North County News 7/27/94

DONNIE BASEBALL'S
LAST STAND

Don Mattingly, the tenth New York Yankee captain this century, stood on first base Saturday night. He touched the bill of his cap and waived his right hand, a small wry smile twisted his face. The few remaining fans at Anaheim Stadium stood to salute him. It was the occasion of his 2,000th career hit. The Yankees won the game 7-2.

"It's nice to know I did it in the context of winning," he said later. "We're playing well now as a team, and that makes me feel that much better about it."

The next day Mattingly stepped to the plate in a pinch-hit role with the Yankees down by two runs and blasted a three-run homer. His face exploded with an excitement rarely seen on a 33 year-old man; his home-run trot turning into a sprint. Rounding third base, he threw his open open palm into third-base coach, Willie Randolph's outstretched hand and reached his awaiting teammates with a bellow of triumph. The Yankees won the game, 6-4.

Two at-bat's, with noticeably different reactions. The simple fact is (and for anyone lucky enough to follow his career) Don Mattingly would rather win one pennant than pick up 10,000 hits. And for the first time since he has put on pinstripes the Yankees have a solid lead in the American League East.

"I have to work hard just to be average," he told reporters after the game.

After 11 years of good teams with no pitching to bad teams with no pitching, Mattingly's Yankees are close to a dream season. But the reality of no longer being the best he can be -- which used to mean the best in the game -- is killing him.

Chronic back pain and nagging injuries changed his baseball life. For four years he was voted the best player in the game by his peers. Winning a batting-title race with teammate, Dave Winfield in 1984 and an MVP the next year; he was not only the most feared bat around, he was the league's defense standout at first base.

Every year the Yankees would make noise, then George Steinbrenner, or Billy Martin, or some other team in the East would make a louder noise and drown out the season. Yet, Mattingly remained in New York when everyone else seemed to leave around him. His contemporaries in the Big Apple won. Dwight Gooden (second drug suspension), Lawrence Taylor (retired) and Phil Simms (retired), are gone now. Mattingly has not won. He's still around.

I met him in the summer of his decline in 1990, deep in the bowels of the Stadium where the pipes and wires above your head go to be hidden form the beauty of the green grass and looming white facade. He agreed to an interview after a difficult night at the plate. But as was the tradition of the year, I had to wait until his "post-game workout" was done. "My back," he told me, "will not wait."

After a half hour, Mattingly emerged from a steamy room covered in towels and walking like a man 40 years his elder. He peered out from the one on his head, recognizing me with a nod. "I don't think anyone knows how hard you work," I told him.

It was painful to watch him shuffle down the hall toward the Yankee clubhouse. And this was four seasons ago and a man who is only a year older than me. I saw him play minor league ball, his first game in the bigs, his All-Star rise. Now he pained to merely sit in front of his locker and tug a tee shirt over his head.

"Part of my game these days," he whispered.

Long hours after games, between games, between seasons; working harder for lesser results. But the Yankees cannot win a pennant without him. The only losing stretch the team had all season occurred when Mattingly was on the disabled list. Since his return the Yankees don't seem to lose.

"This is not as good a team without Donnie in there," manager Buck Showalter said recently. "Not even close."

Now he is two months and a player's strike away from his first post-season. The Yankees organization spent two thirds of a century in the post-season. The Yankees with Don Mattingly have never had a good September with a pennant on the line.

In my lifetime there has been only one other Yankee to stand beside Mattingly for continued excellence in pinstripes; Thurman Munson. As Yankee captain, Munson presided over three pennants and two World Championships. He died in his ninth season. Two fewer years than Mattingly.

The man whose peers have dubbed Donnie Baseball has one more year on his present contract. He says he'll decide on signing another then. There was a time when you'd volunteer to dust off a place for his plaque in Cooperstown, and now you wonder. There are a few other guys that played in the Bronx with 2,000 hits that reside in the Hall of Fame; Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. These are men who made a living playing in October, and now after years of frustration Don Mattingly hopes to get that chance.

Last weekend there were two at-bats, and two very different smiles. One remembers the personal triumph. One draws closer to the October dream.

Part of his game these days.

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