The Dan Patrick Show: Hour 3 – Don Mattingly, NBA Faceless Teams (October 22, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this engaging hour, Dan Patrick features a deep-dive interview with Don Mattingly—current Blue Jays bench coach and former MLB star—who is on the cusp of his first World Series appearance after a storied 36-year baseball career. Mattingly discusses his role with the Blue Jays, personal reflections on his playing days, parenting, and perspectives on the Hall of Fame. The crew then transitions to an upbeat segment debating so-called "faceless" NBA teams—franchises lacking recognizable stars or identities—interspersed with witty banter about basketball's least flashy greats and the quirks of online algorithms.

Interview: Don Mattingly – Blue Jays Bench Coach

Main Theme: A baseball lifer finally makes the World Series, with insights into modern coaching, resilience, personal legacy, and family.

Don Mattingly’s World Series Journey

• First World Series after 36 years:
  Dan welcomes Don Mattingly, highlighting his long baseball tenure—5,231 games across 36 seasons as player, coach, and manager—finally reaching his first World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays (04:09).
• How it Feels:
  “It feels pretty good, Dan.” (04:36, Mattingly)
• Role as Blue Jays Bench Coach:
  Early days involved guiding rookie manager John Schneider; now, Mattingly self-describes (with DeMarlo Hale) as the “perspective coaches” bringing calm and perspective when the season gets wild. Primary focus: offensive advice and maintaining in-game situational awareness so the manager can focus on pitching and the next inning (04:53).

Reflections on Adversity and Trust

• Postseason Resilience:
  Trailing in Game 7, Mattingly emphasized “trust”:

  “This has been a team that I could sit here and go, you know what? I trust these guys… doesn’t mean it’s going to work out. But for the most part, these guys show up and they play. They’re a team, and they are really fun to be around.” (05:55, Mattingly)

• Returning to LA for the World Series:
  Candid about returning to face the Dodgers—no negativity, just business:

  “It’s like, hey, what do we have to do to win a game? … It’s business. It’s pretty much that for us.” (06:44, Mattingly)

• On Watching Others Win:
  As a young star, Mattingly expected to win; over time, realized the unpredictability and value of perseverance (07:37).

Family and Career Choices

• Parenthood Reflections:
  Now with a young son (Louis), cherishes the opportunity for him to experience postseason baseball and see his dad on the big stage, a journey his older sons didn’t experience (08:11).

• Choosing Family Over Chasing a Ring:
  Describes decision to retire in 1995 as the right choice for family, despite potentially missing out on rings:

  “All I was doing in 1995 … was come home, go to the bedroom, go down through the kitchen, grab a cup of coffee, and go to the ballpark and rinse and repeat… I just couldn’t do that. I’m so glad I did what I did, and … I would not change it one bit.” (09:47)

Pop Culture & Nicknames

• Origin of “Donnie Baseball”:
  School friend Kirby Puckett coined the nickname at a Rochester, NY dinner, and “it just stuck somehow.”

  “I’ve probably been called a lot worse, so … that one's okay.” (12:12-12:58)

Baseball Analysis & Strategy

• On Shohei Ohtani: Mattingly is coy about giving away scouting tips, but credits the difficulty in pitching to Ohtani:

  “There are places to go to get him out… that doesn’t mean you can just keep doing it. You got to find different ways to get to that spot or those spots, whatever they are. And that’s what makes it tough.” (13:06-14:43)

• Lineup Musings:
  Discusses the changing philosophy of batting orders, referencing his own successful stint hitting second for the Yankees (13:34).

• Favorite Ricky Henderson Story:
  Reminisces about Henderson’s legendary athleticism and personal warmth, recalling visits to his home and “the beautiful weight room that he never really used” (15:22).

Expectations and Legacy

• Underdog Status vs. Dodgers:

  “Yeah, a little bit. I mean, the Dodgers have got experience. They've showed… it’s going to be a battle.” (16:28-17:37)

• Hall of Fame Thoughts:
  While he rarely dwells on it, Mattingly confidently says:

  “There's not a guy in there, a picture in there that I don't think I could hit. … I wouldn’t be out of place on a field with any of those guys.” (17:41-18:16)

• Facing Hall of Famers:
  Recalls figuring out tough pitchers, especially as their arsenals changed over time:

  “I hit Randy [Johnson] early really well. As he started to get the slider over, he gave me more and more trouble… I just know that I figured it out. I've never felt like anybody ever overpowered me.” (19:03)

Notable Quotes

• “We lose two or three in a row during the regular season. They show up and play. We won five or six in a row. They look the same. They show up and they play.” (16:40)
• “Probably the best word you can say as a coach or manager is that you can trust these guys.” (06:44)

Segment ends (20:21)

NBA Segment: “Faceless Teams” & Fan Banter

Main Theme: The crew riffs on NBA teams that lack national star power or clear identity, poking fun at ambiguous rosters and recalling obscure and “boringly great” players.

