WHY I THINK DON MATTINGLY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Don Mattingly was an elite hitter and perhaps the greatest defensive first baseman ever. Mattingly a vacuum cleaner at first, a nine time Gold Glover, and a .300 hitter with power who rarely struck out. He was also a very celebrated player, earning an MVP Award, three Silver Slugger awards, a Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, six all-star selections, a Major League Player of the Year award… you know, lots of awards. He also set two home run records in 1987, for the most grand slams in a season (six), and for the most consecutive games with at least one home run (eight). Mattingly was a genuine superstar. He started his career with the Yankees for seven games in 1982. He batted .283 in 91 games in 1983 and then won the 1984 AL batting title with a .343 mark. Mattingly also led the AL in doubles and hits and had his first of five 100-RBI seasons. He was the 1985 AL MVP after leading the AL in doubles, RBI’s, sacrifice flies (15), and total bases, and finished second in 1986 when he batted .352 with 31 homers. Mattingly continued to hit .300 regularly until 1990 when his average fell to .256 in 102 games, a result of an injured back. He stuck around for another five years, and while he lost his power stroke, he consistently had high batting averages and walk to strikeout ratios. He played his final season in 1995, batting .288 in 128 games before he retired with the most doubles in Yankee history other than Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig (534). Don Mattingly was one of baseball’s greatest stars, a fine hitter, and the greatest defensive first baseman in modern baseball history. Mattingly is definitely deserving of baseball immortality in Cooperstown.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 1,785 season high: 162 in 1986
At Bats career: 7,003 season high: 677 in 1986
Hits career: 2,153 season high: 238 in 1986 led AL: 207 in 1984, 238 in 1986
Doubles career: 442 season high: 53 in 1986 led AL: 44 in 1984, 48 in 1985, 53 in 1986
Triples career: 20 season high: 4 in 1983
Home Runs career: 222 season high: 35 in 1985
Runs career: 1,007 season high: 117 in 1986
Runs Batted In career: 1,099 season high: 145 in 1985 led AL: 145 in 1985
Stolen Bases career: 14 season high: 3 in 1989 and 1992
Walks career: 588 season high: 61 in 1993
Strikeouts career: 444 season high: 43 in 1992
Batting Average career: .307 season high: .352 in 1986 led AL: .343 in 1984
On Base Percentage career: .358 season high: .397 in 1994
Slugging Percentage career: .471 season high: .573 in 1986 led AL: .573 in 1986
Total Bases career: 3,301 season high: 388 in 1986 led AL: 370 in 1985, 388 in 1986
Sacrifice Hits career: 13 season high: 8 in 1984
Fielding Percentage career: .996 season high: .998 in 1993 and 1994 led AL 1B: .996 in 1984, 1986 and 1987, .995 in 1985, .997 in 1992, .998 in 1993 and 1994
Double Plays career: 1,504 season high: 154 in 1985 led AL 1B: 154 in 1985, 135 in 1991
Putouts career: 14,270 season high: 1,377 in 1986 led AL 1B: 1,377 in 1986
Assists career: 1,121 season high: 126 in 1984
DID YOU KNOW?
-nicknamed “Cap”, “Donnie Baseball”, and “The Hit Man”
-was fifth in the AL MVP voting in 1984, seventh in 1987, 15th in 1989, 18th in 1994, and 19th in 1993
-was the Yankee Captain from 1991 through 1995
-his nine Gold Glove awards as a first baseman are the AL record
-won four Player of the Month awards and six Player of the Week awards
-his 238 hits in 1986 rank as the 18th most of all time
-in the 1995 ALDS, his only postseason action, he batted .417 with four doubles, one home run, six RBI’s, and three runs scored
-had ten home runs in his eight game streak
-recorded an extra-base hit in a record ten straight games in 1987
-scored five runs in one game on April 30, 1988
-led the AL in OPS in 1986 (.967)
-finished second in the 1986 AL batting race to Hall of Famer Wade Boggs (.357)
-was the hardest batter to strike out in the AL in 1988
-led the AL in extra-base hits in 1985 and 1986 (86 in each season) and in plate appearances in 1986 (742)
-led the AL in games at first base in 1986 (160)
-had over 1,000 putouts in a season nine times and had over 100 assists three times
-was the last lefthanded infielder in the MLB when he played three games at third base in 1986
-had 722 wins as a manager at the start of the 2020 season
-ranks 43rd in career sacrifice flies (96)
-among MLB first basemen, ranks 13th in career fielding percentage, 23rd in double plays, and 38th in assists
-also played one game at second base, 76 in the outfield, 75 as a DH, 37 as a pinch hitter, and two as a pinch runner
-his number 23 is retired by the Yankees and he is honored with a plaque in Monument Park
He might get elected on the strength of his playing and managing if he gets to manage some winning teams.
ReplyDeleteJust as a player, though, I feel like his peak was just too short. If he played like he did from 1984 to 1987 for 10 years instead of 4, he would've been inducted in his first year of eligibility.
But you can make that argument for way too many players. Mickey Vernon, Don Newcombe, Brian McCann, Doc Gooden, Bret Saberhagen... that's the problem. Putting Mattingly in opens the door for way too many marginal candidates.
Outside of his 4 great years, he was good, but ordinary. On a personal level, though, I would be pleased with his election. I'm a Yankees fan, and have over 40 of his cards.