TAMPA, Fla. - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told reporters last week that Don Mattingly would be in town for a charity golf event.

But when reporters attempted to interview Mattingly during the event on Wednesday, police officers ejected them from the grounds of the country club.

Said one officer: "the club is a private institution."

Only camera crews authorized to tape footage from the event were allowed to stay.

Mattingly, who will turn 35 on April 20, has kept a low profile since announcing his retirement in December. Apparently his exit from the game escaped the attention of the American League. He appears on the cover of the league's media guide along with active players Randy Johnson, Jose Mesa and Mo Vaughn.

A superb defensive first baseman, Mattingly had 222 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .307 in 14 big-league seasons, all with the Yankees.

The former team captain lives in Evansville, Ind., where he has a restaurant and other business ventures.

According to a Yankees spokesman, Mattingly attended the golf event, which raised money for the families of Tampa-area police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. Steinbrenner was an honorary chairperson.

The Yankees posed for team photos, then held an abbreviated workout, so players and coaches could attend the golf outing.

HARRIS, CECIL

Copyright 1996, Gannett News Service, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.