NEW YORK -- Don Mattingly is returning to the New York
Yankees.
A six-time All-Star who was the team's captain from 1991 until
his retirement in 1995, Mattingly was persuaded by owner George
Steinbrenner to become the team's hitting coach.
While no announcement was made Monday, his hiring was disclosed
by a baseball official with knowledge of the team's decision. A
news conference was expected Tuesday.
When Mattingly was at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 15 to throw out the
ceremonial first pitch before Game 6 of the AL championship series,
he wasn't sure whether he wanted to return to a full-time role with
the team.
He replaces Rick Down, who was fired last week after New York
hit just .140 with runners in scoring position during its six-game
loss to Florida in the World Series.
Willie Randolph, who had been third base coach for the last 10
years, becomes bench coach in place of Don Zimmer, who quit the day
after the Series loss, saying he would never again work for
Steinbrenner.
Lee Mazzilli, the first base coach for the past four years,
replaces Randolph as third-base coach -- unless Baltimore hires
Mazzilli as its manager. Luis Sojo, who played in parts of seven
seasons with the Yankees from 1996 through this year, takes over
from Mazzilli as the first-base coach.
Rich Monteleone remains as the bullpen coach, and Gary Tuck
stays on as the catching instructor.
Mel Stottlemyre, who became pitching coach when Joe Torre took
over as manager before the 1996 season, said after the World Series
he will take several weeks before deciding whether to return.
Mattingly, known as Donnie Baseball, was the 10th Yankees
captain, the last until Steinbrenner gave Derek Jeter the title in
June.
Mattingly hit .307 with 222 homers and 1,099 RBIss in a career
that lasted from 1982 to 1995, when he retired because of back
trouble. He won nine Gold Glove awards at first base, won the 1984
American League batting title and was voted the league's MVP award
the following year.
His No. 23 was retired by the team in 1997, and he returned to
the field three years later as a spring training instructor. He
said then he didn't want a full-time baseball job, wanting to watch
his three children grow up.
Mattingly's oldest son, Taylor, was selected by the Yankees out
of Evansville (Ind.) Central High School in the 42nd round of the
amateur draft in June. He hit .224 for the Gulf Coast Yankees with
no extra-base hits and seven RBIss in 58 at-bats.
When the Yankees fired Chris Chambliss as hitting coach after
the 2000 season, Mattingly was contacted by Torre.
"It was back on the road, and I didn't want to go back on the
road," Mattingly said then. "I didn't want to be gone."