Don Mattingly Quotations

The players get no respect around here. They give you money, that's it, not respect. We get constantly dogged and players from other teams love to see that. That's why nobody wants to play here.

I'd like to say this was our worst game. Unfortunately, I can't.

Honestly, at one time I though Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean I wasn't born until 1961 and I grew up in Indiana.

Looks like he's just starting to tune it up a little bit. Hideki, he's just so solid as far as his work. He never gets out of his program. His work is the same if he's going good or if he's going bad.

From there is just kind of caught on.

He was always on the edge, pushing the envelope. He was wired all the time.

He was always goofing around. You always had a great time with Kirby. He would get to first base and start talking.

We can make him go out there and take 100 ground balls but then he's not going to be able to play. It has to be the right kind of work.

He's a tough little kid, there's a lot to like. These games down the stretch are hard to win.

I think it helps to be away for a while. You're ready to come back. You make the choice, you want to do it. You're not doing it because you have to. As soon as you start getting into the competition of the season, it comes right back to you.

Some guys will walk away from it. Alex never does that. He always wants to do more. He's always the first guy to ask to hit more, see more tape. He's always working at it.

I've wanted to manage a long time and I've been moving in that direction.

You never know who’s watching.

The players get no respect around here. They (the Yankees) give you money, that's it, not respect. We get constantly dogged and players from other teams love to see that. That's why nobody wants to play here.

I want to be on the field. It's a better place to talk to the guys. It's a relaxed atmosphere. You want to make sure you know what's going on, not just with the hitters.

Managers have people second-guessing them all the time.

Has he (Rickey Henderson) ever been here (Spring Training) the first day? You have to say Rickey's consistent. That's what you want in a ballplayer - consistency.

I like being close to the bats.

I don't know what to say other than you're really honored another team is looking at you.

Nobody can see into the future. Nobody knows what going to go on.

When I write a note, it sticks in my head differently.

What did I do to deserve this?

I can't concern myself with what's going on with the club or what the media is writing. If you pay attention to those things, that's when you get yourself in trouble.

We all have the temptation to be backseat drivers when it comes to decisions that don't work out the way we want.

I'm not afraid of criticism or what somebody may think.

His reputation preceded him before he got here.

I definitely want to manage. I just don't think it's the time right now.

I'm always writing at night - things I would change, things I would do differently. When I write a note, it sticks in my head differently.

Baseball's still a game. I don't want it to be work. I want it to be a game.

I have had many occasions this year where I questioned and second-guessed my decision in a game, but it comes down to learning from mistakes and being accountable for what you did right or did wrong.

If you don't second-guess yourself, then you are not trying to get better.

When I gave up me, I became more. I became a captain, a leader, a better person and I came to understand that life is a team game...And you know what?...I've found most people aren't team players. They don't realize that life is the only game in town. Someone should tell them. It has made all the difference in the world to me.

Good teams I played on... just the tone that they play with, the energy they play with, how they go about it. When you get it going the right way, you get everyone going in the same direction and it's a powerful thing.

Honestly, at one time I thought Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean, I wasn't born until 1961, and I grew up in Indiana.

The way Alex prepares himself physically and mentally, he's going to hit for power until he's 40 if he wants to keep playing that long. If he stays healthy, he's going to hit 40 or 45 homers a year for a bunch of years.

This guy is working all week and he brings his son to this show, has to pay $2 to get in, maybe $5 for a picture and then $6 for an autograph. These guys have to think you're a real ass with your head down all the time signing.

It's hard to pin him down. He's kind of the big unknown for us. I personally think he's going to have a big year, but you can't be sure.

It's never going to be the same as Wakefield, ... But who knows? I have no idea if it helps or not. If we did it all year long, maybe.

I'm not saying I'm ready now or anything. But I think it's something I can do. I've always felt there's nothing I can't do if I put my mind to it. You just have to be willing to take that step.

I don't want to look back and be looking at three or four teams and what they're doing. We still have to keep our eyes on Boston.

He always seemed to come through with big hits and big plays. He was a tough guy to get out, and more than anything, you really didn't want Kirby up with the game on the line or really anytime with men on base.

The mechanics are universal. The game really doesn't change much. There's more information, you're able to watch things more closely, but those are tools to help you.