April 2007
DONNIE BASEBALL HITS THE PAVEMENT WITH LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUERS
YANKEES LEGEND DON MATTINGLY TO HELP KICK OFF LITTLE LEAGUE SEASON AND OFFER HITTING TIPS FROM A PRO

PARAMUS, NJ, April 3, 2007 - Beloved Yankees Bench Coach Don Mattingly announced today that he is teaming up with Modell's Sporting Goods in Paramus to celebrate the start of a new baseball season for little leaguers across the area. The former American League MVP and Batting Champion will offer hitting tips to a group of local youths and talk about his special Mattingly Baseball line of bats, invented by Mattingly himself and designed to improve hitting ability by guaranteeing proper bat grip.

Until now, gripping a bat properly was one of the most difficult hitting fundamentals to learn. With the new patented V-Grip technology, Mattingly will demonstrate how easy this obstacle is to overcome.

"Our V-Grip handle technology bats have now been safety-tested and approved for game play by virtually all youth and adult leagues and we look forward to our first full season of game play," says Skip Shaw, President of Mattingly Baseball. "We truly believe our V-Grip technology is the greatest innovation to the bat and it is especially important for kids just learning the basic hitting fundamentals."

Mattingly will coach the little leaguers in a batting cage erected outside of the Modell's store. A meet and greet autograph session will follow, with the first 150 fans in line guaranteed an autograph.

WHAT: DON MATTINGLY HITTING CLINIC; MEET & GREET

WHEN/WHERE:
THURSDAY, APRIL 3
MODELL'S PARAMUS
651 RTE. 17 SOUTH
(201) 689-0620

LITTLE LEAGUE HITTING CLINIC
5:30 - 5:45PM
(Rare interview opportunity 5:50PM)

MEET & GREET WITH DON MATTINGLY
6:00 -7:30PM (First 150 fans in line guaranteed an autograph)

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Media Contacts:
Dave Donovan/Josh Benedek for Modell's Sporting Goods
212-685-4300
Jo-Anne Dressendofer for Mattingly Baseball
973-722-6842