1988 Profile: Don Mattingly

1988 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Mattingly enhanced his reputation as the best player in baseball by achieving two significant home run records: he tied a major league mark set by Pittsburgh's Dale Long in 1956 by homering in eight consecutive games from July 8-18, and after going without a grand slam in his first four major league seasons, he slugged six of them in 1987. His sixth, which came on September 29 against Boston, broke the single-season major league record shared by Ernie Banks (1955) and Jim Gentile (1961).
Injuries limited Mattingly to 186 hits, marking the first time he has failed to reach 200. He was disabled from June 9-24 with two injured discs in his lower back. A sprained right wrist caused him to miss two games and continued to bother him.
His defensive prowess at first base is matched only by the Mets' Keith Hernandez. Mattingly's only weakness is a lack of speed.
Born in Evansville, Indiana, Mattingly was selected by the Yankees in the 19th round of the June 1979 draft. He captured the batting title in his first full major league season with a .343 average in 1984. He was AL MVP in 1985, when his 145 RBI were the most by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio's 155 in 1948."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1988 Edition

"'We're gonna win the East. I guarantee it,' declared the normally softspoken Don Mattingly last winter. By normal standards it would be a bold statement, except when you consider what the Indiana native has already accomplished in just over four seasons.
What more can be said about Mattingly, a superstar at age 26? Last year he took his customary spot among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category. With the bat he set a new major league record with six grand slams in a season. He broke the AL record of hitting home runs in six straight games, and went on to tie the major league record by stroking a dinger in eight consecutive games. With the glove he tied another major league record for first basemen with 22 putouts in a nine inning game. In fact he made only five errors all year!
In his career he's already got a batting title and the MVP award to his name. So what's next? Just ask him.
'We've got the best club out there, and this year we're going to win.'
Bragging? Not for Don Mattingly, arguably the best player in the game today, and a player who has the ability to back up what he says."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Another superb year in 1987- his fourth straight.
Mattingly began the season slowly, hitting .175 on April 15 after nine games. His April batting average was his career low for that month (interestingly, Mattingly had exactly 22 hits in each April from 1984-87). He had his first career three-strikeout game on April 13 against Cleveland.
His batting average was as low as .239 (27-for-113) on May 9, after 29 games. Don then went 37-for-93 (.398) from May 10 through June 4, including a 15-game hitting streak (May 19-June 4) to raise his season stats to .311 (64-for-206) on June 4 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 53 games.
Before the June 4 game at Milwaukee, Don's back was injured when he was wrestled in the clubhouse by Bob Shirley. He tried to play, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, before the pain became too severe to continue. His innings missed in that game were his first since August 7, 1986 (he missed only six innings all of '86), and that game was the last of a string of 335 consecutive games played (final 120 of 1985, 162 in '86 and the first 53 of '87), Don last sitting out on May 27, 1985. Tests later taken at NYU Medical Center revealed a disc problem in his back, forcing him to be placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 9. Activated from the disabled list on June 24, the Yankees were 11-7 during Mattingly's absence (June 5-23).
Upon his return, he hit in 18 of the next 22 games (June 14-July 19), hitting .411 (39-for-95) with 25 runs, eight doubles, 12 homers and 33 RBIs, raising his overall batting average to .342- his season high. Mattingly went 4-for-6 on June 26 against Boston.
From July 8 to July 18 he hit at least one home run in eight straight games, tying the major league record previously set by Pirate Dale Long in 1956. During the same streak Mattingly smashed the American League record of homering in six straight games, previously done six times (last by Reggie Jackson with Baltimore in 1976; also done by Lou Gehrig in 1931 and Roger Maris in 1961). Over the eight game homer streak, Mattingly hit .459 (17-for-37) with 10 homers and 21 RBIs.
Mattingly had seven RBIs on July 16 at Texas, his single game career high and the most by a Yankee in '87. He had at least one extra base hit in ten consecutive games, July 7 through July 19, breaking the AL record of nine set by Babe Ruth in 1921. Don was twice named AL Player of the Week- for the weeks ending on July 12 and July 19. He was also named AL Player of the Month for July, going 37-for-99 (.374 BA) with 21 runs, 10 homers and 24 RBIs for the month.
