MATTINGLY'S WORK ETHIC WAS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE GAME

Source: The New York Post

As we wait for baseball to flip the switch after an agreement is made between owners and the player's union, our focus veers towards great players of the past and their contributions to the game.  One player who should be at the top of the list when it comes to contributions not only to the Yankees in the eighties and early nineties but to baseball overall is Don Mattingly, admirably nicknamed the Hit Man. Mattingly's work ethic was one of the best in the game and should be modeled by more players today.

"Mattingly had a bad back and great work ethic, a combination that veered him away from Cooperstown. He had a degenerative disk problem and a mentality that the answer to any problem — from pain to a slump — was more work," reported the New York Post.

Source: NJ.com

He was not only loved by fans because of his hard work and determination, he was loved by his own teammates.  He had the right charisma for the Yankees during a time when the team barely could win 80 games.

"It may be lost to time, but Mattingly’s popularity was Jeter-esque before Derek Jeter. LaPoint (one of the Yankee starters in 1990), remembers having to essentially smuggle Mattingly out of team hotels on the road just so he could avoid fans and join teammates for beers, darts, pool “to just be one of the guys.” And he was one of the guys, good at dishing it out and taking it. That helped make him a beloved teammate, along with his work ethic, professionalism and humility," reported the Post.

He was the kind of guy that played through pain, gave his all to his teammates, supported and coached rookies and was a quiet voice in the dugout.  He was captain in every sense of what that means to teams who have leadership in players.  But it was his work ethic, his actions that spoke much louder than words.  Unfortunately, unrelenting work ethic is not as prevalent as it should be today.  Perhaps that's why baseball is in the state it is today, quickly falling out of favor with America, and out of favor with me.

Source: AM NY

A ray of hope is that some of the players I see today remind me of Mattingly. From the Yankees' roster guys like Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and former Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorius fit that Mattingly mold.  When baseball does come back, I hope the players appreciate the precious time and talent that they have been given.  In 1995, Mattingly had to leave the game he loved because of his degenerative disk problem and missed winning the World Series the very next year. How many players realize how fortunate they are to be able to play? How many realize that this fortune could dry up at any moment?

Work ethic and gratefulness are two important traits for any person to embody let alone an athlete.  Mattingly was one of the greats and it is important to recognize him at a time when players are giving away an opportunity to play a shortened season after an unprecedented pandemic because of money.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof