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Don Mattingly Online - May 2005 Interview

.: May 2005 Interview :.

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Interview begins here.
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Kenn Wrote:

Don,

How would you compare the current rivalry between the Yankees and Redsox vs. that same rivalry during your playing years, and are there any specific memories of this (The greatest rivalry in all of sports) that stand out in your mind?

Thanks, A life long fan,
Kenn

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Kenn,

There is definitely more hype now than when I was playing.  It seems it was always there, but it is more media driven now since both teams have been at the top of the division for so many years.  No specific memories, but each time we played them it was always a big deal.  One thing that stood out is the when we played them in NY there were a lot of Redsox fans and it was the exact opposite when we played in Boston.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Nick Wrote:

What exactly were you thinking in 1983 while you were looking on at the umpires discussing George Brett's bat, being such a young player?

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Nick,

Well, I was actually thinking about Billy Martin.  He had actually seen it the day before and was waiting for the right moment to call it to attention.  That is what I can remember thinking at that moment.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

John Wrote:

Don,

Besides all the players that you did play with, what other player in your time would you have loved to play along side of?

Don Mattingly Wrote:

John,

I would have loved to have played along side of Cal Ripken, George Brett, Keith Hernandez, Cecil Cooper, Rod Carew, Robin Yount, and Paul Molitor, just to name a few.  There were MANY I would have enjoyed playing along side of.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Dennis Wrote:

Don,

How long have you been a Christian? What denomination? Do you have your own baseball cards? I have 1000's of your cards. Thanks Don for being true to the game and yourself. God Bless!

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Dennis,

Well, I guess I have been a Christian since I was very young.  I grew up as a Catholic and became more of a re-born Christian since I was about 18 years old.  I really am non-denominational as far as that is concerned.  I am very thankful that I grew up in the Church and that my parents made me go.  Even though I did not want to be there I took a lot of good morals and ideals with me.

I do own some of my own cards, I have not bought any of them, but people have given me a few over the years.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Steve Wrote:

Don,

I remember that your oldest son Taylor, and Willie Randolph's son Andre, were both drafted by the Yanks a couple of years back. Are either or both still in the system?

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Steve,

Taylor decided not to go to Spring Training this year and does not really enjoy playing at this time.  He is currently in school in his first semester.  He is doing great.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Tony Wrote:

Don,

Whenever you faced hard throwing pitchers (95MPH PLUS), could you actually see the ball clearly as it came, or did you just swing the bat, and pray it would make contact? With your eyes I know you could see the ball clearly. Can you please suggest a good reference for those who would like to increase our bat speed? God Bless!

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Tony,

When I played there were not that many guys that threw 95 mph and above.  There were some, but not many.  I do not think it is that big of a deal.  Once you get used to the speed its all about making small adjustments.  You have to have a short stroke and keep your head still, less movement.  All of those things go together when it comes to making contact and increasing your bat speed.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Trey Wrote:

I am from Henderson, Kentucky, and you are my favorite player of all time. I was wondering, since you grew up across the bridge, what high school did you attend in Evansville? Do you still live in Evansville? Do you have any memories of playing against any of the Henderson high schools? I wanted to thank you for being so nice and personable when I met you at a radio station in Henderson about 13 years ago.  I still have your autograph and I greatly appreciate it.

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Trey,

Yes, I went to Memorial High School and I do still live in Evansville during the off season.  I do remember playing Henderson schools.  We did not play the Kentucky schools often, but I remember playing Henderson County in baseball and Owensboro Catholic in football.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Keith Wrote:

Hey Donnie,

Thanks for taking my question. I know as a kid you were a big Rod Carew fan, but I was wondering which former teammate you most admired and/or enjoyed playing with. Also, what player that you played against did you most admire or enjoy playing against?

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Keith,

There are quite a few, I admired many of them.  Some of my favorites were Dave Winfield, Willie Randolph, and Goose Gossage.  Ricky was great also.  Paul O'Neill was another one, there are so many that it is impossible for me to narrow it down.  Those are a few of my favorites though.

I enjoyed playing against Carew since I was a fan, and George Brett was probably the guy I liked playing against the most.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Tom Wrote:

Hello Mr. Mattingly,

I was a big time fan of yours during those great seasons of the 80's.  My best friend though was a fan of your cross town counterpart, Mr. Keith Hernandez. We were just 12 year old kids arguing over the merits of who was a better first baseman.  We are best friends still and continue to debate about it! My question is:  Did you ever feel this friendly rivalry with Keith? Did you pay attention to his numbers and did this spur you on to do better on the field and at the plate? Thanks a lot for all the great memories.

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Tom,

Keith was already established as one of the best and I was very young.  Many talked about how he was the best and I certainly paid attention to that and admired him and the way he played.  When I was doing well I think the comparisons were blown out of proportion.  I paid attention so that I could learn and get better, I did not pay much attention to the competition part of it.  I just admired him and how he played, and used that to try to learn from him.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

Susan Wrote:

Dear Donnie,

What are your thoughts about steroids in sports?

Thanks,
Susan

Don Mattingly Wrote:

Susan,

Well, I think that it definitely does not belong.  I think baseball in general needs to be stricter with their checking and with their penalties.  We cannot allow room for error so that we have a level playing field for everyone.  If someone is doing amazing things no one should have to be curious if they are only able to do it because of steroids.  Players should not have to worry about whether or not the guy they are facing is enhanced or not.  From a role model standpoint it is a huge deal, it really impacts kids and that is a horrible situation for them to be in.  It needs to stop.

Sincerely,

Don Mattingly

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Interview ends here.
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