Mazilli Vanilli

Maz is out, Don is in, and I'm a happy camper. It's being reported that Don Mattingly is going to replace Lee Mazzilli as the Yankees bench coach in 2007. It's an obvious sign that Mattingly is the likely successor to Torre's throne, which should become vacant at the end of next season. And who better than Don Mattingly, a Yankee to the core, to take over when Torre retires, especially with Lou Pinella taking over the Cubs. The only logical replacements for Torre would be Pinella, Mattingly, and Joe Girardi. Of the three, I'd prefer Sweet Lou because he's got the experience and he has a father-son type of relationship with A-Rod. But Lou's out of the picture, and I'd rather see Mattingly at the helm than Girardi. Don't get me wrong, Girardi would be a great manager. I loved watching him as an analyst on YES. He's a smart guy and it's pretty obvious if you ever heard him talk, that he has a great grasp on the game. What he did with the Marlins this year was remarkable. I don't think anyone saw that coming. But I'm a Mattingly guy, pure and simple.
Mattingly is without a doubt my favorite Yankee. He joined the Yankees when I was about 10 and much like many Yankee fans, I was instantly a fan of "The Hitman." My wife has even agreed to let me name our first-born son (which isn't on the way) after Donnie Baseball. Now I know what you're thinking. Don is a pretty common name, how can I attribute that to Don Mattingly. That's why I'm going with the name Mattingly as the first name. Now you might think it sounds silly, but it grows on you. I have yet to come across anyone that thinks it sounds silly, and that's saying a lot seeing that all the relatives, both hers and mine, are on board. Mattingly Davis. Has a nice ring to it, don't ya think? If anybody has suggestions for a middle name, lay 'em on me, because I'm stumped.
Mattingly knows the Yankee system. Spending a year as Torre's right hand is all the grooming he'll need. He has all the tools needed to succeed as the Yankee manager even though he has no prior experience. I just hope he's not cursed.
J