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Puckett? Mattingly? Or both? Hall voting is a tough call.(criteria and indecisions behind voting for baseball Hall of Fame inductee)(Column)
Voting for the Hall of Fame drives me nuts. Make no mistake, I'm honored to receive a ballot as a 10-year member of the Baseball Writers Association of America. But the responsibility of distinguishing between great players is almost overwhelming.
Each of the three years I've voted, I've felt a gnawing discontent when I placed my ballot in the mailbox, uneasy about some of my choices.
Initially, I defined a Hall of Famer as a player who dominated the game for at least a 10-year period. I quickly learned that such a standard is inadequate--that the process is largely subjective, that there is no one definition of a Hall of Famer.
Some players, such as Sandy Koufax, were brilliant enough to make the Hall without longevity. Others, such as Carl Yastrzemski, were consistent over time, compiling Hall of Fame numbers without necessarily dominating.
The difficult part about voting is trying to separate players with comparable statistics. If Carlton Fisk is in, why not Gary Carter? If Don Sutton is in, why not Bert Blyleven? If Tony Perez is in, why not Steve Garvey?
And now, for this year's doozy:
If Kirby Puckett deserves to be in, why not Don Mattingly?
- MATTINGLY'S STOCK FALLING
- Newspaper article from: The Record (Bergen County, NJ) BILL PENNINGTON July 24, 1994 700+ words
...just me. Because clearly, Mattingly's Hall of Fame chances are getting...But even with all that, the Mattingly Hall of Fame campaign will be a struggle...eight years ago. Back then, Mattingly was a Hall of Fame certainty. I remember...
- Yes, Don Mattingly was meant for the Yankees _ the Yankees of earlier, more...
- Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Ford, Bob September 28, 1993 700+ words
...of team success that Mattingly has been denied. The...term question is whether Mattingly's poor choice of an...him within range of the Hall of Fame. Should his...money, according to Mattingly, or because of any estimate...weight to make him a Hall of Famer. He and his...
- YANKS NEED MATTINGLY ELSEWHERE.(SPORTS)
- Newspaper article from: Albany Times Union (Albany, NY) July 24, 1995 700+ words
...all-time greats if he had half of Mattingly's heart or head. Mattingly's spirit remains as willing as ever...isn't willing to deliver on the Hall of Fame promise he showed in the 1980s. Mattingly is an old 34, ravaged by a back that...
- MATTINGLY MAY SIT OUT SEASON
- Newspaper article from: The Record (Bergen County, NJ) BOB HERTZEL, Staff Writer November 18, 1995 700+ words
...premature end to the 1994 season, Mattingly was sidelined by an eye infection...perhaps in the middle of a Hall of Fame career, quit when...that is sure to put him in the Hall of Fame. Watson has stated...Stanley -- hinge on whether Mattingly returns. If Mattingly comes...
- READERS: KEEP MATTINGLY IN PIN STRIPES
- Newspaper article from: The Record (Bergen County, NJ) PAUL DOTTINO July 30, 1995 700+ words
...last week's Sound Off and Hall of Fame polls. Mattingly, 34, is in the final year...three RBI. In the readers' Hall of Fame voting, Mattingly fell 10 votes shy of receiving...balloting for entry into the Hall. Mattingly was named on 77 of the 116...
- 'DONNIE BASEBALL' WAITS HIS TURN MATTINGLY HOPES TO MANAGE A MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM
- Newspaper article from: Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current) GORDON ENGELHARDT STAFF WRITER / (812) 464-7518 engelhardtg@courierpress.com August 2, 2009 700+ words
...Unlike his playing days, Don Mattingly's coaching career is unencumbered...the ravages of time. While Mattingly's aching back prematurely ended a career that once had Hall of Fame written all over it...control of the New York Yankees, Mattingly might well be managing the...
- Mattingly's Homer Run Ends at Eight Games; He Has 2 Hits, Rangers 22 in 20-3...
- Newspaper article from: The Washington Post July 20, 1987 700+ words
...like to go down in history as Mattingly and Long." But Long wasn't well enough known to catch Mattingly's attention. Asked before...Long gave his bat to the Hall of Fame as soon as the streak ended and it's still there. Mattingly says he won't turn over his...
- MATTINGLY YEARNED FOR PURITY OF BASEBALL YANKEES' GREAT HITTER CALLS IT QUITS...
- Newspaper article from: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) January 26, 1997 700+ words
...1995, his last season as a player, Mattingly finally had made the playoffs. Having...merit his inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But if we've learned...yet its health remains guarded. Mattingly was a strong union man, but he...
