Outfielder Matt Lawton spent 12 productive seasons in the big leagues while playing for seven different teams.
His most productive years came while playing in Minnesota and Cleveland where he was named an AL All Star once while playing with Twins and a second time while playing for the Indians.
The versatile outfielder had multiple seasons of 20 plus home runs as well as more than one season with 20 steals while hitting over .300 on more than one occasion. Lawton was also named the Minnesota Twins Player of the Year in 2000.
In this edition of Card Back Q &A, we flip over a few of his old cards and ask him about the journal he kept on opposing pitchers and how it improved his play, his time spent playing on the diamond alongside Brett Favre, his lone bungee jumping experience and much more.
Tony Reid-Your 1999 Bowman card mentioned how after struggling in early 1998, you started keeping a journal on opposing pitchers and that actually helped your average and helped you greatly. Do you remember that journal and some of those entries?
Matt Lawton-Oh, yeah. I still have that journal. I ran across it the other day. I couldn’t believe I kept up with all of that stuff. It wasn’t on a computer or anything. It was a Kenneth Cole, little black notebook. I used to keep a daily journal of each pitcher I faced. I kept record how they approached me. I don’t know why I had to write that stuff down but it became very helpful.
TR–The back of your 2000 Topps card mentioned that on June 9th, your eye socket was fractured by a pitch, forcing you to miss six weeks of action. You came back like a monster. What do you remember from the injury and the comeback? 
ML-The one thing that really stands out for me was the first time I got back I the box and that first pitch that was up and in. I was afraid. It took me while. It took me the offseason to really get back. It was everything up and in-the curveball, the fastball, I was flinching and I really shouldn’t be. At the plate, if you have that little bit of fear the pitcher can take advantage of it. It definitely took me a few months to get over that.
TR–Your 2002 Barry Colla postcard noted that you played American Legion ball with Brett Favre in Mississippi in the 1980s. How good was Favre on the diamond?
ML-You talk about a monster, man. He was the best player I played with as an amateur. He was our shortstop. He would go in the hole and come up make plays. He would hit home runs like it was nothing. I don’t know how he didn’t get drafted. I think I had something to do with his dad telling everybody he was going to be a football player and not to bother even drafting him. We traveled all around the south and he was always the best player. He could have been like A-Rod. He was a big guy, 6’3” shortstop. He was definitely good enough to play in the Major Leagues, no doubt.
TR–The back of your 2003 Topps card notes that you will never go bungee jumping again. You said “that was probably the stupidest thing I’ve done because I was scared to death.” What are your memories from your lone bungee jumping incident?
ML-I remember doing to this park and some of my teammates talked me into it. I shouldn’t be doing this. I was scared from the time it started until the time it was over. I was so glad it was over. I knew I would never do that again.
TR–The back of your 2006 Cloverdale Meats Mariners card mentioned you admiration of Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. What players became an inspiration or influence once you became a big leaguer? 
ML-When I first got to the Major Leagues, Kirby Puckett was the guy I replaced. Kirby got glaucoma and I was the guy that was inserted into the lineup. Playing the same position he did and knowing the kind of player he was, I kind of wanted to be like Puck. Being a left handed hitter, I wanted to be like Tony Gwynn. I wanted to pattern my game after him. Back in our day, everybody wanted you to hit homers. I got away from that. That is the one regret I had from my career. I wish I would have stayed with my approach. More like today’s player, I think I could have hit for a much higher average.
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