After all that Mike Mussina has accomplished -- he's been to the All-Star game five times, won six Gold Gloves, ranks 19th all-time in strikeouts and 33rd all-time in wins -- one measley win in an absolutely meaningless regular season game shouldn't really matter. But it does. By pitching six shutout innings agains the Red Sox yesterday afternoon, Mussina won 20 games in a season for the first time in his 18-year career. At 39, he became the oldest player in major league history to accomplish the feat. Although he hasn't officially made up his mind if he wants to try breaking his own record by doing it again at 40, he certainly sounded like a guy ready to hang them up. From the New York Times:
"I've been envious of every guy who's retired since I've been playing - you've done what you wanted to do, and I still have to grind it out, that kind of thing," Mussina said, enjoying a soda in the manager's office between games of a doubleheader. "You get to go home and relax, and you've played the game as long as you've chosen to play it. I've felt good for every one of them."There's no question that Mussina has consistently ranked among the best pitchers of his generation, but his failure to meet a handful of arbitrary milestones has led some to question his status as a future Hall of Famer:
-- He's won at least 18 games in a season six times, but until Sunday, never won 20.
-- He's placed among the top-five vote-getters for the Cy Young award five times, but never actually won.
-- His ERA has ranked in the league's top-five nine different times, but it was never the lowest.
-- He's pitched in two World Series but never won a ring.
But should those milestones keep him from Cooperstown? Shouldn't consistent greatness across nearly two decades make up for the lack of one outstanding season? I think it should.
His ERA+ was above 100 in 15 of 18 seasons -- and he just missed in 2004 (98) and 2005 (96). This season was the first that won at least 20 games, but it's the sixth season he's won at least 18. And while he's never won a ring, he's still been nails in the postseason, posting a 3.42 ERA in 23 playoff appearances.
As crusty and traditionalist as most Hall of Fame voters are, I can't imagine they'll keep Mussina out of Cooperstown, but I wouldn't be surprised if they deny him first-ballot status. That in itself is an argument for another time, but there's no doubt in my mind that he belongs to be enshrined, no matter how long it takes.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-29-2008 @ 4:29PM
Dr Huxtable said...
Based on how the hall works, the fact that he's a yankee should be good enough.
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9-29-2008 @ 5:08PM
Butcher said...
I think he deserves it, if he comes back and wins another 15 games
with a decent/solid ERA around 3.50 he`s a lock.
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9-29-2008 @ 5:27PM
tom said...
One stat says it all. Mussina has 14 consecutive double-digit win seasons all in the AL East. He is worthy of the Hall regardless of whether or not he hangs on too long to get to 300 wins. He also has 100 more wins than losses in his career and no pitcher with 100 more wins than losses has been kept out of the Hall.
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9-29-2008 @ 5:43PM
danny dougherty said...
remember he pitched in the striod era... has an almost identical record to jim palmer, 1st ballot choice , 33rd on all time win list...no doubt hall of famer
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9-30-2008 @ 1:38PM
Dr X said...
He should be accepted in Cooperstown because not only he is a humble guy a but also and a great role model for young baseball players coming up.
Don't forget he is a Yankee!
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9-30-2008 @ 7:36PM
bachslunch said...
Mike Mussina wouldn't at all be an unreasonable HoF choice. His list of similars is an unusual mix of good HoF-ers, borderline folks, and no-gos (HoF-ers with asterisk): *Juan Marichal, Curt Schilling, Kevin Brown, David Wells, *Carl Hubbell, *Clark Griffith, Bob Welch, Charlie Buffinton, *Catfish Hunter, and *Joe McGinnity. It's likely he'd have to get 300 wins to truly have a good shot of getting in, though.
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10-01-2008 @ 10:14AM
John Catania said...
Yes ! He's a Yankee and he has pitched for almost 2 decades and has 100 more wins than loses
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10-02-2008 @ 10:49AM
THE FLASH said...
AT BALT. HE WAS A ACE ON A LOSING TEAM..... COMES TO THE " YANKEES " WHICH GIVES HIM ALMOST TWO MORE RUNS PER GAME ON THE AVG. ALL THE TIME HE WAS HERE, AND HE FINALLY WINS 20 GAMES......" A ACE ".... NO.... I DONT THINK SO W/H THE YANKEES YET HE GOT PAID LIKE ONE. AT BEST A VERY WEAK #2 OR #3 PICTHER IN THE ROTATION SHD YANKEES TAKE HIM BACK THIS COMING YEAR....???.... MY ANSWER IS ON A ONE YEAR DEAL W/H A 1-2 YEAR OPTION. IF NOT FOR THE KIND OF MONEY HE WILL BE ASKING ILL TAKE A FREE MKT GUY 3-5-7- YEARS YOUNGER, BUTT AGAIN THATS ME.....
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10-03-2008 @ 11:47AM
ralphgmiami said...
I'm hoping Moose comes back for two more years. If you compare his record, it's very similiar to hall of famer Don Sutton, who won 300 games. He's just missing those two years that Sutton had to wrap up 300 wins. Mussina learned this year to throw is slow but make the ball move in the strike zone. The pressure of the New York media has been relentless through the season. Here's hoping he comes back and gets not only one but two championship rings with the Yankees. GO YANKEES in 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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10-05-2008 @ 2:33PM
bachslunch said...
Mike Mussina wouldn't be an unreasonable player to consider for the HoF, if not a no-brainer. His similars are an unusual mix of respectable HoF-ers, bubble guys, and no-gos. HoF-ers are starred: *Juan Marichal, Curt Schilling, Kevin Brown, David Wells, *Carl Hubbell, *Clark Griffith, Bob Welch, Charlie Buffinton, *Catfish Hunter, and *Joe McGinnity.
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