Yankees great Don Mattingly again falls short of reaching Hall of Fame

ORLANDO, Fla.

Don Mattingly missed a World Series ring by the length of Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s big toe this fall.

The hallowed plaque room in Cooperstown continues to be even more elusive and might be slipping even further away.

On Sunday night, the former Yankees captain — the most beloved player to wear pinstripes during one of the franchise’s darkest eras — whiffed yet again in his latest swing for the Hall of Fame. For the record, Mattingly is 0-for-19 in Cooperstown attempts.

That’s because the Contemporary Era Committee, a special 16-member panel consisting of Hall of Famers, owners/executives and writers/historians, deemed only one candidate worthy of baseball immortality Sunday night, giving a collective thumbs-up to former Met Jeff Kent, famously acquired in the David Cone trade with the Blue Jays (he also played for the Giants, Astros, Dodgers and Cleveland).

Kent wasn’t exactly Mr. Smile during his four years in Flushing, but he built the foundation for what now forever will be known as a Hall of Fame career. He was a five-time All-Star who hit more homers as a second baseman (351) than anyone else who ever played the position. He also was named National League MVP in 2000 — hitting .334 with 33 homers, 125 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS for the Giants — and finished in the top 10 three other times.

The Contemporary Era Committee had a number of feel-good options: the star-crossed Mattingly, media darling Dale Murphy, perpetually overlooked Carlos Delgado and Dodgers whirlwind Fernando Valenzuela, who passed away during the first of L.A.’s back-to-back championship runs in 2024 and '25.

Then there was the PED-stained group of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield, who were doomed from the jump. Full disclosure: I voted for Bonds and Clemens in each of their 10 years on the BBWAA’s general ballot, but they topped out at 66.0% and 65.2%, respectively — well short of the required 75% — before their eligibility expired.

They’re not getting any additional traction with the special committees, either, as Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield and Valenzuela each received fewer than five votes. This also was the second trial-by-committee for Bonds and Clemens, who each picked up fewer than four votes in 2022. Under the new rules, neither will be eligible for the next ballot in 2028, and if they get fewer than five votes in 2031, they’ll be permanently removed from consideration.

As for Kent, he cruised in with 14 of the 16 votes  after never getting more than 46.5% on the BBWAA’s general ballot. Next up was Delgado with nine.  Murphy and Mattingly each earned six votes, but that was two fewer votes than Mattingly received in his  previous try, which doesn’t bode well for what feels like a fading candidacy.

In the court of the pinstriped-wearing public opinion, Mattingly should’ve been voted in years ago. Since his career — which was marred by back issues that robbed him of his power in his final years  — ended in 1995, Mattingly’s star-crossed career is known as much for his near-misses as individual greatness. Despite playing 14 years for the Yankees, serving as a coach for the Yankees, Dodgers and Blue Jays for 10 seasons and spending 12 years as the manager of the Dodgers and Marlins, he didn’t make it to the World Series until this October, when the Blue Jays blew numerous chances to foil the Dodgers’ back-to-back championship run.

But crushing disappointment has been a hallmark of Mattingly’s otherwise brilliant career. It’s been the story of his entire professional life — a former MVP, batting champion, six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner who did everything within his power to become a champion, only to have the baseball gods go in another direction.

The voters also refuse to be swayed. Mattingly spent 15 years on the BBWAA’s general ballot but never earned more than 28.2% of the vote, which came on his very first try. That was followed by three subsequent attempts with the Hall of Fame’s special committees. Mattingly previously topped out at eight votes two years ago, four short of the required 12 (of the 16 members) to get the nod.

Mattingly can’t do anything about the back of his baseball card. Those numbers aren’t changing. But his body of work as a manager  and coach figured to be worth some extra credit when evaluating his Cooperstown worthiness. That should be part of the equation, and when you combine that with Mattingly’s peak on-field stretch as one of the game’s most dominant players, this year finally figured to be his turn for enshrinement.

But that’s not how it goes for Mattingly, who watched the Yankees start their dynasty right after his retirement and win the World Series again in 2009 after he left as a coach. At this point, finally getting to the Fall Classic with the Blue Jays might have to be enough for Mattingly, who remains a Hall of Famer in the hearts of Yankees fans  — but not actually in Cooperstown.