Facts, Trivia, Memories and More about Don Mattingly

Highlights

September 20, 1984: Don goes 4-for-5 on the last day of the season to pull ahead of teammate Dave Winfield and capture the American League batting title.  Don's 4 hit day raised his average from .339 going in to the game to .343 at the end of the day.  Winfield entered, leading the league with a .341 clip, but his 1-for-4 performance dropped him to .340 and runner-up status.  For the record, Boston's Wade Boggs finished a distant third with a .325 average.  Donnie would also lead the league in hits with 207 and doubles with 44 and finished fifth in MVP voting.

July 18, 1987: Don smacks a home run off the Rangers' Jose Guzman to lead off the top of the 4th inning. The home run ties Dale Long (1956) for the most consective games hitting a home run with eight. During the eight game streak, Don hit .459 with 10 HR and 21 RBI a slugging percentage of 1.324 and an OPS of 1.812.  Don was shut down in his 9th game by Texas pitchers Greg Harris and Jeff Russell.  In 1993, the Mariners' Ken Griffey, Jr. also tied the record with 8 HR in 8 consecutive games.

September 29, 1987: Don smacks his sixth grand slam home run of the season off Boston's Bruce Hurst in the bottom of the third.  The sixth granny sets a Major League record for most grand slams by a player in one season.  The six grand slams were the only grand slams Don hit in his entire Major League career.  In 2006, Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians would also hit six grand slams in one season to tie the record.

Trivia

Memories

Tom from Suwanee, GA wrote: "I used to travel to Evansville, Indiana frequently from about 1988 - 1990. Whenever I traveled to Evansville, I would try to eat at least one dinner at Mattingly's 23, the restaurant owned by Don Mattingly. One cold, January evening (probably in 1988) Don was actually in the restaurant waiting on tables with his wife. (I believe her name is Kim, but not sure they are still married). Don was very friendly, acted just like a regular guy, and signed autographs for the group I was with. I was never a Yankee fan, but I always cheered for Mattingly and I would also stop what I was doing when he came up to bat, if the game was on TV. I wish he could have earned a World Series ring."