On this date in New York Yankees history, Don Mattingly earned the 1985 American League’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Mattingly topped Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett in the voting, earning 94% of the vote.
That season, the Yankee first baseman was an AL All-Star, as well as a gold glove and silver slugger recipient.
Mattingly collected 211 hits, smashed 35 home runs for the Bronx Bombers and led the Junior Circuit with 145 RBI, 48 doubles, 370 total bases, and 15 sacrifice flies.
That season the pinstripes posted the second-best record in the AL at 97-64 but fell two games shy of an AL East title. Wow, the pre-Wild Card era was brutal.
💣 35HR, 145RBI, 107R ⚾
.324 BA/.371 OBP/.567 SLG
Gold Glove + Silver SluggerOn this day in 1️⃣9️⃣8️⃣5️⃣, Yankees 1B Don Mattingly was named AL MVP. pic.twitter.com/dIk3ZkS2wK
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) November 20, 2019
The Yankee Captain is on the 2020 Modern Era Hall of Fame ballot.