(from Local Legends I - What would a Local Legends book be without the Mattingly family.

I
had heard about and experienced firsthand the talents of the four brothers, but the real story was
the family as a unit. In no small way was their family experience a major factor in their growth
as athletes, and they give all credit where it is due. And you wont believe the stories about Don
Mattinglys prowess in high school.)

The Mattingly Brothers: Talent and Class

In spite of all the coaching theyve had and the competition theyve faced on the way
to becoming professional athletes, Randy and Don Mattingly both agree that the most valuable
lessons theyve learned took place at home long before they were making headlines. The strong
foundation that allowed the two to thrive and succeed was laid by loving parents, Bill (known as
D to his friends who called him by his middle initial) and Mary, who provided their five
children with a love of sports in an atmosphere free from pressure and criticism.
One might think that raising five children in a small three-bedroom home would result in
chaos and claustrophobia, but Bill and Mary found a solution. Whether it was from thoughtful
planning or divine intervention, the couples five kids arrived into the world five years apart,
which meant that all five were never living at home at the same time. After the oldest, Judy, was
born in 1941, Bill and Mary welcomed four sons, Jerry (1946), Randy (51), Mike (56) and
Donnie (61), all of whom became exceptional athletes.
In the fall and winter, football was the game of choice, and the boys learned both
toughness and tactics as they competed without pads. We didnt like to play tag (football),
Randy explained. There was a sign that we used to use as an extra blocker. If you got to that
sign and a guy was using a pursuit angle, you could block him off. We sometimes played on a
very narrow lot at another church. There, you had to become a north-south (straight ahead)
runner. You knew you were going to get tackled every time, so you would find ways to get extra
yardage.
During baseball season, Over the Line was the game of choice, and, once again, skills
were learned naturally before the boys were ever exposed to coaching. We never had enough
people, so we always closed off a field, and you could choose which field that was, Randy said,
so being able to hit the ball to right or left field was a factor..
Both Randy and Don attribute much of their athletic success to their parents influence
and believe that parents today would be wise to follow the philosophy that Bill and Mary
practiced. There was very little criticism, Randy revealed, so there was no reason for me to
fear failing, so that wasnt even in my thoughts. I never heard anything negative from my father
unless it was an incident of bad sportsmanship..

While in high school, Jerry also played left field on the Southern Vendors American
Legion team that advanced all the way to the World Series, and he led the team in hitting with a

.358 average. In addition, Jerry was honored as the 1963 recipient of the Louisville Slugger
Award for the highest batting average in the nation during American Legion national
competition. Although he was recognized as a big stick at the plate, Jerry was also known for his
aggressiveness. Jerry was such an awesome competitor, said sister Judy. When he ran the
bases, he was like, Get out of my way or Ill run over you! Jerrys athletic versatility drew
interest from professional baseball scouts, and he received college offers for all three sports.
After rejecting football offers from Florida State and Purdue, basketball offers from Michigan
and Murray State and a combination scholarship to IU, he chose to stay home to play baseball
and basketball at Evansville College.

By the time he graduated in 1969, Randy had broken most of Bob Grieses (Rex Mundi)
passing records, and again like his older brother, he fielded college offers in all three sports. He
was recruited mostly for football by schools such as Purdue, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota, and
smaller schools like Evansville College, Murray State and Indiana State were interested in his
basketball talents. His final decision was to sign with Florida State as a quarterback and to play
baseball for the Seminoles in the spring.
Randy left for Tallahassee in the summer of 1969 to prepare for school and was only
there a short time when he received the devastating news of Jerrys accident. Before he ever
attended a class, Randy was headed back home.
Unlike Randy, third son Michael didnt play ball in college but was an excellent player
in high school, earning All-City honors in both basketball and baseball. Known as the most
reserved of the boys, Michael was caught at the tail end of the Rex Mundi era. After playing
three seasons for the Monarchs, he headed to Memorial for his senior year. He attended USI for
a year to play basketball but decided to enter the workforce after a year instead. When Michael
left Memorial, the youngest of the Mattinglys was still in the eighth grade, but in a few short
years, he would not only make a name for himself locally, but across the state and all of America
as well.

Don Mattingly: Donnie Baseball

There is no question that Don Mattingly was blessed with a wealth of God-given
ability, which many local fans were privileged to witness even when Don was very young. But
he also had the advantage of developing under the tutelage of three talented brothers, loving
parents and an older sister who helped foster his growth as an athlete. Obviously, no one knew
that little Donnie would eventually become the sweet-swinging left-handed star of the New York
Yankees, the most revered franchise in sports history, but everyone could see early on that he
was something special.

When Don put on his first official uniform at the North Little League field, his
reputation finally expanded outside the neighborhood, and his ambidexterity was part of his
mystique and even caused a bit of controversy. At one point, Dons coach, Pete Studer, tried to

pitch him in two consecutive games, which was strictly forbidden to protect young arms from
overuse. Studers argument was that, since Donnie was going to pitch one game right-handed
and the other left-handed, the rule shouldnt apply. Although Studers tactic wasnt serious and
was only used to point out Donnies unusual skill, the rule was enforced. Another little league
story which proves that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction also involves Coach Studer. It
seems that one day, Studer, who was from the east coast and a big Yankees fan, looked at Randy
Mattingly and proclaimed, Im going to watch this guy play in Yankee Stadium one day! Now
what are the odds that an off-the-cuff remark like that would foretell something that would
actually come to pass?....

As were his brothers, Don was also a multi-sport athlete throughout his high
school career, and he was exceptional in every sport. As a football player, he was a quarterback
and defensive back who displayed toughness and leadership. Contrary to a popular myth, Don
says that he did not roll to his left and throw left-handed and vice versa, although he does admit
he may have used his right hand on short pop passes on occasion.
On the basketball court, Don was a two-time All-City guard and averaged 15.2 points his
junior year and 17.2 as a senior. His brother Randy feels strongly that, had Don not signed to
play baseball, he could have played Division I (college ball) in any of the three sports.
During his four-year career at Memorial, Don was ranked #1 in the country with 140
RBIs and was ranked #2 in triples (22) and third in batting average (.462). As a junior, he hit
.500 and he hit safely in 27 of the teams 30 games, with only five strikeouts in 115 plate
appearances.
His senior year was even more astonishing, as he finished the season at .558 with eight
doubles, nine triples and six home runs. Once again, he hit safely in 27 of 30 games for the State
runnerup Tigers.
As he should be, Don is very proud to be a part of the Yankees legacy, and throughout
his years as a player, as a coach and as an alumni at old-timers games, he has rubbed shoulders
with many legendary Yankees. He has become close to such stars as Mickey Mantle, Whitey
Ford, Lou Piniella, Phil Rizzuto and even the Yankee Clipper himself, Joe Dimaggio.
He still enjoys mystifying his old teammates the way he did us locals when he plays catch
right-handed until they notice hes throwing with the wrong hand, and one of his favorite
memories is an annual ritual with one of the Yankees all-time greats. Catfish Hunter and I
would have a little game every spring, Don explained. When he wasnt playing anymore,
wed go to a back field and wed have a five-inning game and hed try to get me out. That was
one of the things I loved doing every year.