Job Reviews

"He wants me to see the ball, but he doesn't want me to see the ball too long that I can't hit the ball. Most importantly, he's just a very positive influence. He has the confidence that I'm going to hit the ball hard. He tells you constantly you're a good hitter and you're going to get through this."

Bernie Williams, 8/8/04

"If I would've had Donnie when I started my career I would've been a different player. I'm so glad that he's the hitting coach. If you don't listen to one of the best hitters in baseball, who are you going to listen to? He's been helping me, and I like to work. I like to learn stuff. There are a lot of superstars here, and you've got to learn something."

Miguel Cairo, 8/8/04

Jeter said Mattingly's best quality is a willingness to work as long and as often as a player needs. Before games, Mattingly will walk through the clubhouse setting up times to meet with players in the batting cage. Then, when the team is taking BP, he often stands directly behind the cage to watch everyone's swing. "He's not in the box with us, but it's all about preparation. He'll do as much as you ask."

Derek Jeter, 6/1/04

"If you want to feel the heat here, it's easy to do. But (Mattingly) has a plan. When things were a little tougher early in the season, he stuck with that plan and was confident it was going to work."

Mel Stottlemyre, 6/1/04

"He's tireless in how he goes about his business. His playing career is still fresh in his mind, and the players know he played, so when he says something, they listen. He has the same attitude he had as a hitter. He's also a lot more vocal than I thought he'd be, like a player. He's very animated and senses a lot of things that work."

Joe Torre, 5/28/04

From the first workout to the last, Jason Giambi has bought into Don Mattingly's approach to hitting. Now, Giambi is ready to forget last year's .250. It's the toughest job in the Yankees' universe but the latest hitting coach's philosophy has been a big hit with Giambi and others. "He's got my swing back on track. That was evident in the first game when I hit an opposite-field home run. He got me back to my old swing. I didn't have a bad year. I had 41 (homers) and 107 (RBIs) but it was tough because I didn't hit the ball to left field and my average slipped." According to Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, Mattingly doesn't possess a secret formula. What he does bring is a strong work ethic, the willingness to communicate with the student and the ability to talk about the game within the game. "I can't pinpoint one thing but it's working every day. He (Mattingly) understands the mechanics of the swing very well. And he understands what it is to play hurt. We did a lot of drills and he understood what I was talking about when I told him how my knee felt. We worked on getting me back on that back leg again. I have been smoking the ball to left field and I couldn't have done that last year. I am not 100 percent, I still feel like I am rehabbing the knee. Donnie knows about that. He is also very good at talking about the game inside the game. We are always talking about pitchers."

Jason Giambi, 4/5/04

A-Rod isn't working through a rehab process. And he isn't a left-handed hitter like Mattingly and Giambi. But after six weeks, A-Rod is singing high praise for the first-year hitting instructor. "He is a lot like Rudy (Jaramillo). He is real positive, his work ethic is off the charts and he is always there. One thing I like is that he talks situations and about what you can be looking for in situations."

Alex Rodriguez, 4/5/04

"We've seen a large dose of what we got a little bit of each spring for the last five years. He's passionate about it. He loves it. He talks about it all the time. He doesn't complicate things and he's with every single one of them. It doesn't matter if it's A-Rod or Bubba Crosby, he's saying something just about every time they swing the bat in batting practice ... I think his enthusiasm is catching on."

Joe Torre, 4/5/04

In a short time, Mattingly has proven to be hands-on in his approach, constantly speaking to players and studying their swings from outside the cage during batting practice. It also was common to see Mattingly walking through the clubhouse busily eating a sandwich as he accompanied yet another player to the indoor batting cage for additional work. "He's definitely been enthusiastic. He's excited to be out there working with the guys. I think he's found his niche."

Jason Giambi, 4/5/04

At the beginning of spring training, Mattingly spoke about his offseason, saying he watched videotape of players but didn't think much about what he wanted his style as a hitting coach to be. He wanted it to develop on its own. According to players, Mattingly is extremely technical, always looking for minor alterations that might help their swings. It also helps when you have a lineup in which eight of the nine players have been All-Stars. Even Tony Clark - who, barring injury, won't fit into the team's plans once Travis Lee returns in two weeks - has felt Mattingly's presence. "He's always there. You've heard stories of guys who are on their own schedule. Not Donnie."

Tony Clark, 4/5/04