Who Are Today’s NBA “Faceless Teams”?

• Jazz, Wizards, Nets, Trail Blazers, Hornets:
  Multiple teams are revealed to have rosters even diehard fans struggle to name.
  “I was having a tough time… as far as star power. No, they don’t have that.” (27:09)

• Recurring Gags:

  • Unfamiliar European draftees and depth chart confusion
  • Highlighting how players look promising in highlight reels, but not in regular play
  • Some teams, like the Wizards, seem to be where championship role players “go to get goofy” (30:00)

Notable Player Banter

• Brooklyn Nets:
  “Can anyone name a Nets player?” (30:00)
• Trail Blazers:
  “Simons gone? Your guy, Seaton, you just mentioned is on the squad.” (31:28)
• Hornets:
  “Lamelo Ball… too easy. Name another Hornet.” (35:06)
• Phoenix Suns, Clippers:
  Discussion about team-building, contracts, and rumors, e.g. the ongoing Kawhi Leonard situation (33:21).

Jokes, Quotes, and Wit

• “When you go to the wizard, you just become goofy.” (30:00, Marvin)
• “This music was playing the last time they were relevant.” – Referring to old Blazers theme (32:12)
• “Nobody knows about yesteryear quite like I do. It’s now that I have a problem with.” – Dan reflects on NBA history trivia (35:28)

Offbeat Banter: Algorithm Humor

• Crew shares complaints and stories about how social media platforms’ videos and ads change based on “three-second” scrolling—leading to endless suggestions of odd content, Springsteen videos, or clothes ads, and the perils of algorithm-based recommendations (“That’ll be the 3-second violation you need to be aware of…” (38:30))
• Instagram ignorance:
  “I don’t even know how to get Instagram. I wish I could show you. I don’t know either.” (38:29)

Mini-Segment: “Boringly Great” NBA Players (42:15)

• Listener Bryant (from Virginia) sparks a debate: Who’s the greatest "boring" star in NBA history?
  • Top candidates:
    • Tim Duncan (“leader in the clubhouse”)
    • John Stockton ("maybe the most boringly great player")
    • Carl Malone, Chris Paul, Moses Malone, Joe Dumars, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others discussed
  • Criteria: Effective and great, but lacking highlight flair or flashy charisma.
  • Finalists: Duncan and Stockton emerge as leading “boringly great” players (45:00).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Don Mattingly Interview Begins: (04:09)
• Parenting & Retirement Reflections: (08:11–11:28)
• Ohtani Strategy & Lineup Talk: (12:58–14:43)
• Favorite Ricky Henderson Story: (15:22)
• Hall of Fame Thoughts: (17:37)
• NBA Faceless Teams Discussion: (27:06)
• Boringly Great NBA Players: (42:15)

Episode Highlights

• Don Mattingly's humility and wisdom: His perspective on perseverance, choosing family over titles, and seeing the game evolve—plus the human stories behind career choices.
• NBA banter: Fun, relatable struggles in recalling today’s “anonymous” teams; lovingly irreverent about league pass teams, forgettable rosters, and the fate of championship cast-offs.
• Memorable sports humor: Both segments are laced with wry observations, inside jokes, and nostalgia for both sports history and old theme music.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Probably the best word you can say as a coach or manager is that you can trust these guys.” — Don Mattingly (06:44)
• “I’ve probably been called a lot worse, so I just like that one’s okay.” — Mattingly on the ‘Donnie Baseball’ nickname (12:58)
• “There’s not a guy in [the Hall of Fame]…that I don’t think I could hit.” — Mattingly on his legacy (18:01)
• “When you go to the Wizards, you just become goofy.” — Marvin (30:00)
• “Tim Duncan’s the leader in the clubhouse of greatest boring player in NBA history.” — Dan Patrick (42:38)

For listeners and sports fans, this episode is a blend of earnest reflections from a baseball legend and classic DP Show banter about the NBA’s forgettable middle and cult-favorite boringly excellent players—a treat whether you’re in it for legacy talk or witty hoops nostalgia.