As a kid growing up in New Jersey in the 1980s, I had a Don Mattingly poster in my bedroom (along with Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson).  I also practiced in the mirror, doing my Don Mattingly stance.  It’s fair to say he was the first baseball player I truly adored.  Now that I am an adult, though, I see the difference between adoration and putting someone in the Hall of Fame.  I understand other Yankee fans think he got snubbed in his latest bid to get in, but not me.  In fact, there were other Yankees more deserving (and I am not talking about Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Robinson Cano, or Andy Pettitte, who sadly took drugs to increase their performances).  So here are five candidates who I think have a legitimate (or at least a better) shot to make the Hall of Fame who played for the Yankees during my lifetime.  

HALL OF FAME CANDIDATE #1: THURMAN MUNSON

Ok, I am stretching here as I wasn’t even walking when he passed away tragically in a plane crash on August 2, 1979.  If you want to talk about a career cut short, which is what Mattingly backers argue, this is Exhibit A.  Munson died at the age of 32, in the middle of a down season where he accumulated a 2.4 WAR.  His prior career low in WAR outside a cup of coffee, his rookie year was 3.0 WAR.  He had a career 46 WAR and a slash line of .292/.346/.410.  Give him 5 more seasons, and that WAR would have been over 60.  He was Rookie of the Year in 1970 and MVP in 1976.  He had three Top 10 MVP seasons and led the Yankees to two World Series wins.  But for the plain crash, I believe the Yankees would have at least won one World Series in the 1980s.  He played a position not known for offense.  He belongs in the Hall, and, surprisingly, he was not inducted right after he died (like with Roberto Clemente)

HALL OF FAME CANDIDATE #2: TOMMY JOHN

From a player who died too soon to a player who played basically forever (26 seasons).  This is a choice that clearly shows my age, because based on the fact he had 288 wins alone, he should get in (a 3.34 career ERA is not too shabby either).  He played eight seasons in pinstripes in two different periods, but his best two years were in 1977 and 1978, when he helped lead the Dodgers to the World Series (where they lost to the Yankees).  He had a career 62.1, which is in line with his Hall of Fame peers like Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, and Jack Morris.  He finished second in the CY Young race in both the AL and NL and had four Top 10 CY Young seasons.  He is known for the surgery named after him, which allowed him to play until he was 46 (he should have retired the season before).  Hopefully, he gets the call before he dies.

HALL OF FAME CANDIDATE #3: GRAIG NETTLES

If Andruw Jones is likely to get in the Hall of Fame with a .254 average, why not a guy with a 248 career average with a tremendous glove (which, btw, I could have subbed in here since he also played for the Yankees in 2011 and 2012)?  A 68 career WAR really highlights Nettles’ campaign to be in the Hall of Fame, along with a career slash line of .248/.329/.421 at a position that was not regarded as an offensive one when he played.  He had two top-six MVP seasons and gold gloves each year, along with championships for the Yankees.  He spent 11 years in pinstripes, but sadly, his last three years as a nomad reduced his WAR and hurt his chances.  I am too old school to think he truly belongs in the Hall of Fame, but if Jones gets in, Nettles, based on his glove reputation, should be in too.  He was an above-average hitter at the hot corner who played 22 seasons with an outstanding glove.

HALL OF FAME CANDIDATE #4: RON GUIDRY

If nicknames alone could get you into the Hall of Fame, Louisiana Lightning should get in.   Guidry only played in 14 seasons, but like Mattingly, all were with the Yankees.  He helped them win two World Series, and his 1978 season was one of the best seasons in modern times, getting him a CY Young award and a second-place finish in the MVP race.  He had a career 47.9 WAR, which is low for the Hall of Fame, but still ahead of Mattingly (who had a 42.4 career WAR).  So, if you want Mattingly in, shouldn’t you want Guidry in?  Six Top 10 CY Young finishes and only one full season where he was below average.  So, he was consistent and great.  Alas, his career was cut short by injuries.  I don’t think he should be in the Hall of Fame, but his career is very similar to Mattingly’s.  

HALL OF FAME CANDIDATE #5: DAVID CONE

Finally, someone I can really remember well in pinstripes.  A 62.3 career WAR for a pitcher should get you into the Hall, or at least strong consideration, but oddly, people never mention Cone as someone who has been snubbed.  Five Top 10 CY Young finishes, including getting one in the straight shortened season of 1994.  He helped the Blue Jays win the World Series and then helped the Yankees win it three times.  While he didn’t get to 200 wins (he got to 194), he is 27th all-time in strikeouts.  Unfortunately, injuries at the end of his career hurt him, and he wasn’t good in his last three seasons (a combined 0.8 WAR).  He played for the Yankees for six seasons, but he is more known for his seven seasons across town.  He was a great pitcher for four teams (let’s forget he played for the Red Sox).  I think he is a borderline Hall of Fame inductee.  

So overall, I get the love for Mattingly.  He was a hero of mine as a kid.  But overall, his career was six great seasons from 1984-1989, followed by mediocrity (brought on by back injuries).  He didn’t really play long enough or consistently enough to hear his name called, no matter how much we love him.  The other five are simply stronger candidates to get the call.  Sometimes life doesn’t turn out how you want it to.