The Toronto Blue Jays are playing in their first MLB World Series since 1993. They are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. And the two teams have a bit in common. The Blue Jays' coach, Don Mattingly, used to work for the LA baseball team. Don, 64, was the coach then manager for the Dodgers from 2008 to 2015. And before he became a coach he was a professional player. Don played with the New York Yankees for 14 years, earning the nicknames "the Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball."
Don has had a successful coaching career. During his third season managing the Dodgers, he led them to the National League Championship Series, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. After five years managing the Dodgers, he stepped down with a winning percentage of .551. In 2023, the former baseball player joined the Toronto Blue Jays as its bench coach. Here's everything we know about Don Mattingly.
Don was the first baseman for the New York Yankees
He was drafted to the MLB in 1979 during the 19th round. In 1982, Don made his debut for the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles. During his career, he won the American League MVP and nine Gold Glove Awards. In 1997, 18 years after he was drafted to the MLB, Don retired.
Until this year, he's never been to the World Series
Throughout both his 18-year professional career and his 21-year coaching career, Don has never been to the World Series, until now. He'll appear at his first World Series with the Blue Jays! But even with his zero World Series appearances, the Yankees retired his number – making him the only Yankee to have a retired number without winning the series.
1979 was a big year for Don. Aside from being drafted to the MLB, he also married his first wife Kim Sexton. The couple divorced in 2007 after 28 years of marriage. Three years later, Don married his second wife, Lori Matingly, in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana. Kim is a huge fan of baseball and routinely shares photos of her supporting Don to her Instagram.
The 64-year-old had three sons with his first wife, Kim. Taylor, 40, Preston, 38, and Jordan, 34, grew up when their dad was a professional baseball player. His wife Lori had two children during a previous relationship. And the couple welcomed their son Louis in 2014.
Don launched his nonprofit, Mattingly Charities, in 2007 with a mission to provide funding for baseball/softball equipment and other youth development services for the benefit of underserved youth. Don's wife serves as the co-chair of the organization, which focuses their work on the underserved communities in Evansville, Indiana.
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