Editing Don Mattingly (section)

===Draft and minor Leagues===
[[File:1981 Nashville Don Mattingly.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Mattingly with the [[Nashville Sounds]] in 1981]]
Mattingly lasted in the [[1979 Major League Baseball draft]] until the 19th round, when he was selected by the [[New York Yankees]]. His father, Bill, informed [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) teams that his son intended to honor his college commitment and would not sign a professional contract. Don Mattingly was not interested in attending college, so he chose to sign with the Yankees, receiving a $23,000 [[signing bonus]].<ref name=trying/><ref name=jaws>{{cite magazine|last=Jaffe |first=Jay |url=http://mlb.si.com/2012/12/19/jaws-and-the-2013-hall-of-fame-ballot-don-mattingly/ |title=JAWS and the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot: Don Mattingly |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=December 19, 2012 |access-date=October 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223023228/http://mlb.si.com/2012/12/19/jaws-and-the-2013-hall-of-fame-ballot-don-mattingly/ |archive-date=December 23, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Mattingly began his professional career in [[Minor League Baseball]] with the [[Oneonta Yankees]] of the [[Class A-Short Season]] [[New York–Penn League]] in 1979.<ref name=BRM>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mattin001don |title=Don Mattingly Career Stats Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> He hoped to bat .500 for Oneonta and was disappointed with his .349 batting average, which never went lower than .340.<ref name=trying/> He batted a league-leading .358 in 1980 for the [[Greensboro Hornets]] of the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] [[South Atlantic League]] in addition to recording a league-best 177&nbsp;hits.<ref name=BRM/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=ffd4f7f8|title=1980 South Atlantic League Batting Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> He won the league MVP award and was named to the postseason All-Star team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56838631/hornets-pace-sal-voting/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Hornets Pace SAL Voting|work=The News and Observer|location=Raleigh|date=August 31, 1980|page=33}}</ref> With the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] [[Nashville Sounds]] in 1981, he hit .316 and led the [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]] with 35&nbsp;doubles.<ref name=BRM/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=85470506|title=1981 Southern League Batting Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> He was selected to play in the [[Southern League All-Star Game]] and named to its postseason All-Star team.<ref>{{cite news|last=Squires|first=Tom|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30878914/allstars_fix_the_chicks_103/|via=Newspapers.com|title=All-Stars Fix the Chicks, 10–3|work=The Tennessean|location=Nashville|date=July 7, 1981|page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-41270976|title=Postseason All-Star Teams|website=Southern League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref>

Despite Mattingly's hitting ability, concerns existed about his lack of speed and [[power hitting|power]]. [[Bob Schaefer]], his [[manager (baseball)|manager]] at Greensboro, said that the organization considered moving him to second base, from which he would throw right-handed.<ref name=trying/> Mattingly was batting .325 for the [[Columbus Clippers]] of the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[International League]] when he made it to the majors late in the 1982 season.<ref name=BRM/> He was named to the league's postseason All-Star team and finished third in the voting for the [[International League MVP Award]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56838119/clips-tucker-most-valuable/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Clips' Tucker Most Valuable|work=The Newark Advocate|location=Newark|date=September 1, 1982|page=13}}</ref>