Don Mattingly

Before one of the biggest moments of their young lives commenced on Friday, the players from the Fairfield (Ct.) American Little League team that is representing New England at the Little League World Series were pleasantly surprised by a special guest on the other end of a phone call.

New York Yankee legend and current Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly took time to address the team with his support and well-wishes before it took the Williamsport (Pa.) field for the first time.

"I encourage you guys to have fun today," Mattingly told them. "Congratulations on getting there. I have been watching, it has been fun being able to follow you guys."

It was a special moment for the youngsters. Even though they weren't alive when Mattingly played for the Yankees, they are quite familiar with the 1984 AL batting champion and '85 AL MVP.

Mattingly's personally designed V-Grip bats were provided to the team, courtesy of Mattingly's company -- Mattingly Baseball -- during their run to the Little League World Series.

"Our company is proud to see the kids getting use of them and enjoying the game, that's what we're about," Mattingly Baseball founder and president Skip Shaw told FanHouse.

Shaw also noted that it was special for Mattingly Baseball to see the Fairfield team using the V-Grip bat, as everything came full circle for the company and the kids.

Mattingly originally developed the V-Grip concept while coaching his own children in Little League. He realized the youngsters had trouble holding the bat correctly, so he designed the V-Grip -- a bat that encourages proper technique and unleashes a hitter's true potential performance by keeping the bat from slipping into the player's palm.

The Fairfield American team has already achieved the ultimate dream of any Little Leaguer by making it to Williamsport. The words of wisdom from Mattingly served as another thrill. Mattingly made sure they knew the big leaguers were following them.

"You would be surprised how many guys love watching these games," Mattingly told the players. "I think it's something that when guys are playing, they love to see you guys play, because you have so much fun and it takes us back to when we were kids ... It's really neat."

"Enjoy the experience and let's get about 10 runs today," Mattingly ended the call to the team with. Fairfield American will be entering exciting and unknown territory. At least they will not be doing it alone. Every time they grip their bat, they will have Mattingly alongside them with special insight from their motivational talk.

This is an 11x14 signed by Don Mattingly. This rare photo captures that actual hit that won Don the 1984 AL Batting Title in his last AB of the season. Don went 4 for 5 on the last day of the 1984 season to pass teammate Dave Winfield for the title. You can see the crowd on their feet cheering Don on. Mattingly's signature was witnessed by Schulte Sports and comes with their tamper-proof hologram.

While the Dodgers were in town to play Phillies, "Donnie Baseball" drove up from Philadelphia yesterday to Martinsville, New Jersey to film a Boys Club of New York Public Service announcement. Don and Mattingly Charities have forged a relationship to concentrate on providing a variety of services to benefit many inner-city young boys who participate in the Boys Club of New York available academic, educational and cultural programs..

I am deeply saddened to hear the news of George Steinbrenner’s passing. His vision, passion and commitment to winning, recharged the New York Yankees and revolutionized the game.

I remember a man driven to succeed. He was the owner, “The Boss” and number one fan of the Yankees. Our relationship was built on mutual respect. I will never forget and always be grateful for how he treated me and my family both during my playing days and after I retired.

I will miss him very much and extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Joan, and all the members of the Steinbrenner family.

Don Mattingly

Contact: Ray Schulte
Ray@SchulteSports.com

And of course then there’s Jeter. Where’s Jeter? (Applause.) There he is right there. Sportsman of the Year, according to Sports Illustrated, and you can see why -- passed Lou Gehrig to become the all-time Yankee hit leader. But Derek would rather tell you a story about being in spring training with another Yankee legend, Don Mattingly. I love this story. Walking off an empty field together one day, Mattingly suggested they run to the clubhouse, telling Derek, “You never know who’s watching.” And Derek took that lesson to heart, and 15 years later, he still runs everywhere like he’s trying out for the track team -– always setting an example, always hustling -- which is why I think everybody says that he epitomizes the best of the Yankee tradition. (Applause.)

Don Mattingly (nicknamed "Donnie Baseball" and "The Hit Man") was a star left-handed first baseman for the New York Yankees of the American League from 1982-1995. Don's Major League career as a player totaled more than 11 years. After his playing career, Don served as hitting coach for the New York Yankees from 2004 to 2006, then as their bench coach in 2007, before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 as their Hitting Coach.

Don grew up in Evansville, Indiana and was one of the nation's top prospects as a high school player at Reitz Memorial High School in 1979, even earning a brief write-up in Sports Illustrated magazine. However, Major League Baseball teams were sure he was going to college and didn't draft him. The Yankees took a chance, and were able to sign Mattingly after selecting him in the 19th round of the 1979 amateur draft. Read More.....

Don playing the harmonica with Ray Schulte during late eighties