[vincesanity82]

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."

Is Mike Mussina Worthy of the Hall of Fame? - MLB FanHouse

[Ashizzle_77]

I'll say yes

[loco4pablo]

I'll say no

[Ashizzle_77]

Explain why?

[loco4pablo]

Mike has had a great career but I don't think he is HOF worthy untill he gets 300 wins.... If he gets 300 then yes

[bxbayless]

This is a tough one.idont think they'll let him in they still haven't put bert blyleven in.Ibelieve he was better than mussina.maybe 300 will get him in

[bxbayless]

Well being a yanks fan I would love to see him get in, but if he doesn't get 300 it will be even harder.the hall still hasn't put in jimb kaat&bert blyleven who are equall to or better then the moose.both have rings.moose has none.300 maybe automatic for him

[loco4pablo]

I agree.... There are plenty of retired players who had big numbers and wonderful careers but are not in the Baseball HOF.
The Baseball HOF is the hardest to get in. It's not like the NFL HOF where decent careers and a known name usually gets you in.
It seems Baseball is about the #.... For starting pictures, seems 300 is the #. Home runs- 500 ect.

Mussina has been nothing but great for the sport but I don't think he is in untill he hits 300

[stepay]

Originally Posted by bxbayless

Well being a yanks fan I would love to see him get in, but if he doesn't get 300 it will be even harder.the hall still hasn't put in jimb kaat&bert blyleven who are equall to or better then the moose.both have rings.moose has none.300 maybe automatic for him

Gonna have to disagree with this.

Blyleven and Kaat were not as good as Mussina is. They fact that they have rings and Mussina doesn't even more should show his greatness as they played on very good teams. Mussina hasn't been so blessed -- came to the Yankees after their dominating times, and was on the Orioles before that; he did better on that Orioles team than he has with the Yankees -- he was in his prime before going to New York..

Win percentage:
Mussina - .637
Blyleven - .534
Kaat - .544

Games Started:
Mussina - 536
Blyleven - 685
Kaat - 625 (but was in 898 games with some of those wins coming in non-starting roles!; Mussina was only in one other game that he didn't start, so just 537!)

Top 5 Cy Young Award Seasons:
Mussina - 7 (including this year which he will for sure be in the top 5)
Kaat - 1
Blyleven - 3

All Star teams:
Mussina - 5
Kaat - 3
Blyleven - 2

Mussina's win percentage is incredible and WAY better than the other two. Also, to date he has been in far fewer games than either of those two. Plus, 300 wins is harder to come by now than it was when Kaat and Blyleven played -- 5 man rotations and all. Many baseball experts are saying that while 500 home runs is not as special as it once was that 250 wins might have to become the new milestone for greatness as a pitcher. Throw in the fact that Mussina was killing it at 16-5 during the strike-shortened 1994 season and played for years on a woeful Orioles team, he should be in the Hall of Fame if he were to retire right now.

Mussina is not the greatest pitcher ever, but he's a rung above Kaat and Blyleven which is the rung that deserves the Hall of Fame. He has hinted at retirement even with the 20-win season he just had. Hopefully baseball writers will look at the stats and see that Mussina is a much better pitcher than either Kaat or Blyleven and vote him in. 300 wins will be automatic, but he should be in even without 300.

[legend]

Mussina has spent his entire career in the toughest division in baseball, meaning he ahs face the Red Sox and Yanks, before he was one, on a regular basis. His winning percentage is great as well but my rule is that you know a HOF when you see one. Mussina is not a Hall of Famer.

[stepay]

Why let anything like terrific stats stand in the way of determining who a Hall of Famer is when you can just LOOK at them to determine?

Mussina is a Hall of Famer and will be voted in -- probably not first ballot unless he plays 2 more years and gets 300 wins, but he's a Hall of Famer for sure.

[mervinout]

No pitcher with a +100 win loss record has been left out of the hall of fame, and to be fair Danny boy who left the laces out never won a Superbowl, Mike is in

PS Dont take a job were you travel more then your at work

[Full Cougar]

I think it's going to be close. If he came back though and got another 20 wins then probably yes.