Keyboard Quarterbacks

By Mark La Monica

On the final day of the 1995 regular season, I got up from the couch in my then-girlfriend’s apartment and clapped for 12 minutes straight as Don Mattingly finally reached the playoffs.

It was pretty obvious that this was going to be his last season in Yankee pinstripes.

The girl who I was dating then thought I was being ridiculous. I don’t recall the exact words I responded with, but I’m certain they were something like “Shut” and “up.”

That cost me dinner, but I didn’t care because Donnie Baseball was headed to the playoffs. This was a monumental moment for all Yankee fans, especially those born between 1973-1978.

The Yankees won World Series titles in 1977-78. But for those of in the above age range, we have no true recollection of these years.

See, for much of the 1980s and early 90s, Mattingly was the only reason to go see the Yankees. Sure they had some good teams in the mid-1980s – before the days of the wild card – but could never win the division. I suspect having Dennis Rasmussen as one of their starting pitchers had something to do with that.

Mattingly kept the Yankees relevant. Fans immediately identified with him. Some of us even recall that Donnie wore No. 46 when he first came up in 1982.

He became my childhood hero. I even learned how to bat left-handed (although not all that well) just so I could better pretend to be Donnie Baseball.

So last January was a bit gloomy as I finally admitted to myself that Don Mattingly would never be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

That painful notion was confirmed Tuesday afternoon when the Hall announced its Class of 2006. Bruce Sutter was the only inductee as the voters righted a wrong by finally putting the once-dominant closer and forkball inventor in the Hall.

Donnie was 13th with 64 votes. His 12.3 percent of the vote keeps him on the ballot for at least one more year. Those who appear on less than 5 percent of the ballots cast are removed from the list. To be inducted, a player needs to be on at least 75 percent of the ballots.

The prevailing reality, one in which I will accept when I say it and argue when anyone else says it, is that Mattingly may not have enough good seasons to justify his induction.

But let’s take a look anyway:

1984: .343 average, 23 HR, 110 RBI, 91 R, 44 doubles, 207 hits (AL batting champ)
1985: .324 average, 35 HR, 145 RBI, 107 R, 48 doubles, 211 hits (AL MVP)
1986: .352 average, 31 HR,113 RBI, 117 R, 53 doubles, 238 hits
1987: .327 average, 30 HR, 115 RBI, 93 R, 38 doubles, 186 hits
1988: .311 average, 18 HR, 88 RBI, 94 R, 37 doubles, 186 hits
1989: .303 average, 23 HR, 113 RBI, 79 R, 37 doubles, 191 hits

Then the back trouble hit.

Career (14 seasons): .307 average, 222 HR, 1,099 RBI, 1,007 R, 442 doubles, 2,153 hits, 9 gold gloves, 1 batting title, 1 MVP award.

Those numbers look very Kirby Puckett-ish, don’t they? And he’s in the Hall of Fame! (Of course, he won two World Series rings, too.)

Puckett’s career: .318, 207 HR, 1,085 RBI, 1,071 R, 414 doubles, 2,304 hits, 6 gold gloves, 1 batting title, 0 MVP awards.

Even though Mattingly is the only athlete in sports history to be nicknamed after his sport, it’s likely Donnie Baseball will only make the Hall of Fame if the veteran’s committee selects him. Or, he could succeed Joe Torre as Yankees manager and win six titles in a row. Surely, that would qualify.

Hall of Fame announcement day is always a rough day. For us Mattingly fans, it’s like the first time you hear what you and your newly broken-up-with girlfriend called “your song.” It’s painful, yet oddly comforting.

But, Donnie fans, there is a new reason to smile.

Last November, I was in Cooperstown and forced a trip into the Hall. On the third floor, in a room off to the side, Mattingly’s 1994 Gold Glove award sits atop a pillar inside a glass case. A light from the top of the case shines down and illuminates a left-handed first baseman’s glove. The name on the front of the base stand reads Don Mattingly. The face emblazoned on the base stand just above the name is Don Mattingly’s.

Hey, they could have picked from any of 17 other people that year to put in this place. They could have picked from any of 48 other years to put in this place.

But, they chose Donnie Baseball.

I know it’s a reach, but it’s the best we Mattingly fans can do right now until America’s baseball writers come to senses and hear our pleas.

In the meantime, Donnie’s in the Hall!