Yankees Legend Don Mattingly Talks Hall Of Fame Chances

So you're saying there's a chance? Former New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly is one of eight players on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. He will find out next month if the Hall calls for him to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Mattingly discussed his Hall of Fame chances on "The Show" podcast with the New York Post's Jon Heyman and former MLB first baseman Sean Casey.

"I will say I hope I get in. Obviously everybody would like to be recognized for that," Mattingly said.

Will The Hall Call?

Mattingly was on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory early in his career. A six-time All-Star, Mattingly won the 1985 American League MVP Award. But the nine-time Gold Glove Award winner wasn't able to sustain his production at the plate thanks to a nagging back injury.

Mattingly ended up playing 14 seasons, all with the Yankees, and left the game with a lifetime .307 batting average. But he never enjoyed any success in the playoffs, making his first and only postseason appearance in his final season, when the Yankees lost the 1995 American League Division Series to the Seattle Mariners.

"I probably had three or four, maybe five years left in me," Mattingly said. "So I know that I'm leaving, you know, five years of numbers, and I call them, kind of like tack-on numbers."

Best Of The Best

Mattingly retired with 2,153 base hits knowing he could hang with the best of the best.

"I feel like I could hit anybody," Mattingly said. "If you ever had a bunch of guys playing in the sandlot and the Hall of Famers were all out there and you're all playing, I don't feel like I would look like I was out of place on the field.

"And I don't mind saying this: I feel like I was as good as anybody that played first base," Mattingly added.

The Great Eight

Whether the Hall of Fame feels the same way remains to be seen. But it won't be easy for Mattingly to get the necessary votes. Among the eight on the ballot this year are former Yankees ace (and seven-time Cy Young Award winner) Roger Clemens and all-time home run leader (and seven-time MVP) Barry Bonds.