Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly are tied together in more than one aspect of their storied baseball careers.
Mattingly's final season for the New York Yankees overlapped with Jeter's MLB debut in 1995.
More than 20 years later, that connection came full circle as Jeter became CEO and part-owner of the Miami Marlins in October 2017 after Mattingly finished his second season as Miami's manager.
Now, there's a chance they could be tied together again should they join the Hall of Fame together.
Jeter is one of 18 newcomers listed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame's 2020 ballot that was released Monday. The list includes 14 holdovers from last year for 32 overall candidates. Mattingly, meanwhile, is once again one of 10 players on the Modern Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, a separate ballot that includes players whose primary contributions to baseball took place between 1970 and 1987.
A player must appear on 75% of submitted ballots to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and are allowed to remain on the ballot for up to 10 years. They must appear on at least 5% of submitted ballots to remain on the ballot another year. Results will be announced on Jan. 20.
The full list of 2020 candidates: Bobby Abreu, former Marlin Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Eric Chavez, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Jason Giambi, Raul Ibanez, Jeter, Paul Konerko, Cliff Lee, Carlos Pena, former Marlin Brad Penny, J.J. Putz, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano and Jose Valverde.
Jeter, almost a shoo-in to be inducted on his first ballot, played all 20 of his MLB seasons with the Yankees, posting a career .310 batting average with 3,465 hits, 360 home runs and 1,311 RBI. He was a 14-time All-Star, five-time World Series Champion, five-time Gold Glove Award winner, two-time Silver Slugger and the 2000 World Series MVP.
As for Mattingly and the Modern Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, a panel of 16 Hall of Famers, executives and media members decide candidates' fate in this one. Like the main ballot, a player needs 75% approval to be inducted.
Mattingly played all 14 of his big-league seasons with the Yankees, from 1982 to 1995, and was a six-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger. He won the American League batting title in 1984 and was the league's RBI leader in 1985. He's is heading into his 10th season as an MLB manager and fifith with the Marlins.
The other nine on the Modern Baseball Hall of Fame ballot are Thurman Munson, Ted Simmons, Lou Whitaker, Dwight Evans, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Steve Garvey, Tommy John and Marvin Miller.
