Local article link here

Posted by fishmike:

THANKS...

oops.. yea man, Donnie Baseball was probably my favorite player growing up. Nettles, Gator and Willie were my first, then Donnie, Winfield and Rags

Loved those cats.

Posted by Andrew:

I know there are a bunch of Yankee fans here. A buddy of ours created this site with some other guys to get Mattingly inducted into the HOF.

http://www.inductdonnie.com/

Mattingly is the greatest hitter I' ever saw! Jeets is second. Thanks for this. I will participate.

I signed it as well.

I met Donnie on the 4 train with his son. I think I made a thread about it. This was a few years ago. Dude is a living legend in my eyes.

That's what is gonna keep him out or put him in. Eyes. What do these sports writers think?

Also in my book Donnie is already in the hall. His face and number are immortalized in the left field yard. Nobody vantake that away from him or his fans.

I think Mattingly deserves to go into the HOF because of his defense, as well as offense. He may have been the best defensive first baseman in MLB history. When he was healthy, he was the best player in the game. He's a great personality and embassador to the game which also gets him some points. The only thing that cuts him short is his longevity of how long he played, but I think he deserves in anyway.

if Kirby Puckett's in the HOF, i'm sorry, but Donnie deserves to be there too... i don't care how his career got cut short by his bad back... for a length of time he was the best player in the game & an icon of 1 of the greatest franchises in sports... he deserves HOF recognition imo.

Posted by King1:

Wow the Yankee fans are drinking the kool-AID. If Mattingly gets in Ted Simmons, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds are no brainers. Ted Simmons has more hits, homers, and rbis and played catcher. Edmonds will end up with 200 more home runs and 300 more rbis than DM. Rolen will have 200 have 400 hr and 1300 rbi to end his career. Defensively Edmonds and Rolen were as good at their respective position as DM was. Mattingly was a good player but not a HOF

Are Edmunds and Rolen HOFers?

The arguement for DM isnt about his career. Its about those 4 years we are talking about. For 4 years Don Mattingly was one of the best players in baseball... certainly a top 5 every year. Then he got hurt. Can you say the same about the guys you mentioned?

DM was 5,1,2 and 7 in MVP votes those years. 6 time all star. Do those guys have 9 gold gloves? During those 4 years he was 1,3,2 and 5 in batting. He was 2,2,1 and 7 in slugging. He was 1,2,1 and 7 in hits. He was 1,1,1,3,6, and 3 in doubles from 84-92. He was 5,1,3,5,2 in RBIs from 84-89. He was 4,1,1,4,5 in extra base hits. He was 3,4,3,5,2,4 in intetional walks.

The debate is as simple as is 4 years before an injury good enough? I dont have a problem with people saying its not good enough. I'm actually on the fence. I understand the arguments against him being there. I can see the justification for him going. He was the great baseball player before he got hurt. When you measure him against players of his area statistically he was as good as anyone he was playing against on both sides of the ball.

There's no koolaid. Where Scott Rolan and Jim Edmunds ever the best players in baseball? Where they for a 4-5 year stretch? You see them more than I do, I'm just asking you honestly. Edmunds probably has a better shot, but again was he ever the best or top 5 for any stretch? And does that even merit being inducted? I'm not sure it does, but its a good debate



[Edited by - fishmike on 01-28-2007 8:47 PM]

and dont knock the gold gloves. If CF a more physically demanding position? Yes.. but try playing with an average first baseman, and try playing with one thats gifted. First base is the only (non pitcher) position where you can really make an entire defense better because your there, or an entire defense worse.

DM was the best I ever saw