535), and one of only 10 Yankees to score 1,000 runs in his career.

In 2002, Bernie Williams passed Mattingly on the team's all-time home run list, knocking Mattingly down to eighth with 222. He is also eighth in RBI (1,099), one of only 10 Yanks to knock in 1,000 runs. Mattingly also won nine Gold Gloves at first.

He retired at 34 in 1995 to be with his family, his skills diminished by back injuries. He didn't get to play in the postseason until his final year and then experienced the bitter five-game loss in the division series to the Mariners.

Now he could see the postseason every October.

Hits and misses

Don Mattingly becomes fourth hitting coach under Joe Torre, and third in four years. A look at the previous three:

Chris Chambliss - 1996-2000: Helps guide Yanks to best batting average (.288 in '96 & '98), most runs scored (965 in '98) and most walks (718 in '99) during Torre era. But Yanks' average sinks to .277 in 2000.

Gary Denbo - 2001: In one forgetful year, Yanks post lowest average (.267) and fewest hits (1,488), doubles (289) and walks (519) in past eight seasons. Little wonder his tenure's as short as it is.

Rick Down - 2002-2003: Perhaps .251 postseason average and struggles of Alfonso Soriano and Aaron Boone lead to his firing. Yanks do hit more homers (230) than any other Torre team.

[Reagan Man]

My prediction comes true.

Donnie Baseball back with the Yanks!

[diamondjoe]

In his heyday in the 1980s, Don had one of the sweetest swings in baseball. Good to see him back with the Yankees.

[b4its2late]

Dittos!