Mike Mussina’s HOF case

I watched Mike Francesa on YES today. I don’t usually watch something like that, because I know it will result in quite a few nightmares, however it was the only thing on and they were talking about baseball (oh wait, even worse!) So when I turned it on, Francesa and his two guest were talking about Mike Mussina’s season and whether he deserved to be in the hall of fame. Mike of course said “No, he doesn’t have 300 wins.” Even more sickening, he said that no one should complain about the “rules.” That he didn’t make the “rule” but it was a “rule” in Major League Baseball that pitchers with 300 wins got in, and pitchers without 300 wins didn’t. It’s a stupid rule, and it’s not even a rule, and yet we have no right to question it? Anyway, here is Mike Mussina’s rather impressive case for the hall of fame.

Why shouldn’t he make it? His wins do not matter. Don’t pay attention to them. They are wins, they mean NOTHING. He was dominant, not in the Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez way but in his way.

Why should he make it? He has a very impressive career K/BB rate, better than command specialist Greg Maddux. I understand this is not the be all end all. In fact, Jon Lieber has one of the greatest K/BB rates of all time, even better than Mussina’s. No one would consider him a great pitcher however, as he struggled to get balls in play in favorable spots and his health was always a concern. Mussina however did not give up too many long balls, and along with a good amount of strikeouts, had impeccable control. He had this almost every year of his career, and his prime was one of the best in terms of K/BB in Major League history.

Why will he make it? Grey ink test. I don’t like the Grey Ink test. It uses outdated stats that, at this point, it’s creator Bill James would laugh at. However that is not the point. The point is, it is a measure Bill James created to measure longevity and the likelihood someone will make the hall of fame. Mike Mussina is 23rd ahead of guys like Pedro Martinez, Jim Palmer, and Bob Gibson. I hate the Grey Ink test, and I will certainly not say Mussina is better than Pedro Martinez, however I do think this will factor into the voters’ decision about Mussina. It’s sad that the one Bill James thing likely to make a difference will be this!

Do I think Mussina will make the hall of fame? I kind of doubt it. People can point to his lack of wins, his lack of “dominance”, etc. but in the end he was one of the best pitchers in the steroid era pitching in the offense heavy American League East.