On July 20 Don tied the major league record of 22 putouts by a first baseman in a nine-inning game, also held by Tommy Jones (St. Louis Browns, May 11, 1906), Hal Chase (New York Highlanders, September 21, 1906) and Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs, May 9, 1963). He missed the games of July 21-22 at Minnesota with a slightly sprained right wrist suffered on July 18 after hitting his record tying homer. Coming back from that injury, he was used as a pinch hitter on July 24 at Chicago, his first pinch-hitting appearance since April 6, 1984. Upon completion of the eight consecutive game home run streak on July 18, Mattingly went without a homer from July 19 through August 7 (16 games) and hit just one homer over 21 games (July 19-August 12). He had 11 extra base hits including five homers with 11 RBIs in 12 games from August 8 through August 21, and seven extra base hits including four homers with nine RBIs in seven games from August 14 through August 21.
Mattingly had his second and final four-hit game on September 2 against Oakland, going 4-for-5. He had an 11-game hitting streak, August 30 through September 11; he hit in 17 of 18, August 30 through September 18; 26 of 28, August 30 through September 29; and in 28 of his last 32 games, August 30 through October 4, going 45-for-136 (.331 BA) with seven homers and 31 RBIs. On September 22 at Milwaukee (second game) he made his first appearance as a designated hitter since July 6, 1986 at Chicago. Suffering from flu-like symptoms, Don was pinch-hit for by Orestes Destrade on October 1 against Boston, the first time he had been pinch-hit for since Vic Mata batted for him on August 3, 1984 against Cleveland (first game).
He had a pair of two-homer games, July 8 against Minnesota and July 16 at Texas. He hit .311 with runners in scoring position and averaged one strikeout per every 15.0 at-bats. Don's .331 career batting average remains third on the all-time Yankee list for players with 500 games, trailing only Babe Ruth (.349) and Lou Gehrig (.340).
Don blasted six grand slams in 1987, setting a new major league record (No. 6 came September 29 at Yankee Stadium off Boston's Bruce Hurst) and breaking the record of five set by Cub Ernie Banks in 1955 and tied by Oriole Jim Gentile in 1961. The Yankee record for grand slams in a season was four set by Lou Gehrig in 1934 and tied by Tommy Henrich in 1948.
With the bases loaded Don was 9-for-19 (.474 BA) in 21 plate appearances, and in addition to his six grand slams had two singles, a double, a pair of sacrifice flies and 33 RBIs. Prior to 1987, he was just 12-for-47 (.255 BA) with just one extra base hit in career bases loaded situations. In fact, prior to his first '87 grand slam, his career numbers with the bases loaded fell to 13-for-52 (.250) in 70 plate appearances with two extra base hits (having gone 1-for-5 with a double, sac fly and four RBIs in '87), and beginning with the first grand slam he went 8-for-14 (.571 BA) with six slams and 29 RBIs.
Mattingly's .996 fielding percentage (five errors in 1,335 total chances) was best in the American League for the fourth straight year, tying the AL's first baseman's record for most consecutive years leading the league in fielding (100 or more games played) set by Charles Gandil of the Indians and White Sox from 1916 to 1919 (the major league record is five consecutive years set by the Reds' Ted Kluszewski from 1951 to 1955). He tied with Kent Hrbek for fewest errors (5) by a first baseman for 1,000 or more total chances.
In 1987 Don became the first player in the seven-year history of the Elias Sports Bureau's report for the MLBPA to compile a perfect 1.000 score, ranking first in each category used to measure production of first basemen: plate appearances, batting average, on-base percentage, home runs and runs batted in. He was selected to his fourth consecutive AL All-Star team and was selected to the AP, UPI and Sporting News All-Star and Silver Slugger teams, each for the third straight year. He also captured his third straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award for AL first basemen.
Don had his fourth straight 100+ RBI season and was the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle (1955-62) and Roger Maris (1960-62) to hit 30+ homers in three straight seasons. He became the first ever Yankee to lead the club in batting average, hits, doubles and RBIs four consecutive seasons; breaking down the individual categories, the last Yankees to lead the club at least four straight seasons were: batting average- Mantle 1955-58; hits- Bobby Murcer 1971-74; doubles- none until Mattingly; RBI - Reggie Jackson- 1977-80. Prior to Mattingly, the last Yankee to have at least four straight 100+ RBI seasons was Joe DiMaggio, 1937-42.
