On November20, 2008, the Yankees announced the retirement of RHP Mike Mussina. The 39-year-old Mussina ended his 18-year career with a 270-153 record, a 3.68 ERA and 2,813 strikeouts in 3,562 2/3 innings. He ranks tied for 33rd all-time in victories, and his ERA+ of 123 puts him in the same territory as Juan Marichal and Bob Feller. He ranks 66th all-time in innings, but 19th in strikeouts. Among pitchers with at least 2,000 innings, he has the eighth best K/BB ratio. Hurting his case is that Mussina never won a Cy Young or played for a World Series winner. His postseason record was 7-8 with an impressive 3.42 ERA in 21 starts and two relief appearances.

So, the question is: Are these Hall of Fame credentials??

My take: Not a first ballot Hall of Famer but should get in eventually. I think he should have hung around to get 300 wins, 3,000 Ks or both. That would have made him a first ballot shoe-in.

Thoughts?

 

No he is not. The Hall of Fame has become a joke. The players in the HOF should be the unquestionably best of their era. Maddox, Glavine, Rivera, Clemens, (other issues of course), etc. Mussina was a very good pitcher. I lived in Baltimore for most of his tenure there and saw him pitch many times. He was not a GREAT pitcher though. It drives me nuts when just very good players are put in the HOF.

The second part of your post is another thing that drives me crazy. A player either should be in the HOF or not. It does not change over time. The fact that players make it years and years after being on the ballot and not making it makes no sense and further devalues the honor IMHO.

 

+1. I really couldn't say it any better.

 

But Mussina was the winningest pitcher during the 1990s. No other pitcher had more wins during the decade than him. He also won 7 Gold Glove awards. He was a model of consistency throughout his career. While wins are one of the most overrated stats in baseball—since they are so team-driven—it is hard to ignore the fact that he won at least 10 in every year since 1992. He also picked up more than 15 victories 11 times. He racked up at least 175 strikeouts nine different times, currently ranking 19th on the all-time career Ks list. Every other pitcher on the list is either headed to or already in Cooperstown. Durability was also an area of strength for him, as he had 11 seasons in which he topped the 200-inning mark.

I think that looks pretty dominant.

I love Greg Maddux (hell, I plumbed his house in Las Vegas), but he was no more dominant than Mussina and he is a sure bet first-ballot guy in 2014.

I don't like it either - but it is reality. Sportswriters are human beings and they often let emotion dictate their decisions.

Besides Mussina, look at who will likely be on the ballot in 2014:

Greg Maddux
John Smoltz
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Frank Thomas
Mike Piazza
Tom Glavine

Can all of those guys make it in the same class? There wouldn't be enough time for the speeches!

 

absolutely all those guys should make it in the same class.

 

In 1991 I saw a Mariners vs. Red Sox game with my dad, and to this day have never been so amazed with an individual after meeting Jr. before the game signing autographs.

I saw him this year after a gf surprised me with great 3rd base seats to see Cinci play the Jays this spring. I remember her trying to ask a serious question about how I felt about her and the only thing I could come up with was "not now baby - Jr's up." (mind you this was only the 2nd or 3rd inning so I hadnt even had THAT much to drink yet.) Sure enough, I turn around and theres a 2nd pitch HR to right-center. I was in the same state of mind after meeting him back 17 years ago.

(Joey Votto also went to school and played ball at the HS I was origonally supposed to attend)

What a swing.
YouTube - Griffey back in Seattle

 

he pitched in the era with the most inflated stats ever. I would love to say no since I hate all Yankees, but I would vote him in, if I had a vote

 

Yes!!

 

HoF should be for guys who were dominant for extended periods of time. Moose was pretty good, but he was never dominant IMO. Maddux was unhittable for stretches of his career, and the stats bear that out.

If you let Moose in with those stats and his career path, then you have to let a whole bunch of guys in with similar stats and stories (e.g. Tommy John & Bert Blyleven).

 

I agree. But there are so many players that wer dominant that are not in. Case in pont - Dale Murphy.

Murphy won back-to-back MVP awards (1982-83), won 5 consecutive gold glove awards, was a 7-time all-star and played in 740 consecutive games. Best of all, Murph was not ejected from a single game during his entire career. But he played for the worst team in the majors during that stretch. If anyone should be in, it is Murph.