As the Yankees conduct interviews for a new manager, I've been keeping tabs on a blog I found a while ago and had hoped would provide me with some good material. See, I don't really much like Don Mattingly. That makes me a rarity among Yankee fans. But I've never understood how someone so bland got so popular. I know he was good for a few years, but he's revered at Yankee Stadium like he's Mickey Mantle and if you look at the numbers, he had a few outstanding years but that was it. His career numbers are nothing to get hot and bothered about and he never, never won. His career was 1982-1995, all with the Yankees, and he never got even one division title, let alone a Series. But I'm digressing.
I came across Don's Website and within in there's a section entitled "Don's blog." Well, let's just say this -- Curt Schilling's blog, it ain't.
There are ten whole entries, and it goes back to sometime during last season. I say sometime because there are no date stamps. Odd.
Don also goes out of his way to let you know that his "Website guy" (whose name is Shannon) is typing all this for him. Apparently, Don's not much of a typist. Fair enough.
So we get welcomed to Don's blog and told by Shannon that he'll be typing Don's answers. Okay. The next post is "from" Don but, again, we're told Shannon is typing his answers. Um, gotcha. Don then tells us what a satisfying season it's been (presumably 2006) because of how well guys have played, yadda yadda yadda. Yawn.
The next post is about heading into the playoffs. Boring again.
The next post is announcing the RSS feed will be coming. For ten posts, I guess. Shannon is amazed: "I had no idea there would be that many people interested. With that said, we should have it available in the next few weeks. Bare with me, once again."
"Bare"? Yes, good thing Don's not doing the typing.
The next post is from Indiana, where Don lives, and is in mourning for Cory Lidle, and the one after that is about keeping Lidle in your prayers.
The next post is from last winter and says the following:
The Yankees announced Don's new position as Bench Coach and he has accepted. I spoke to him a few days ago and I will be getting his version of the story on here as soon as I can.
We're still waiting on the story. I guess it's a whopper.
Shannon then posts announcing that RSS is available. Outstanding.
The next post is the longest of any of them, and it's all about "exciting times" for the Mattinglys. Not about being the bench coach for the New York Yankees, though -- no, it's about hawking his "Mattingly Baseball" product line, which I didn't even know existed, and a book he "has coming out in the Spring." But perhaps the most bothersome part of this entry is the opening paragraph. Tell me, would you want this simpleton running your $190 million baseball team:
Well, Thanksgiving is over and now the Mattingly family is getting ready for Christmas. We are trying to keep things pretty simple and keep it the way it is supposed to be. We are dealing with the cold weather now too here in Indiana . Trying to keep ourselves warm and our horses at the barn warm has been a bit of a challenge. The weather has been good though, in a way, we enjoy it.
Not too far from now I will be getting back into baseball, figuring out who is going where and gearing up for spring training. I am staying fairly busy.
Trying to keep ourselved warm and the horses in the barn warm has been a bit of a challenge. Good gracious, this guy is exciting. And I like that he specified the horses "in the barn," just so we didn't get confused and think he had horses in his living room. There is so much in these two paragraphs that I could shred that it's too easy and I won't waste your time.
Then we come to the last post of Don's illustrious blog. It's from early this past May -- almost six months ago -- and it's right in the midst of the Yankees horrid start to the season, which extended well into May. So what kind of insight does Don give us into the mood in the clubhouse, what is being said on the bench, etc.? Nada:
Hey there everyone. I do not have a lot to say at this time. I would prefer not to talk about April. All I have to say is it is a new month and we are thankful for it.
Be patient. I think by the end of the season we will be right where we want to be.
Talk to you soon.
Don Mattingly
Does Don think this is a telegraph system or something? I do not have a lot to say at this time. Stop. I would prefer not to talk about April. Stop.
Thanks for the insight, Don! And signing it is a nice touch, but sort of not done with blogs, Don. Or does this mean you've fired Shannon and are doing the posts yourself now? Don? Hello?