Kim Sexton: Don Mattingly’s Ex-Wife & Her Journey
Kim Sexton Mattingly was married to MLB legend Don Mattingly from 1979 to 2007. Their relationship, marked by her struggles with alcoholism, produced three sons: Preston, Taylor, and Jordan.
Early Life and Marriage to Don Mattingly
High School Sweethearts
Kim Sexton and Don Mattingly were high school sweethearts who married on September 8, 1979. Their relationship began in Evansville, Indiana, where Don was born on April 20, 1961. The couple started their life together just as Don was beginning his professional baseball career, having been selected by the New York Yankees in the 19th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.
Supporting Don’s Early Career
During the early years of their marriage, Kim supported Don as he worked his way through the minor leagues. Don began his professional career with the Oneonta Yankees of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League in 1979. He progressed through the Yankees’ farm system, playing for the Greensboro Hornets, Nashville Sounds, and Columbus Clippers before making his major league debut on September 8, 1982.
As Don’s career advanced, Kim took on the challenging role of being both mother and father to their children during the baseball season. Don acknowledged this sacrifice, once stating, “Kim has to be both mother and father for much of the season”.
Life in the Spotlight
The Pressure of Fame
As Don Mattingly rose to prominence in the mid-1980s, becoming one of baseball’s biggest stars, Kim found herself thrust into the spotlight. The pressure of being married to a New York Yankees superstar took its toll on her. According to their son Preston, Kim “suffered quite a bit from being married to Don Mattingly”.
Preston revealed that his mother faced a difficult situation: “Kim was insulted and raged on when Don Mattingly played badly, but when he played well, she was never mentioned”. This imbalanced treatment likely contributed to the challenges she faced in her personal life.
Their Relationship Dynamic
Despite the pressures of fame, the Mattinglys developed their own ways of keeping each other grounded. Kim would often ask Don, “Who loves you, babe?” and “Who really loves you?” This became a standing line in their household. Kim explained, “He dogs me and I dog him. In this business, you need all the dogging someone can give you”.
When Don received praise or adulation at their restaurant, Mattingly’s 23, Kim would whisper to him, “Oh, Don, you’re the greatest—but who really loves you?” During baseball season, she’d tell him, “Don’t come home unless you get two hits”. This playful banter seemed to be their way of maintaining normalcy amid the fame.
Family Life
Raising Three Sons
Kim and Don had three sons together: Preston, Taylor, and Jordan. The family established roots in Evansville, Indiana, where Don was born and raised. During the off-season, Don would take an active role in family life, often fixing breakfast for the children. “I’m an early-morning person,” he once said.
Preston followed in his father’s footsteps and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2006 MLB Draft. However, he didn’t achieve the same level of success as his father and ended his baseball career in 2012. Taylor was drafted by the Yankees in the 42nd round in 2003 but also did not have a long professional baseball career.
Mattingly’s 23 Restaurant
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Mattinglys owned a restaurant in Evansville called “Mattingly’s 23,” named after Don’s uniform number. The restaurant served as a sports bar and grill filled with memorabilia, though interestingly, it featured more items from athletes Don admired rather than from his own career.
The restaurant became a local gathering spot where Don would interact with fans. One account describes how he kindly helped a young boy on his ninth birthday, signing a menu for him and even tying the child’s shoelace. This demonstrated the approachable nature that made Don so popular with fans.
The restaurant closed in 1996, the summer after Don retired from playing baseball. A spokeswoman cited “escalating expenses and increased competition from chain restaurants” as the reasons for closure, adding that “People were not coming in anymore”.
Struggles with Alcoholism
The Impact on the Family
Kim’s battle with alcoholism significantly affected the Mattingly family. In a 2023 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Preston opened up about what it was like having a mother who struggled with alcohol addiction. He admitted that he used to get angry at his mother for her alcoholism because he believed it was a choice. Later, however, he came to understand that what she suffered from was a serious illness.
The strain of Kim’s alcoholism eventually contributed to the end of her marriage to Don. They divorced after his playing career ended, “amid reports of Kim’s issues with alcoholism”. The couple filed for divorce in November 2007, citing irreconcilable differences.
Legal Incidents
Kim’s struggles with alcohol led to several public incidents. In February 2008, she was arrested and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct after police said she refused to leave Don Mattingly’s Evansville property.
In July 2009, a more serious incident occurred involving Kim and their son Taylor. Taylor Mattingly, then 24, was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of shoving his mother and spitting in her face after she allegedly sent him an insulting text message. According to police reports, Taylor acknowledged confronting his mother after she had sent him a text message insulting him, his girlfriend, and his father.
The affidavit stated that Taylor claimed his mother had been drinking and that “when she gets drunk she calls him and makes rude comments”. The incident reportedly began when Kim was unable to get an auto dealership to trade in Taylor’s car for another model and had satellite TV service shut off at the nearby home where her son was staying.
