Why is Mattingly not in the hall when Sandberg is?

Question

It just doesn't make sense to me. Sandberg's offense stats are not as good as Mattingly's, and they both had short careers. Sandberg's peak years are the same in number as Mattingly's. Was Sandberg's defense enough to put him in the hall?

Sandberg was not 'awesome' for 10-14 years either, though.

Answer 1

One reason: Sandberg played second, Mattingly played first. hall of fame voters tend to base stats of players on the comparisons of the positions they played. First basemen have always hit, but before Sandberg's day, it was rare for a middle infielder to put up his power numbers.

Answer 2

Mattingly played a power position and didn't put up power numbers. Sandberg didn't play a power position and did put up power number numbers. I am a Mattingly fan from Illinois, but he is never going to the Hall of Fame.

Answer 3

Lets see from Morgon's retirement to say 2000 Sanberg was one of the best 2B in the game, really only Alomar and Biggio are his competition.

Sandberg has multiple gold glove and All-star apparences, was one of the better table clearing 2Bs of any era and is definately a top ten player of all time at his position.

Mattingly doesn't crack the top 50, even the top 100 at his. There are 1B's with superior careers that aren't in the hall of fame.

No player gets a free pass when it comes to injuries. Mattingly had a great start but only four maybe five HOF caliber years. Someone throws out Puckett, but he did have about double the HOF worthy years and also played a key defensive position.

Answer 4

You must consider the whole package, and the positions that are played. Don Mattingly was an awesome hitter for a brief time before injuries shortened his career. Towards the end of his career he was an average hitter as a FIRST BASEMAN. And that is the key. He was not productive enough for long enough to compare favorably with the Hall of Fame first basemen already selected.

Ryne Sandberg was comparable statistically, but he was just as far above many of the earlier Hall of Fame second basemen as Mattingly was behind his competition at first base.

I respected his abilities, but Donnie Baseball was not a Hall of Famer.

Answer 5

Mattingly played first base. First basemen are supposed to put up beastly power numbers. Look at Lou Gehrig. Look at Albert Pujols (well, he WILL be a Hall of Famer). Mattingly put up decent contact numbers, but Sandberg had tremendous defense.

Answer 6

Position matters.

Clarification: position matters A LOT.

Sandberg was a better second baseman than Mattingly was a first baseman. If Donnie had played 2B, he might be in the Hall. He didn't; he played 1B, and baseball history is littered with 1Bmen as good as, or better than, Mattingly was, some in the Hall, some not.

I understand there's a full generation of Yankees fen who love love love LUV LUV Donnie because he was pretty much the only highlight of their youthful Yankee fandom (mainly because the team wasn't winning championships during his era). But that doesn't make him better than he was. No bronze plaque for Donnie.

Sandberg stands among the Top Ten second basemen ever, probably around #6.

Answer 7

Mattingly will eventually get in. Sandberg got in so quick because he has the most home runs of any 2nd baseman, and the numerous gold gloves didn't hurt.

Answer 8

Mattingly played through his injuries until they completely sidelined him (FYI 1996 was supposed to be a "year off" to recouperate and come back in 1997 full strength). His injury laden career and low power numbers for a first baseman have kept him out of the hall. However one would think the defense and average would help his ticket get punched

Answer 9

Sandberg was a better player than Mattingly and deserves to be in the HOF. I don't believe Mattingly will ever make it.

Answer 10

Mattingly was awesome for only about 6 years - 1984-1989. In order to be in the Hall, you should be awesome for 10-14 years.