All-Star (AL): 1984-1989
Major League Player of the Year (MLB): 1985
MVP (AL): 1985
Gold Glove Award (AL 1B): 1985-1989, 1991-1994
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (MLB): 1993
Batting title (AL): 1984
Silver Slugger Award (AL 1B): 1985-1987
Led AL in Batting Average in 1984
Led AL in Slugging Percentage, OPS, Plate Appearances and Runs Created in 1986
Led AL in hits in 1984 and 1986
Led AL in Total Bases and Extra-Base Hits in 1985 and 1986
Led AL in Doubles from 1984-86
Led AL in RBI's and Sacrifice Flies in 1985
Led AL in At Bats per Strikeout in 1988
Holds Yankees single season record for hits (238 in 1986)
Holds Yankees single season record for doubles (53 in 1986)
N.Y. Yankees Career Leader in Sacrifice Flies (96) and Intentional Walks (136)
Ranks 86th on MLB Career Doubles List (442)
Ranks 33rd on MLB Career Sacrifice Flies List (96)
Ranks 53rd on MLB Career Intentional Walks List (136)
.311 BA
2,153 Hits
1,099 RBIS
I think he is.
2007-10-20 04:15:28 · 15 answers · asked by #1 New York Yankees Fan 6 in Sports ➔ Baseball
I think he is. I'm not sure if he will get in but some of those stats are impressive.
2007-10-20 04:18:49 · answer #1 · answered by red4tribe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was the biggest Don Mattingly fan in the '80s, but he isn't a Hall of Famer. He was on course for a great, Hall of Fame career until he blew his back out. His '84-'87 seasons were great. He was always around .330, with 30 home runs, 45 doubles, and 100 RBIs, and that was before steroids.
The thing that will keep him out of the Hall is that he didn't have enough great years. He really only had four great seasons. Mattingly first had back problems in '87. His stats in '88 dropped, he had a good, but not great, '89, but after that, his back basically robbed him of his power and bat speed. If Donnie Baseball had another five good seasons, he would have made it, but his back wouldn't allow it. I think most people realize that for a short time he was the game's best player, and that his career was short-circuited by back problems.
2007-10-20 04:56:45 · answer #2 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but that's a technical answer. You want to know if he SHOULD BE a HOFer.
The answer, alas for you, is still No. Being someone's childhood idol is not sufficient to raise a good career to Hall-class greatness. Wearing pinstripes similarly carries negligible bonus value. He was a very good player and he had a couple of great seasons, but that's not really enough for Cooperstown. (The Yankees can honor him seventy ways to Sunday if they want.)
Position matters, and baseball history is bedecked with players who were better at 1B than Mattingly who are not so honored. The writers have been getting this one exactly correct, and there's not really a hopeful trend emerging in his returns.
Retired 1995
First ballot 2001
2001 - 28.2%
2002 - 20.3%
2003 - 13.7%
2004 - 12.8%
2005 - 11.4%
2006 - 12.3%
2007 - 9.9%
Eight ballots remaining, and he's much, much closer to relegation than to induction.
(And for those of you holding out hope for the Veterans Committee opening the door, take a breath, willya? The VC just got revamped AGAIN and there is no meaningful way to predict what it might do if and when Donnie reaches their docket, if he ever does, and if the VC still exists at that point. It really is approaching the end of its practical utility.)
2007-10-20 05:56:57 · answer #3 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Yankees fan, and I had to suffer with those terrible teams of the 80's, and Mattingle was by far the best on the Yankees during those years, but as much as I wanna say yea, he is just short of going to hall of fame. He was great and if he played a little longer maybe, but he didn't quite make it to level of Hall of Fame.
2007-10-20 06:39:14 · answer #4 · answered by pedrooch 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's a borderliner. He and Wade Boggs and Kirby Puckett together for about 7 or 8 years were the triumvirate of hitter who yearly vied for hitting prowess. The other two are in. Donny Baseball might not make it because his totals are way below what the others ended up with. He's one I wouldn't mind going in, but he may have to manage or something to make it.
2007-10-20 04:27:43 · answer #5 · answered by Sarrafzedehkhoee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Unfortunately his career end too early due to injury. Had he played 3-4 more years he would definitely made the hall. Who knows though ... maybe as the Yankees coach?!
2007-10-20 04:21:41 · answer #6 · answered by josh_huth 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He should be in the Hall of Fame. Ryne Sandberg has similar stats to Donnie Baseball, and he made it. Why shouldn't Donnie make it?
2007-10-20 06:14:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
not really; no hrs or hits. We can all thank guys like Bonds and Giambi for making everyone else who played honestly's record obsolete. He got GGs and 1 MVP but not too good
2007-10-20 05:08:37 · answer #8 · answered by zack77766 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think he should be from the caliber of those stats alone, but I acknowledge that most people think he's borderline.
However, assuming he's hired as the new Yanks manager, I think he's a lock if he manages them to a WS title.
2007-10-20 04:31:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
He should be because of his numbers, but unfortunatly he didn't play long enough. However his numbers are good enough to make it. The Hall of Fame shouldn't be about how long you play, but that's how it is.
2007-10-20 04:27:27 · answer #10 · answered by Justin D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