Recovery and Healing
Kim’s Journey to Sobriety
In recent years, Kim has made significant progress in her recovery from alcoholism. In the 2023 Philadelphia Inquirer interview, both Kim and Preston shared how far she has come in her journey to sobriety.
Kim revealed the guilt she felt about her past behavior: “For so long, I couldn’t forgive myself, because I felt like my sons were ashamed of me, for what I did. For what they had seen. I think any mother would have felt that way”. This honest acknowledgment of her past mistakes shows the self-awareness that has been part of her recovery process.
Rebuilding Relationships
The relationship between Kim and her sons, particularly Preston, has healed over time. Preston has come to understand his mother’s struggles rather than resenting her for them. He expressed admiration for her recovery journey, stating: “I have a lot of admiration for who she has become. It’s almost like her second life.
She’s so happy every day. That’s probably what I am most proud of. How great a life she has. She has to overcome more than most people I have see”.
This transformation in their relationship demonstrates how families can heal from the effects of addiction when there is understanding, forgiveness, and support for recovery.
Life After Divorce
Don’s New Beginning
Following his divorce from Kim, Don Mattingly moved forward with his life. He married a woman named Lori in 2010, and they have a son together named Louis. Don continued his career in baseball, transitioning from playing to coaching and managing.
After serving as a special instructor during Yankees’ spring training from 1997 through 2003, Don became the Yankees’ hitting coach in 2004. He later joined Joe Torre with the Los Angeles Dodgers as hitting coach in 2008 and eventually became the Dodgers’ manager in 2011. He managed the Dodgers until 2015, then managed the Miami Marlins from 2016 to 2022. Currently, he serves as the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Kim’s “Second Life”
As Preston described it, Kim is now living her “second life”. After years of struggling with alcoholism and its consequences, she has found happiness and stability. The details of her current activities are not extensively documented in public sources, but according to Preston, she is “so happy every day” and has built “a great life” for herself.
This positive outcome after such difficult struggles serves as an inspiring example of how people can overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
Legacy and Public Perception
Don Mattingly’s Baseball Legacy
Don Mattingly, nicknamed “the Hit Man” and “Donnie Baseball,” had an illustrious 14-year MLB playing career with the New York Yankees. He was a six-time All-Star, won nine Gold Glove Awards, three Silver Slugger Awards, the 1984 AL batting title, and was the 1985 AL Most Valuable Player. He served as captain of the Yankees from 1991 through 1995 and had his uniform number (23) retired by the team.
After his playing career, Don found success as a coach and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 and the Miami Marlins from 2016 to 2022, winning the NL Manager of the Year award in 2020.
The Family’s Privacy and Public Revelations
For many years, the Mattingly family kept their private struggles out of the public eye. The 2023 interview with Preston and Kim marked a rare occasion when they opened up about their experiences with alcoholism and family difficulties.
This decision to share their story publicly may help others facing similar challenges. By speaking honestly about addiction, recovery, and family healing, Kim and Preston have contributed to reducing the stigma around these issues and showing that recovery is possible.
Reflections on Marriage and Fame
The Pressures of Baseball Stardom
The Mattinglys’ story highlights the often-unseen pressures that come with sports stardom. While fans saw Don Mattingly’s success on the field, they weren’t aware of the challenges his family faced behind the scenes. The constant scrutiny, the long separations during the baseball season, and the public criticism all took their toll on Kim and their marriage.
Preston’s revelation that his mother was criticized when Don played poorly but ignored when he played well points to the unfair treatment that sports spouses often endure. This imbalance likely contributed to Kim’s struggles with alcohol as a coping mechanism.
The Human Side of Sports Icons
The story of Kim and Don Mattingly reminds us that behind every sports icon is a human being with a family and personal challenges. Don Mattingly was known for his exceptional talent, work ethic, and character on the field, but his family life included difficulties that fans never saw.
In a 1989 Sports Illustrated article, there was a glimpse of their normal family life, with Don fixing breakfast for the children and Kim keeping him grounded with her playful teasing. These moments of normalcy existed alongside the pressures of fame and Kim’s developing struggles with alcohol.
Lessons from Their Journey
Understanding Addiction
Preston Mattingly’s evolution in how he viewed his mother’s alcoholism offers an important lesson about addiction. He initially believed his mother’s drinking was a choice and felt angry about it. Later, he came to understand that alcoholism is a serious illness, not a moral failing.
This shift in perspective—from judgment to understanding—is crucial for families affected by addiction. Recognizing alcoholism as a disease rather than a choice can help family members offer support rather than criticism.
The Possibility of Recovery and Reconciliation
Kim and Preston’s story demonstrates that recovery from addiction and healing of family relationships are possible. Despite the pain and difficulties they experienced, Kim was able to achieve sobriety and rebuild her relationship with her son.
Samantha Yates is a creative writer and journalist with expertise in content creation and editing. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and brings professional experience from Lionbridge, where she developed engaging content for leading technology companies
