One of the most popular Yankees of all time was Don Mattingly. This was a very impressive reality considering that the year before he turned pro, the Bronx Bombers lost to the Dodgers in the World Series, and the year after he retired, they won the championship. During Mattingly’s entire tenure, the Yankees never went to the Fall Classic, the largest stretch of postseason futility in franchise history.
The failure of the Yanks to win the World Series was through no fault of Don Mattingly. He was easily amongst the best in the game in the last half of the ’80s, winning an MVP, multiple Gold Gloves, and churning out hits.
Once the 90’s hit, Mattingly’s production steadily declined (though his popularity in the Bronx remained high) due to constant back issues. He finally made it to the postseason in 1995, and though he performed admirably, the Yankees failed to make the World Series. He abruptly retired at the age of 34 after New York signed Tino Martinez, though he could still have contributed to a Major League Baseball team. Had he continued to play, he would not have been an All-Star anymore, but his career numbers may have been padded enough to make him a more serious contender for the Hall. As it is now, the bulk of career stats were generated from six of his years, and it appears that the Hall is looking down upon him. Regardless of whether “Donnie Baseball” is honored in Cooperstown, he will always be honored in the Big Apple.
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