Ranked in the AL in '87, Mattingly's 38 doubles were tied for third; his .327 batting average and 115 RBIs were fifth; his .559 slugging percentage was seventh; and his 186 hits were eighth. Over the last five years among all major leaguers, his 921 hits are tied for fourth with Cal Ripken (behind Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn and Tim Raines); his 515 RBIs are sixth (trailing Mike Schmidt, Dave Winfield, Jim Rice, Dale Murphy and Eddie Murray); and his .331 batting average is third (behind Boggs and Gwynn).
In 1979 Don was drafted late as teams expected him to accept a college scholarship. He was signed by Yankee scouts Jax Robertson and Gust Poulos.
He was named South Atlantic League MVP in 1980. In 1981, Mattingly was named Yankee Minor League Player of the Year, led the Southern League in doubles and was named to the Topps and Southern League [Class AA] All-Star teams as an outfielder. He was named an International League All-Star as an outfielder in 1982 and his outstanding season earned him a promotion to the Yankees in September.
Don had a terrific rookie season in 1983. He won the James P. Dawson Award as the top Yankee rookie in spring training and was in the starting lineup for the Yankee home opener. Optioned to Columbus on April 14, he hit eight home runs with 37 RBIs and a .340 batting average with the Clippers before his recall on June 20 when Bobby Murcer retired. Don hit his first major league homer off John Tudor on June 24 at Fenway Park. He hit in 24 of 25 games, July 13- August 11, going hitless (0-for-2) in both ends of the 'Pine Tar Game' (July 24 and August 18). He played one-third of an inning at second base in the August 18 conclusion of that game. He played first base on July 4th when Dave Righetti no-hit the Red Sox.
In 1984, Mattingly became the first Yankee to win the AL batting championship since Mickey Mantle in 1956, battling teammate Dave Winfield to the last day of the season, winning .343 to .340. He was named to his first AL All-Star team in his first full season in the majors. He led the AL with 207 hits, 44 doubles and 59 multiple-hit games, was second with a .537 slugging percentage and was the first Yankee left-handed batter to hit .340 since Lou Gehrig hit .351 in 1937. Don was the top road hitter in the AL at .364 and led AL first basemen with a .996 fielding percentage, making only five errors in 1,236 total chances.
In a phenomenal 1985 season, displaying prowess with bat and glove, Mattingly led the majors with 145 RBIs, 48 doubles and 15 sacrifice flies and led the American League with 370 total bases, 21 game winning RBIs and 86 extra-base hits. He was second in the AL with 211 hits, a .567 slugging percentage and 66 multiple hit games, third with a .324 batting average, fourth with 35 home runs and tied for sixth with 107 runs. He also led AL first basemen with a .995 fielding percentage.
His 145 RBIs were the most by a Yankee since DiMaggio had 155 in 1948, and he was the first Yankee to lead the AL in RBIs since Roger Maris in 1961; he reached the 100 RBI plateau on August 20- the earliest by a Yankee since Maris and Mantle recorded their 100th on August 4 and August 6, respectively, in 1961. His 211 hits were the most by a Yankee since Red Rolfe's 213 in 1939 and is the seventh highest total in Yankee history (including his own 238 in '86), and Mattingly was the first Yankee to collect 200+ hits in consecutive seasons since DiMaggio in 1936-37. He was the first AL player to lead the majors in doubles in consecutive seasons since Tris Speaker in 1920-23, and was the first player to lead the AL in doubles in consecutive seasons since Tony Oliva in 1969-70. His 652 at-bats is the eighth highest total in Yankee history [including his own 677 in '86] and he was the first Yankee to have 600+ at-bats in consecutive seasons since Chris Chambliss in 1976-78. Don's 159 games led the team and are the second highest total by a Yankee at first base (he played 160 in '86).
Don suffered a minor tear of the medial meniscus cartilage in his right knee in February while working out with weights at his Evansville, Indiana home. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage on February 22 and his rehabilitation caused him to miss the first 18 spring training games. Upon his return, Don homered in his first at-bat on March 26.
