There are multiple avenues a player can take to reach Cooperstown. There are those who stroll in by performing at an elite level offensively. Others find a way in via excellent defense. And then there are the select few who epitomized an era and influenced the game for future generations. Don Mattingly exemplified all of those unique brands of greatness to varying degrees, but he remains excluded from the National Baseball Hall of Fame .

The longtime New York Yankees first baseman, who earned an American League MVP Award, nine Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Slugger crowns, a batting title and six All-Star Game selections during an injury-hampered 14-year MLB career, was denied entry by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. He received only six votes, while Jeff Kent was the only one on the

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