NSBB HOF Ballot: Don Mattingly

On Donnie Baseball:

DON MATTINGLY: 6th year on the ballot… Played 14 seasons, all with the New York Yankees… Won 1985 AL MVP Award… Also finished in top 10 of AL MVP voting in 1984 (5th), ‘86 (2nd) and ‘87 (7th)… Won AL Gold Glove award nine times (1985-‘89, ’91-‘94)… Named AL Player of the Year by The Sporting News three times, consecutively (1984-‘86)… Named ML Player of the Year by The Sporting News (1985)… Six All-Star teams, consecutively (1984-‘89)… Seven seasons with .300-plus batting average… 20-plus HR five times, 30-plus HR three times, 30-plus doubles nine times, 40-plus doubles four times, 100-plus RBI five times and 100-plus runs twice… Led AL in batting (.343, 1984), RBI (145, 1985), doubles three times (1984-‘86), hits twice (1984, ’86), and slugging percentage (.573, 1986)… Led AL in total bases twice (1985-‘86)… Led AL in sacrifice flies (15, 1985)… Holds ML records for most HR in seven consecutive games (9) and eight consecutive games (10)… Shares ML record with a HR in eight consecutive games… Holds ML single-season record for most grand slams (6) in 1987… Shares ML record for most doubles in one inning (2)… Shares ML single-game record for most sacrifice flies (3)… Ranks 4th all-time in fielding percentage among first basemen (.9958)… Led AL 1B in fielding percentage seven times (1984-’87, ’92-‘94), in putouts and total chances (1986) and in double plays (1985, ‘91)… Shares ML record for most putouts and total chances by a 1B in a nine-inning game (22)… One AL Division Series (1995); batted .417 with six RBI, four doubles, and one HR in 24 ALDS at-bats

At one time, Mattingly was viewed as certainly headed for Cooperstown. Injuries shortened his career, dampened his production, and derailed those chances. It's unlikely Mattingly makes it this year or ever for that regard.

Mattingly has one MVP to his credit and finished second one other time and fifth in the voting another time. He has six consecutive All-Star appearances to go with 9 gold gloves.

His career rate stats of 307/358/471 look good but lack the power most would expect from a HOF 1b. Though even though he lacks the power in his career rates, he had three consecutive seasons in which he was either first or second in the league in SLG %. At his peak, Mattingly was very good, and he really only had one poor season. Unfortunately for him, and his HOF chances, that peak didn't last long enough and his career was too short for him to pile enough counting numbers to persuade a lot of voters.

His most similar batters are:

Cecil Cooper (934)

Wally Joyner (907)

Hal McRae (900)

Kirby Puckett (895) *

Garret Anderson (880)

Will Clark (879)

Tony Oliva (872)

Keith Hernandez (862)

Jim Bottomley (860) *

John Olerud (858)

There's two HOFers there, but that list isn't that impressive. I see a lot of really good players, but none that really inspire me as HOF. Unless I'm willing to call Cooper, Clark, and Hernandez HOFers (and I'm not), I really can't make a case for Mattingly.

Had Mattingly had 3 more seasons like his 1984-1987 seasons, then he likely gets in. As it is, he is among the very good players that aren't quite HOFers.