Does Mike Mussina belong in Cooperstown?

By James Greenspan: SPM NJ Writer
Posted Sunday, June 22, 2008

What makes a player a Hall of Famer? There are no exact qualifications, no automatic “ins,” and no point-based rubrics. There is only a player’s body of work, his stats, and the lasting image that he leaves in the hearts and minds of his fans. When I consider a candidate’s worth, there are three things that I look for: longevity, consistency and quality. Those three characteristics are the most important qualities a player can have when being considered for the Hall of Fame.

Recently, after Mike Mussina won his 10th game of the season, the question of whether or not he would become a Hall of Famer first popped into my head. I hadn’t ever considered him to be an “ace”, or a candidate for the Hall of Fame, but as I began digging through his numbers and I stopped to consider when and where he pitched, I started to think that he might have a chance. So I’ll show you the numbers,make the arguments and then leave it up to you to decide: Mike Mussina, Hall of Famer, Yea or Nay?

First: a look at Moose’s stats. His won-loss record is presently 260-148 for his career, and he has posted a 3.71 career ERA. He has thrown 3,443 innings, allowed 3,334 hits, granted 765 walks and recorded 2,709 strikeouts (a 3.5 to 1 BB/K ratio) over an 18 year period. Moose has also posted double digit wins for an American League record 17 straight seasons. He’s only 7-9 in the postseason, although he has a sparkling 3.42 ERA in October. While he hasn’t won 20 games in a single season, he does have 10 seasons with 15+ wins. He has won 19 games twice, 18 games thrice and 17 games twice.

Those are his numbers, and while numbers don’t lie, they can be deceiving. I think it’s important to remember that that Moose posted those numbers despite pitching in the American League (the AL East to be more specific) his entire career. He also did it through the heart of the steroid era. Because of when and where he pitched, I am going to give Moose the benefit of the doubt overall. When you stop and think what he might have done pitching in the National League, in a pitchers ballpark for 18 years, you can certainly understand that his numbers would be much, much nastier.

Assuming that Moose never throws another inning, his resume would be complete. As it stands now, is it enough to earn him entry into baseball’s most hallowed hall? To find out, we must compare him to some of the other pitchers that already reside within.

There are at least 20 Hall of Famers with fewer wins than Moose, who ranks 39th on the all time wins list. Some of those names include: Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Spalding, and Mordecai Brown.

Moose also ranks:

75th on the innings pitched list
40th on the games started list
38th on the winning percentage list
21st on the K’s list
12th on the BB/K ratio list.

Comparatively, he certainly merits consideration. When you start seeing names like Gibson and Ford, you are getting into rarified air. Certainly, rankings like that aren’t enough to keep him out. But rankings and statistics can’t be the only things considered in a Hall of Fame candidacy.

The next step in choosing a Hall of Famer is to count the number of “Hall of Fame” seasons that they posted. By my count, Moose has eight of them (92, 94, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, and 06). You can go through his stats for those years and decide for yourself, but those are the ones that would count for me. To be fair, some are borderline, but as I said, because Moose pitched in the AL East during the steroid era throughout his career, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt on a close call. Eight is certainly enough to merit consideration, so that won’t keep him out.

300 wins used to be the automatic number that would get a pitcher into the hall. Realistically, Moose is 3-4 years away from that number, however, considering how baseball has changed (lower pitch counts, five man rotations, Quest tech, etc.), I think that the benchmark ought to be adjusted downward. It seems to me that 275 (or even 250) career wins might be a more realistic modern benchmark. If so, Moose would almost certainly achieve that in the next year or so, and would then be a shoe-in.

The two biggest knocks against him are (1) lack of a 20-win season and (2) lack of a World Series ring. Granted, neither is absolutely required for a Cooperstown plaque, but either would put him over the top. Despite lacking a crowning achievement, if you look at how consistent he has been over his 18+ year career, if you look at his success in the arduous AL East, and if you look at the fact that he has twice taken a no-hitter into the 9th inning (once one strike away from a perfect game), I think that Moose’s overall resume should be enough to get him in. He’s finished in the top five in Cy Young voting six times, and is a five-time all star.

As indicated, longevity, consistency and quality are the three most important qualities to look for in a Hall of Famer. Moose has pitched 18 years, and he has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He has certainly given his team a chance to win the game nearly every time he has taken the mound. In my mind, Mike Mussina exhibits all three necessary qualities, and if I had the only voted that counted, it would send him to Cooperstown.