MIKE MUSSINA
Fourth Year on Ballot (43.0% last year)
PLAYING CAREER: Baltimore Orioles (1991–2000) and New York Yankees (2001–2008)
ACHIEVEMENTS: 270 career wins rank him 33rd all-time. Only five Hall-eligible pitchers have more wins and are not in Cooperstown. Double digit in win in seventeen straight seasons, including one 20-win season (2008), two 19 win seasons, three 18 win seasons, and two 17 win seasons. His 2813 strikeouts place him 19th all-time and make him only the fourth pitcher with 2800 or more strikeouts not in the Hall of Fame. A five-time All-Star (1992–1994, 1997 and 1999) and seven-time Gold Glove winner (1996–1999, 2001, 2003 and 2008), his consistency resulted in six top-five finishes in the voting for his league’s Cy Young Award.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ON TWITTER:
Mike Mussina deserves to be in the HOF. Tweets from every early January
— Domenic Varuzza (@DomVaruzza) December 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/DukeHemstreet/status/814559204056985604
Mike Mussina could have chased 300 wins which makes Cooperstown automatic. He did not. He elected to go out on top and go home and live life
— #Re2pect ✊ (@iLetsPlayBall) December 29, 2016
HOVG THOUGHTS: To me, Mussina is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.638), a brilliant 270 and 153 record and 2813 Ks. His career ERA is 3.68 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine was two years ago. However, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he’s hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, only reached 20 once. The Cy Young award eluded Mussina as well. And unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn’t make for the best Hall of Fame case. Although, I admit it…I’m coming around on “Moose” and will concede that he’ll find his way to Cooperstown at some point.
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