1985-1989 : My Athletes of the Year

Photo by Kanesue

1985 Don Mattingly

Photo by Corn Farmer

We heard about Steve Balboni and were pretty excited. His round gut and bald pate didn’t bother us either. The future looked bright and then the name Don Mattingly came down. The name itself sounded like that of a superstar, and sliding into right field in 1983, he kind of looked the part. His .283 batting average didn’t come without all the Balboni strikeouts either, and 1984 failed to have many of us put up a fight over the Yankees choice at first. Any pushback dissipated as Donny Baseball made the short porch and the expansive gaps his home, while the outside corner had Donny showing he could slap singles with the best of ‘em. The 1984 batting title was just the beginning, though. 38 homers and 135 RBIs took precedence over his 338 batting average, and every time he came to the plate, you had to stop what you were doing. An MVP season still had the Yankees come up short, and it became an annual thing. Dying every year with Mattingly was just too much, but at least he had a brief shinning moment in 1995 before Griffey stole what was rightfully ours.

1986 Phil Simms

Photo by Thomson202019

We got our first look at Phil Simms of Morehead State after the 1979 NFL draft. Superstars have certainly come from small schools, but would it have been too much to ask for this obscurity to part his hair. He was Moe with blonde hair, and the hand picked George Young regime wasn’t off to much of a start. But in game five Simms got off the pine, and an 0-5 start suddenly faded as the first rounder moved the Giants down the field. Of course, he threw a pick. But we knew we had something, and four straight wins followed before Roger Staubach put us back in our place in game 10. A step back and injury followed in 1980, but 1981 had the Giants on the way to the playoffs - until you guess it. Phil went down and the entirety of 1982 and 1983 went the same. The great promise was ominously tagged with the dreaded injury prone moniker. A decent showing from Jeff Rutledge at the end of 1983 also had us wondering. But Bill Parcells was not going to make the same mistake he did with Scott Brunner in 1982. The job awarded before 1984 camp, Phil blossomed before our very eyes and exploded in 1985. Still, the numbers weren’t quite so gaudy in 1986. A ferocious defense and ball control offense kept games contained, but Phil was always there if the Giants needed to be pulled out of the fire. Of course by the Super Bowl, both sides of the ball were working on all cylinders, and Phil was free to fly. 22-25 for 268 yards, we’re sorry we doubted you George.

1987 Don Mattingly

Photo by Corn Farmer

The Knicks, Rangers, and Giants all a no in 1987, I don’t have a problem going back to Donny Baseball. 30HRs, 115 RBIs and .327 batting average had us dug in deep every time Donny came to the plate. Six grand slams and eight straight games with a home run seemed to assure October too. But August 6 was the Yankees last game in first place and yet another prime year went down the tubes. Oh the tragedy that is Don Mattingly, and all we can do is take what was given.

1988 Mark Jackson

Photo by Matthew Addie

When Dave Debusschere clenched his fist as the envelope turned his way on draft day 1985, we had multiple Larry O'Brien trophies dancing in our heads. Unfortunately, even the great Patrick Ewing couldn’t change the fortunes at Madison Square Garden. Then Mark Jackson showed up and started to dish. What a joy to watch him run the floor, and Mark and Patrick had a chemistry that put those trophies back in play. It wasn’t to be, but his Rookie of the Year honors were actually athlete of the year accolades for me.

1989 Patrick Ewing

Photo by Bryan Horowitz

Mark Jackson aboard, the ball was now firmly in the hands of Patrick Ewing. Yeah, we knew the defensive force from Georgetown, but his deadly turnaround jumper became a staple that would put him among the offensive greats of the game. Thus, he looked every bit the leader and captain we expected in 1985 and give me the ball was his well deserved mantra. A 52-30 regular season provided the proof, and the homecourt party reminded us of the joyful New York exuberance that really hadn’t been seen since 1973. The Sixers certainly remember the broom. Unfortunately, Michael Jordan missed the memo in the next round, and the first of his many daggers pierced our dream. Nonetheless, Patrick still gets the call.

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