C.C. Sabathia: Hall of Famer?

Not that Mussina is some bum, but the career numbers are almost identical so it's hard to see how he's a lock and Sabathia is borderline. The last few seasons the Yankees have had three guys who can close for most teams so most of their starters will come out after 6 unless they have a low pitch count. I never said Mussina shouldn't be in. He should be in, but it's crazy to think he's a lock and Sabathia is borderline. Wouldn't be surprised if some who haven't voted for Mussina think he was arrogant and aloof. He thought he was smarter than every writer and he probably was. Don't think that should factor, but I'd bet anything to some it does even if they won't admit it. Mussina was more of a prima donna. Not going to come through his entire game logs, but remember when Davey Johnson wanted him to go on 3 days' rest while the Orioles were fighting for the playoffs and he declined. Sabathia went to the Brewers and pitched on 3 days' rest three times and pretty much carried them to the playoffs. Mussina also sounded like a baby when he complained about having to start the season in Japan one year with the Yankees.

 

The thing that has hurt Mussina in the voting, besides the logjam, is that he isn't getting credit for walking away when he did. He was 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA and threw 200 innings at 39. He stated at the time he didn't want to chase 300 wins because it was going to take at least three years and wanted to go be with his family, which he has shown to be 100 percent true and not some athlete-speak BS.

Of course, if he comes back and the Yankees win that ring in 2009 like they did without him, he might retire anyway and go out on top. But he'd have a ring, which always helps a player's case.

But Mussina is basically being penalized for not pushing as long as he could to add to his stats. He could have easily done that, perhaps slogged to 300 wins and more than 3,000 Ks and gone in first ballot. But instead he's had to wait.

 

Two more seasons, Mussina gets 3,000 Ks. Strikeouts per 9 innings, Mussina 7.1, Sabathia 7.7. CG Mussina 57 Sabathia 38.

 

I see your thinking, but what should the voters do? Give him credit for seasons he didn't pitch? It's not like he was particularly young when he retired.

 

I don't know if there is anything you can do. But you hear all the time that voters will ding a guy for hanging on too long -- Biggio is a guy that gets brought up as he slogged to 3,000 hits and those last two years were really brutal -- but in Mussina's case it's held against him that he didn't try for milestones. No one's using his top-shelf play until the end as a bonus or a view that shows just how good he was.

I wish he would have come back for 2009 because that team was so good he might have won close to 20 games again and at that point he might have tried for it in 2010

 

To me, that feels like asking voters to give him credit for something he didn't do. Maybe he did have more strong seasons in him, but that didn't happen. You have to judge guys on what they did, not what they could have done.

 

Then I guess "hanging on too long" is the way to go if you're hoping to get into the Hall.

 

Judge them mostly on how dominating they were at their peak and for how long.