He didn't hit his first [regular season] home run until May 5, off Kansas City's Bud Black. Mattingly's batting average tailed off to .285 on June 8 following an 0-for-19 streak (his longest 0-for of '85), yet he had a 20-game hitting streak, June 22-July 12, the longest of '85 by a Yankee and then longest of his career: over the streak he went 32-for-81 (.395 BA) with 11 runs, nine doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs. He committed his first error on July 7 against Minnesota, breaking a streak of 153 games (1,371 total chances), dating back to June 22, 1984, of not committing an error at first base. Don also had a 19-game hitting streak from August 1-21, going 35-for-79 (.443 BA) with 25 runs, seven doubles, 10 homers and 21 RBIs. He drove in at least one run in 10 straight games, September 20-30, for a total of 16 RBIs.
Don had five two-homer games; the first of his career was on August 2 (both homers hit off Chicago's Britt Burns). He drove in four runs in a game four times and drove in Rickey Henderson with 56 of his 145 RBIs. Don was the first player to lead the majors in RBIs and strike out as few as 41 times since Ted Kluszewski led the bigs with 141 RBIs in 1954 while striking out 35 times.
Batting second in 58 games, he was 85-for-242 (.351 BA) and batting third in 99 games he was 124-for-404 (.307 BA). He batted fourth twice, going 2-for-6.
The two games Mattingly missed came on May 26-27 at Oakland when he was suffering from a groin pull. He underwent minor surgery on November 12 to correct a catch in the extensor tendon of his right hand's little finger- little to no rehabilitation was required.
The 1985 American League MVP and runner-up in the '86 MVP voting behind Roger Clemens had another remarkable season in 1986, supporting a mid-season New York Times poll of 417 major league players that named Mattingly the best player in the game. He led the majors with 238 hits, a .573 slugging percentage, 388 total bases (leading the majors for the second consecutive year), 86 extra-base hits (also leading the majors for the second consecutive year) and 53 doubles (leading the majors for the third consecutive year- the first player to lead the American League or the major leagues three straight years since Tris Speaker from 1920-23).
His 238 hits broke the former Yankee record of 231 set in 1927 by Earle Combs; his 232nd hit, which broke the record, came in the seventh inning on October 2 at Fenway Park off Sammy Stewart. His 388 total bases were the most by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio posted 418 in 1937 and the most in the AL since Jim Rice's 406 in 1978, and equaled the fourth highest total in the majors since 1939; Mattingly became the 10th player to lead the majors in total bases two consecutive years, the first since Mike Schmidt in 1980-81, and the only Yankee besides Babe Ruth in 1923-24. His 53 doubles broke the Yankee mark of 52 set in 1927 by Lou Gehrig; his 53rd came in the fourth inning of New York's final game on October 5 at Fenway off Jeff Sellers.
His final batting average of .352 was second in the majors, his 117 runs was third in the majors and third in the AL, his 15 game winning RBI tied for third in the majors and tied for first in the AL, his 113 RBIs was fifth in the majors and third in the AL, his .394 on-base percentage was seventh in the majors and fifth in the AL, and his 31 home runs tied for seventh in the majors and tied for sixth in the AL.
He went into the final series of the season trailing Boston's Wade Boggs .357 to .350 in the American League batting race. While Boggs sat out the four-game set with a sore right hamstring, Don went 8-for-19 (.421 BA) with five runs, two doubles, two homers and four RBIs. Given the number of at-bats for Mattingly in that series (19), he would have needed 12 hits to overtake Boggs (the averages would have been .3574 for Mattingly and .3568 for Boggs).
Mattingly was the first Yankee to hit .350 or better since Mickey Mantle hit .365 in 1957, and the first Yankee left-handed hitter to hit .350 or better since Lou Gehrig hit .351 in 1937. His .352 BA was the highest by a Yankee left-handed hitter since Gehrig hit .354 and Bill Dickey hit .362 in 1936. Mattingly became only the eighth Yankee to ever hit at least .352, [joining] Babe Ruth (eight times), Gehrig (5), Joe DiMaggio (3), Mantle (2), Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri and Bill Dickey- all but Lazzeri are Hall of Famers.
