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.

Luckily for Sherry Magee, there was no YouTube in 1911; otherwise, all that would ever be replayed of him was the time he decked an umpire with one punch after a called third strike.  Of course, he played in the 1900s and 1910s, so there isn’t any footage of him on YouTube at all.

Magee should not be remembered for that moment; his intensity led to moments like that.  Magee was a rare star of the deadball era and, for ten years, made multiple appearances at the top of every offensive category imaginable.  Magee was also stellar in the outfield and hunted down fly balls the same way we hunted pitches with his bat.  Magee’s intensity was matched by his unwavering principles.  At the age of 34 (and still more than capable of playing in the Majors), Sherry Magee would finish out his playing career in the Minors to avoid playing for owners he despised.  His legacy and wallet would have been enriched playing in the bigs, but his principles would not allow it.

Magee might have had more impressive career numbers had he stayed in the Majors, but he had great numbers for the number of seasons he played.  He may have let his temper get the best of him often, but he always wanted to win.  Most great athletes do.

The man called “Superchief” was one of the great right-handed pitchers of the New York Yankees.  Allie Reynolds was the first man to toss two no-hitters in a season in the American League, though that was just a small sample of what he accomplished.

The Yankees were a loaded team, and Allie Reynolds was a huge part of that.  During the Superchief’s tenure, the Bronx Bombers captured six World Series.  His post-season record was 7-2, and he was starting as well as relieving, as shown by his four saves.  This was the same type of way he was used in the regular season, as Allie often came out of the pen as well as started.  Basically, the flamethrower did whatever was called upon to get the win for his team.

Because of this, Allie Reynolds cannot be judged solely on wins and losses.  He was not always placed in positions where he could win games, and he would have easily had more victories if he had been used primarily as a starter.  Regardless, baseball knew what they had as he was a perennial All-Star regardless of how he was used.

Right now, it is hard to imagine a time when the Atlanta Braves were not relevant in the world of Professional Baseball, but in the 1980’s, frankly, Ted Turner’s team wasn’t a spectacular one.  The exception to that rule was Dale Murphy, who in his prime drew comparisons to legends such as Mays and DiMaggio.  No, really, he did.

For a five-year stretch, Dale Murphy was among the most feared hitters in the league.  He hit for power, had a decent average, and was excellent in the clutch.  In addition, Murphy knew how to handle himself in the field, as shown by his five Gold Gloves.  He played every day and was a huge favorite among the Braves faithful.  He was the only Brave at the time who could get National attention, and he did so quickly with his loud bat and quiet demeanor.

Unfortunately for Dale Murphy, his offensive numbers seriously took a tumble by the age of 32, and he posted substandard numbers thereafter.  Of course, all great players suffer a decline, but because it happened to him earlier than it does to others, he did not reach the milestones that stat lovers will point out.  Subsequently, he struck out a lot in his career, even during his MVP years.  Had his career tailed off at the age of 34, and he put up a career that added two or three hundred more hits, his stock would greatly improve, and his contributions on a bad Braves team might be celebrated more outside of Georgia than they have.