Don Mattingly was considered the epitome of class during his Yankees career. His family, on the other hand, obviously has a ways to go:
A former Central High School baseball standout and New York Yankees draft pick was arrested Tuesday for allegedly shoving his mother and then spitting in her face.
Taylor Mattingly, 24, was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on preliminary charges of battery by bodily waste, battery and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors. Mattingly, the son of L.A. Dodgers batting coach Don Mattingly, was released on a $250 cash bond late Tuesday night.
According to a Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office probable cause affidavit, Mattingly admitted jumping the brick fence of his mother’s residence on Darmstadt Road and confronting her. Mattingly told investigators his mother, Kim Mattingly, had earlier sent him a text message insulting him, his girlfriend and his father, authorities said.
Taylor Mattingly was a 42nd-round pick by the Yankees in 2003. His pro career consisted of 24 games in Rookie ball, in which he hit .224/.387/.224. His older brother, Preston, is currently playing in the Dodgers system, though he doesn’t project as a major leaguer. He’s a career .238/.282/.347 hitter in four seasons.
While this is the first time Mattingly’s family has made headlines, the former superstar initially accepted the Dodgers’ hitting coach job when Joe Torre was hired, only to later back out because of undisclosed family reasons.