He became the 11th player in major league history, and the first in 27 years (Hank Aaron in 1959), to finish with at least 200 hits, a .350 BA, 30 homers and 100 RBIs- the others were Lou Gehrig (five times), Babe Ruth and Rogers Hornsby (three each), Chuck Klein, Jimmie Foxx and Stan Musial (twice each), Lefty O'Doul, Hack Wilson and Joe Medwick. He became the first AL player to record 230 hits, 100 RBIs and 30 homers (accomplished by six National Leaguers, most recently by Musial in 1948). His 53 doubles were the most in the majors since Hal McRae had 54 for Kansas City in 1977. He was the first Yankee to record 200+ hits three consecutive years since Lou Gehrig in 1930-32.
Don became the fifth Yankee to play in 162 games in a single season, joining Bobby Richardson (1962), Roy White (1970 and 1973) and Chris Chambliss (1978). He missed just six innings of play in '86: four innings on June 28 against Toronto (due to a bruised left index finger) and two innings on August 7 against Milwaukee.
His .996 fielding percentage led AL first basemen for the third consecutive year and he's the only Yankee to ever lead the league in fielding percentage three straight years at any position. He led AL first basemen with 160 games and 1,483 total chances, and won his second consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Don hit .305 (50-for-164) with runners in scoring position, and his four-hit games came on May 6 at Chicago, May 17 at Seattle, June 19 at Toronto and June 20 at Toronto. He had two three-double games (April 21 at Kansas City and July 11 at Minnesota) and two two-homer games (May 28 at Seattle and June 9 at Detroit), and his 79 multi-hit games led the club. He averaged just one strikeout for every 19.3 at-bats.
He was slowed in spring training of 1986 by a bone bruise of the left thumb, playing only 16 of 28 exhibition games, hitting .300 with no home runs and six RBIs. Don recorded his 500th career hit with his first hit on Opening Day on April 8 against Kansas City, and notched his first career five-RBI game on April 21 at Kansas City. He did not hit his first home run until his 81st at-bat on April 30 against Minnesota off Bert Blyleven. Don tied the major league record with three sacrifice flies on May 3 against Texas and hit in 14 straight games, May 4-18, going 28-for-61 (.459 BA) with 11 runs, 11 doubles, three homers and eight RBIs, raising his batting average from .261 to .340.
A sac fly in the ninth inning on June 24 at Boston broke a streak of 57 at-bats without an RBI that began with his last at-bat on June 12 (he went 11 games between recording RBIs 52 and 53). Don hit in 13 of 14 games, June 19-July 3, going 30-for-60 (.500 BA) with 14 runs, seven doubles, a homer and five RBIs, raising his batting average from .310 to .344; after June 24 his batting average never dipped below .334.
He made his first start and first appearance as a designated hitter on July 6 at Chicago, breaking a string of 201 consecutive starts at first base. With Mike Pagliarulo bothered by a sore hamstring, Mattingly made three appearances at third base, the first coming on August 29 at Seattle. He became the first left-handed third baseman since Mike Squires played 13 games at third for the White Sox in 1984, and the first such Yankee third baseman since Hal Chase played one game there in 1908. Among the three appearances at third were two starts: the second games of doubleheaders on August 30 and on August 31, both at Seattle.
Don had a career high 24 game hitting streak extending from August 30 (second game) through September 26. It was the longest streak of Don's career, and the seventh longest hitting streak in Yankee history as well as being the longest in the AL in 1986. He hit safely in 44 of the last 49 games, going 77-for-149 (.387 BA) with 40 runs, 16 doubles, a triple, 11 homers and 34 RBIs. He hit safely in 81 of 97 games from June 18 on, going 153-for-403 and hitting .380.
40 of the 113 runs driven in by Mattingly were scored by Rickey Henderson. His season final batting average of .352 was the highest point reached by Mattingly throughout the year. His 677 at-bats in '86 is the fourth highest total in Yankee history, trailing only Horace Clarke's total of 686 in 1970, and Bobby Richardson's totals of 679 in 1964 and Yankee record of 692 in 1962.
Don attended Evansville (IN) Memorial High where he played baseball, basketball and football. He played Little League, Babe Ruth and American Legion ball in Evansville. His older brother Randy played pro football.
Don enjoys racquetball and maintains homes in both Evansville and Tenafly, New Jersey. In August of 1987 he opened a restaurant in Evansville called 'MATTINGLY'S 23.' During the 1988 season, he and his wife Kim are donating $100 for each home run to singer Paul Simon's project to purchase mobile medical units that will service underprivileged children in New York City."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide