Historically, there are very few 1B-5 out there. To find one with a 15-7 on his card is even more rare. Yankee Don Mattingly of 1985 fits the bill.
In 1985, Don Mattingly not only hit .324 with 35 homers but he also led the AL with 48 doubles, 145 rbis and 370 total bases. He started 159 games and racked up 727 plate appearances.
For his effort, Mattingly got his due. He went to the 1985 All-Star Game, won a Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger award for first base. Ultimately, he was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 1985.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 Totals | 159 | 727 | 652 | 107 | 211 | 48 | 3 | 35 | 145 | 2 | 56 | 41 | .324 | .371 | .567 |
On his card, Mattingly gets the nickname “Donbo” which I frankly, have never heard. Maybe “Donnie Baseball” wouldn’t have fit on the card.
Mattingly gets a very solid hitting card that could hit pretty much anywhere in the lineup. He has power with extra base numbers of 1-5-5-6 and hit numbers of 7-7- 7-8-8-8-9-9. Because the 12 was placed at 42 in 1985, his last 9 gets pushed all the way out to 64.
Fun numbers: 33-5, 15-7, 1B-5
Mattingly also likes to move runners along. He only has one thirteen on his card.
Don Mattingly had the unfortunate timing to be a Yankee during one of their leanest eras. During his career from 1982-1995, he only saw the postseason once, in his very last year. In 1995, the Yankees were knocked out the playoffs by Seattle 3 games to 2. You couldn’t blame Donnie Baseball for the Yankees’ loss though. He went 10 for 24 with five extra base hits and six rbis for the five-game series.
