Yankees on the 2009 Hall of Fame Ballot

This is a list of players who wore a Yankee uniform during their career and are on the 2009 HOF ballot:

David Cone, Rickey Henderson, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, & Tim Raines

Will Rickey Henderson get in on the first ballot? Will Donnie Baseball ever get in?

Here are a few articles on the Yankees Official website about some of the Yanks on the ballot:

Rickey is a safe bet to reach Cooperstown

Cone looks to win over Hall voters

Pinstriped Mattingly among near greats

Mel Stottlemyre on Cone:

“They call that a career,” Mel Stottlemyre said last month. “Coney had a great one.  There aren’t many guys who’ve pitched in this game who can say they’ve done it better.”

Billy Beane on Rickey Henderson:

“If Rickey isn’t put into Cooperstown as soon as he’s eligible, something’s not right with the way they pick Hall of Famers,” said A’s general manager Billy Beane, who played with Henderson on Oakland’s 1989 World Series championship team. “He’s the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time, and I’m not sure there’s a close second.”

Mattingly’s thoughts on the HOF:

“The Hall of Fame would be a great honor, but I don’t live my life based on whether or not that will ever happen,” Mattingly once said. “So in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that important.”

Andre Dawson on Tim Raines:

Andre Dawson, who played with Raines for eight years in Montreal, believes Raines belongs in Cooperstown.

“You are talking about a player who played 20-something years. He was consistent and steady. He was a catalyst. For what his requirements were, he did it real well,” Dawson said. “He was Rickey Henderson minus all the leadoff home runs. He was probably better defensively — more so with a strong throwing arm.”

Tommy John on his career:

“I didn’t strike guys out and I gave up hits, but I didn’t let runs score and I won ballgames. That’s what you’re supposed to do,” John has said. “I think my win total, my longevity, coming back from the arm surgery, all of the wins I had post-surgery—that should be enough.”

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