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Don Mattingly Online - June 2005 Interview
.: June 2005 Interview :.
======================= Interview begins here. ======================= Keith Wrote: Hey Donnie, I have kind of a strange question for you. I have some posters and pictures of you hanging up in my house, and the other day, my 4 year old daughter asked what kind of pets you have. I told her I didn't know and she actually started to cry. So, there's my question. How many (if any), and what kind of pets do you and your family have? Don Mattingly Wrote: Keith, She probably does not want to know. (smiles) We have 5 dogs! Three of them are Greyhounds and we have a Dalmatian and a Cocker. We also have a blue Macaw and some fish. Well, we also have the farm and there are two dogs over there. On my farm we have 17 horses right now so as you can see we are pretty busy and love animals. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Chris Wrote: Donnie, What is the most unusual item that you have ever autographed? What is the most unusual thing that someone has done to get your attention? Don Mattingly Wrote: Chris, I had to think about this one. I have not autographed anything really crazy. I have autographed popcorn boxes, license plates, cars, motorcycles, all sorts of things. None of them are that unusual I suppose. Most of the time people just yell at me, dress silly, or flag me down. Sorry to be boring on this one. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Hugo Wrote: Is it true that you practice batting in the dark? Don Mattingly Wrote: Hugo, No, not in the dark, but in my hitting cage I do turn the lights way down to help me pick up the ball a lot better. I would not classify it as dark, but the lights are very low. Personally, I would not recommend it so much because if you do not see the ball well you may change your form in a way that is not good. With that said, I am not so sure if it was a good thing for me to be doing, but I still did it. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Tyler Wrote: Hello Don, I play middle school baseball and I am having trouble with my batting stance. I bat slightly open with a wide stance. Should I change my stance? I tried several stances and I am still in a batting slump. I have the longest bat and heaviest bat on my team. I'm not having trouble with bat speed though. Thank you very much for your time. Don Mattingly Wrote: Tyler, Well, I have said this before, but it is hard for me to help when I do not see it personally. With you being that young I really try to get kids to stay traditional with the batting stance. Stay conventional, stay straight and square. Also, consider the bat. As long as you can handle it then keep using it. Sometimes though when people use a heavy bat they cheat a bit to gain momentum and that can throw everything out of synch. Sincerely, Don Mattingly John Wrote: Mr. Mattingly, I was curious what your preference of equipment that you use/used both bats and gloves. Did you always use the same brand and models? What are some things you look for in your choosing of bats and gloves? Thank you for your time and all that you have given the sport and the fans. Don Mattingly Wrote: John, The biggest thing with the gloves was finding something I was comfortable with. Once I found something that I liked and fit well I really did not change after that. As far as bats go, it is just a personal preference. Some people like bigger barrels and others like balanced bats, which was my choice. It is all about personal choice and what is more comfortable for you. I used a Franklin glove and a Louisville bat. I would change the bat brand occasionally, but those two brands were what I used most of the time. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Greg Wrote: Don, Do you like the outdoors and do you like to duck hunt? Don Mattingly Wrote: Greg, I am not really much on hunting. I did not grow up hunting. The outdoors I do enjoy very much. We like to ski and go out on the farm. My grandfather tried to take me duck hunting very early a few mornings, but that did not work out too well. I was just never much of a hunter, never did it as a kid much and it never took hold. I do love the outdoors though. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Travis Wrote: Hit Man, I am a huge fan, even though I only caught the last years of your career. I remember seeing you on TV when I was in 6th grade. You're the reason why I took up playing baseball. My question is, I remember when I was young, I read in S.I. after you retired, shortly after, it had an article saying that you were possibly going to make a comeback and play for Seattle. Can you please elaborate on this, since I don't think many people know about it? Don Mattingly Wrote: I had never heard that, about Seattle. That is a rumor. I did briefly consider playing the next year, after the year I took off. It was really only a thought though. It never really materialized and I never really had the interest in the work again at that time. When I needed to be training I would rather go to my kid's games so that is when I realized my heart was not in it. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Evan Wrote: Mr. Mattingly, If you were around when Sparky Lyle and Billy Martin were both on the same team as manager and player, would you have thought there relationship was good or bad? I read a book on Sparky Lyle and it said that Sparky thought Martin was a great role model, but they had hard times. I want your perspective, thanks. Don Mattingly Wrote: Evan, I cannot give you much on that. I was not around for any of that, as you said. I did play for Billy and enjoyed playing for him. He was very different, a great guy. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Susan Wrote: Hey Donnie, How many autographs can you sign before your hand starts hurting? Thanks! Don Mattingly Wrote: Susan, I do not know, never really thought about that. It probably would depend on what I was signing. Some things are easier to sign than others. It takes a while though. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Andy Wrote: What was the most valuable lesson you've learned in life? Don Mattingly Wrote: Andy, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons at different times in my life. The lesson I learned that is very important to me is that you can truly do anything as long as you are willing to work for it. I really do not know how particular that can get, but thinking that way will definitely help you to achieve. Even if you do not get what you set out for then you have no regrets and chances are you achieved a lot you can be proud of along the way. Sincerely, Don Mattingly Susan Wrote: Hi Donnie, Do you think that Congress should be investigating steroids in baseball? Thank you & take care! Don Mattingly Wrote: Susan, I do not know if they necessarily should be, but I certainly do not think it would be bad thing if they did! It has gotten to that point where I think it might just be a good thing. The media has helped it get to a point where the hand may have to be forced. There are too many factors that are too important from everyone's standpoint. The player's health is a concern, the children who look up to them, the owners are concerned, and the players do not want to have to wonder if the person they are up against is enhanced or not. The fan's standpoint, I think, is they want to know that when a great play takes place, a real accomplishment, that it was done through hard work and pure talent. Kids are so important here because they are watching these guys and will want to emulate them in every way. When they discover they are on steroids they will think it is OK and probably abuse them as well. It should be a focus in all sports too, not just baseball. Sincerely, Don Mattingly ======================= Interview ends here. =======================
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