Finished?

by jscape2000 on Nov 18, 2008 6:44 AM EST Comment 9 comments

via graphics8.nytimes.com

Poll

If Mike Mussina retires as expected, do you think he makes the Hall of Fame?

Yes, first ballot

46 votes

Yes, but it'll take 3+ years

287 votes

Undecided

54 votes

No, compared to Maddux and Pedro he needs 300 wins

61 votes

No, he was never dominant enough to be Hall-worthy

71 votes

519 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

better question

Yankee or Oriole.?

by Soriano NY 12 on Nov 18, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Mike's

a funny guy … I know the Hall decides that kind of stuff, but something tells me he’d go in as an Oriole.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Nov 18, 2008 3:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

agree

never felt like a real yankee

by Soriano NY 12 on Nov 18, 2008 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

8 years in pinstripes are his 10 years in Baltimore. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been blogging the post-dynasty Yanks, but I think of Mussina as a central cog of this team’s success over the last 8 years. Like Posada, underrated, but still central.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Nov 18, 2008 9:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Impartial 3rd party

I’m a Mets fan, but I’ve been a Mussina fan since the mid-90’s…if he gets in I think it’s as an Oriole. When I think “Mike Mussina” I still picture him wearing Oriole orange and black….I can’t believe he’s been a Yankee for 8 years.

He had 147 wins with the Orioles, 123 with the Yankees. He had a .644 Win% with the O’s vs. a .630 with the Yankees (and those Yankee teams had better overall records). In Baltimore he had an ERA+ of 100 once, with the Yankees he had an ERA+ under 100 three times. His best ERA and his best ERA+ both came in Baltimore (in different seasons). His best WHIP did come in NY, though it was only .002 lower than his best WHIP in Baltimore, and it’s not like HOF voters look at WHIP anyway. Plus, he had 5 All-Star game appearances as an Oriole vs. 0 as a Yankee, 7 top-10 Cy Young finishes as an Oriole vs. 2 as a Yankee. And he never had a defining Yankee moment. There was no bloody sock, no perfect game (though he did come close), and no World Series heroics.

I’m not trying to poo-poo his Yankees achievements: he’s been very good for you guys, possibly even underrated (if that’s even possible for a Yankee), but I just can’t see him being enshrined as a Yankee, if he is in fact enshrined someday (and I hope he is).

by cjmulrain on Nov 19, 2008 12:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Tough

Really tough call, I mean he followed his worst statistical season with his best one. I say he gets into the hall, but not on the first three tries. He is going to be on the ballot for a couple years before he makes it in, another Goose Gossage type of entrance

by MartyMcFly on Nov 18, 2008 9:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I seriously doubt he makes the Hall.

Compared to modern greats (and we’ve experienced a Golden Age of inner Hall of Fame pitching) like Clemens, Maddux, Pedro, Randy (and I think I’m missing one or two, it’s late), Mussina doesn’t stack up.

But I think he may DESERVE to make it, although I haven’t looked too closely.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Nov 18, 2008 11:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs