Don Mattingly, once again, has been denied entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The New York Yankees’ legend did not reveive the 12 votes needed from the 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Committee at the Winter Meetings in Orlando to earn induction in what was his 19th time on the ballot.
Mattingly received six votes, which was two less than his previous appearance on the ballot three years ago.
The lone candidate of the eight players on this year’s ballot to be elected was former five-time All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent, who received 14 votes. Carlos Delgado received nine votes and Dale Murphy received six.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received fewer than five votes.
Under a change announced by the Hall last March, candidates who received fewer than five votes are not eligible for that committee’s ballot during the next three-year cycle. A candidate who is dropped, later reappears on a ballot and again receives fewer than five votes would be barred from future ballot appearances.
Mattingly’s next opportunity for enshrinement will be in 2028, his 20th appearance on the ballot.
The beloved former Yankees captain hit .307 and won nine Gold Gloves during his 14-year playing career that began in 1982. Before being hampered by back issues, Mattingly had a six-year stint from 1984 to 1989 when he was considered one of the top players in the sport. He won the 1984 batting title with a .343 average while earning the first of six consecutive All-Star selections.
He followed that up by being named American League MVP in 1985 after hitting .324 with a career-high 35 home runs and league-leading 145 RBIs. He was AL MVP runner-up the following year after hitting a career-best .352 with 31 homers and 113 RBIs, finishing second in voting to Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens.
The Indiana native, a 19th round pick in the 1979 draft, was the face of the Yankees at a time when the franchise was mired in one of its longest postseason droughts.
Mattingly was destined for his first playoff appearance in 1994 before an MLB strike that led to the cancelation of the 1994 postseason. He reached the playoffs with the Yankees the following season, in which he had 10 hits and six RBIs over five games during the American League Division Series, including a dramatic go-ahead home run in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees held a 2-0 series lead over the Seattle Mariners before dropping three straight to end their season and Mattingly’s career.
Mattingly retired at the age of 34, and the Yankees the following season went on to win the World Series in what was the start of a dynasty.
As a manager, he guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to three straight National League West division titles from 2013 to 2015, and as skipper for the Miami Marlins won the Manager of the Year award in 2020. He finally reached the World Series in 2025 as bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays, falling just short of capturing his first title after a devastating Game 7 loss.
Hall of Fame enshrinement, like a championship ring, has eluded Mattingly, who is now 64 years old.
He first appeared on BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot in 2001, receiving 28.2 percent of the vote, with 75 percent required for enshrinement. It was the highest percentage he received in his 15 years on the ballot. In 2015, his final year on the primary ballot, he received just 9.1 percent of the vote, his lowest as a candidate.
In 2022, during his third appearance on the Eras Committee ballot, he was four votes shy of the 12 needed for enshrinement, finishing second behind Fred McGriff, who received 16 votes.
Up to three players could be selected by voters – which included Hall of Fame players, MLB executives, veteran media members and historians. Under a new rule, players receive fewer than five votes are ineligible for the next voting cycle. Candidates who receive fewer than five votes twice are permanently removed from the ballot.
Kent, who received a high of 46.5% in the last of 10 BBWAA ballot appearances in 2023, will be inducted at the hall in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with anyone chosen by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 20.
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