Don Mattingly - Hall Of Fame Predicition

DON MATTINGLY - HALL OF FAME PREDICTION

On page 14 of the September 1995 issue of Sport magazine, noted statistician Bill James made the following predictions on future Hall of Fame inductees:

Year	Inductees
1999	George Brett, Nolan Ryan
2000	Robin Yount, Carlton Fisk
2001	Andre Dawson, Dave Winfield
2002	Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith
2003	Dave Parker, Jim Kaat
2004	Dennis Eckersley, Ted Simmons
2005	Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken Jr.
2006	Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor
2007	Tony Gwynn, Roger Clemens
2008	Kirby Puckett, Dale Murphy
2009	Jack Morris, Lee Smith
2010	Tim Raines, Ryne Sandberg
2011	Barry Bonds, Joe Carter
2012	Brett Butler, David Cone
2013	Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker
2014	Goose Gossage, *Don Mattingly*
2015	Jack McDowell, Greg Maddux
2016	Fred McGriff, Doc Gooden
2017	Frank Thomas, Ruben Sierra
2018	Ken Griffey Jr., Roberto Alomar
2019	Jeff Bagwell, Juan Gonzalez

Keep in mind that when Mr. James made this prediction, Don was still an ACTIVE player and he expected him to play a few years more, rather than retire one month after the article was pubished.

Although I would have liked Don to make it on his first try in 2000, I think that unless he gains support with the voters, he might not make it in until he is eligible for the Veteren's Committee Selection.
I'm sure there are many among us, even Mattingly fans, who will argue that Don's stats do not justify induction into Baseball's Hall Of Fame. I am not one of them. Don was well on his way to a stellar career when injuries robbed him of his power. This does not mean that the remainder of his career was sub-standard. Quite the contrary, Don had many good years following the back injury that kept him out for 2 months in 1990. Granted, they were not equal to his excellent run from 1984-1989, but they were still good enough to lead the Yankees in many catagories. I also feel that the Hall Of Fame should consider things that do not wind up in the box score every night. Little things like Leadership and Dedication are some of the things that should be considered and Don sure had both those qualities. Without Don, the Yankees may not have had the "Team-First" attitude that took them to the play-offs in 1995 and 1996, and eventually a World Championship in 1996. Several players on that World Series team, including Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter, credit Don's influence on their career. Without a doubt, "Donnie Baseball" belongs in the Hall!

Here is the voting for all the years that Don Mattingly has been eligible for the Hall of Fame:

Year	Votes	Percentage
2001	145	28.16%
2002	96	20.34%
2003	68	13.71%
2004	65	12.85%
2005	59	11.40%
2006	64	12.30%
2007	54	09.90%
2008	86	15.80%
2009
2010

Note: A Player must get at least 5% of the voting each year to remain on the ballot for the following year.

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This Page Was Designed By Joseph Riccitelli, Jr. on June 6, 1997.
I Last Made Changes On: Tues January 08, 2008.

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1997-2008, Joseph Riccitelli, Jr.