Fact: Don Mattingly was born on April 20, 1961.
So why, for so long, did baseball writers and fans believe his birthday to be April 20, 1962? Sure, some of his baseball cards said as much — the 1987 Topps edition actually went so far as to say the '61 birth date was incorrect.
ESPN ran a lengthy story this week examining how the 1962 date of birth became printed and accepted. But on Friday, Mattingly offered his version of how the age change came to be.
"I think I'm 21 or something, and the writers in New York, they're always around," Mattingly began in a video from a Q&A session for his charity that was posted online. "And they're like, 'Oh, you're going to be 22.' And I'm like, 'No, I'm going to be 21. Dude, I'm 20, I'm gonna be 21.' So you know you always want to get younger, right?"
The reporters challenged Mattingly to provide proof. So he photocopied his original certificate, whited out "61" and wrote "62" over it, photocopied that copy, and then showed it to the media.
"And those guys bought it," he said. "Next thing I know it's on a baseball card. So I kind of caused a problem."
Throughout his playing years, Mattingly would be pressed to clarify his birthday. He always maintained he was a year younger, and several media accounts from the 1980s and 90s referred to him as that age, rather than the accurate one.
Mattingly spent his entire 14-year playing career with the New York Yankees (which always maintained his '61 birthday) and was the 1985 American League MVP (during his age 24 season, not 23). He won nine Gold Gloves at first base and was a six-time All-Star.
Mattingly is currently the manager of the Miami Marlins and previously served as the Los Angeles Dodgers' skipper.
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Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly reveals truth behind birthday mystery - USA TODAY
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