Should DON MATTINGLY be considered the "Greatest Yankee" of the LAST QUARTER CENTURY?

Greatness is always equated with championships. Unfortunately Donny "Baseball" was never part of a championship. I personally think he should be in the hall of fame, but I'm a Yankee fan so I guess most will think I'm not being objective. So be it!

His back problems never allowed him to finish his career. There are plenty of hall of famers that don't belong there. Donny numbers are better than many in the hall.

Most will look at the world series run from 1996 to 2000 and put Derek Jeter at the top of their lists. Jeter too is a hall of famer waiting to happen! The reason he gets in is because of the teams success.

In my book Mattingly is a winner. I will always look at his career as a "hall of fame" career no matter what the baseball writers or the veterans committee does. As to whether he should be considered the "greatest Yankee" of the last 25 years, no, Jeters numbers are better.

I know Yankee fans are gona kill me for saying this, but A-Rod is the best Yankee in the last quarter of the century. I believe that when it's all said and done A-Rod is gona be one of the best players ever to play the game. He's gona be up there with Ruth and Mantle. He's much better than what the media portrays him as (as a person as well as a team mate). However, if the question is only as a Yankee, then the answer has to be Derek Jeter. He's played his whole career as a Yankee, and has contributed a lot to the franchise.

If we're sincere about "quarter century" (25 years) and not squishy with some sort of "...as far back as I can remember..." time frame, that gives us 1984-2008. And in that window, top Yankees quickly boil down to Mattingly, Jeter, Williams, and Rivera. (Yeah, there's plenty others, but if someone wants to see another name supplanting one of those four, it'll need a really GOOD argument behind it.)

And fans of St. Derek aren't much gonna like conceding ANYTHING to anyone else, even Donnie Baseball.

I don't much care about how Yankees fans sort out this question -- beat yourselves bloody silly over it, folks -- but without belaboring it down into the minute details, I'd be leaning toward Jeter firstly. Mattingly isn't a bad choice, he did have those four amazing seasons, but he's not heading to the Hall and Jeter is. That's not decisive, but it does say a lot.

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Wowzer. I'm upholding St. Jeter and STILL getting thumbsies-down. Wha ha ha ha ha! Too funny.

Reggie stopped being a Yankee after 1981, fans. He's not eligible for this question.

I'd go with:

Mariano Rivera

Derek Jeter

Don Mattingly

Bernie Williams

Andy Pettitte

A-Rod probably deserves to be on here somewhere but I don't quite consider him a "Yankee" yet. Maybe if he leads them to a title I'll change my mind.

edit: Do people realize Reggie Jackson last played on the Yankees in 1981? That's 28 years ago. They must think that a QUARTER CENTURY is more than 25 years.

I would choose Mattingly over Jeter in a heartbeat. But, I think Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams would be ahead of him on the list.

Yes,yes,yes,Pay no mind to the yankee haters We don't call him Donnie Baseball for nothing.Donnie is one hell of a player like the Mick said no he never won a ring but some of the best players in baseball never won a ring.Someday Donny is gonna be a yankee manager and someday "he's still young" he'll get that ring and it will be with the yankees.Another great question.

NO!!! EVERYBODY FORGETS DAVE WINFIELD!!!

I think Big Dave ranks ahead of Donnie for his Yankee career.... even though I know he played for other teams.... but if you put Reggie in the conversation... Dave HAS to be there too.

And I loved Don Mattingly as a kid, and he some of the BEST seasons EVER as a Yankee.... but he fell off HARD after those great years and was a SHELL of himself after that.

Of course as everybody has said.... Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are probably #1 and #2 because of their HOF Careers and they were Yankees throughout.

In the last 25 years maybe, he had some great years with excellent stats, but no championships, and only played for 12 seasons, which will change the title to one of the greatest.

No. As much as I think Jeter is over hyped, he has the rings and will attain 3000 hits. He will be a sure fire Hall of Famer, while sadly, Donnie Ballgame will probably never get into the Hall. As a Sox fan, I always thought Donnie was the best player I have ever seen on the Yankees(at least one who came through their system, A-Rod is the best Yankee since I have been watching them). He hit for power, average and was the best defensive 1st baseman I have ever seen. Too bad his back problems cut his career short.

If Jeter continues his career, he will make the HOF, Mattingly won't. So, just going by that, Jeter has to rank ahead of Mattingly.