Don Mattingly

The 10th captain in the storied history of the New York Yankees, Don Mattingly hit .343 and won the American League batting title in his first full season in the Big Apple. He followed up his breakout 1984 season with an MVP-winning year in 1985. Though a back injury sapped much of his power following the 1989 season, Mattingly remained the lone bright spot on some truly dreadful Yankees teams in the early 1990’s. His quest to lead the Yankees into the postseason was stilted in 1994, when the baseball lockout canceled the remainder of the season with New York atop the American League with a 70-43 record. In his final season, Mattingly led New York to the first-ever American League Wild Card. He hit .417 with a homer and six RBI in New York’s five-game ALDS loss to Seattle. Mattingly retired prior to the 1996 season, and in 1997 the Yankees retired his number 23 and honored him with a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.