Mike Mussina can secure HOF plaque with 4 more wins in 2008 | thejobarules's Blog

Before (and especially during) this season, the media and general baseball fan base have debated Mike Mussina's HOF credentials. The overriding factor for the NO voters was that "Mussina hasn't won 20 games in a season." Although winning 17 or more games 7 times with two 19 win seasons isn't that bad.

Well, if he does win 20 games this year, there is nothing more for the naysayers to complain about. Currently at 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA, Mussina is having one of his best season's ever - even at the ripe old age of 39, one year removed from arguably his worst season when he went 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA.

His win this past Sunday boosted Mussina's career win total to 266, which ties Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey (both HOFers) for 35th on the All Time win list.

If Mussina wins four more games this season and reaches the 20 win threshold, he will secure his place in Cooperstown.

With a career record of 266-151, Mussina is already 115 games above .500, the 15th highest differential in ML history. In fact, other than Mussina only 20 pitchers in major league history have won 100 games more than their total losses - and all are currently or (like Maddux, Pedro, Clemens, the Big Unit and Glavine) will be elected to the HOF.

Mussina has approximately 8 more starts this season in his quest for 4 more victories. Be assured, too, that if Moose is short of 20 victories near the end of the season, and the Yankees are out of the playoff picture, Joe Girardi and the Yankee organization will get Moose an extra start to get 20 wins. This is similar to when Don Mattingly batted leadoff in 1985 in the last game of the season trying to win the batting crown. Manager Billy Martin wanted to give Mattingly more at bats to try and overtake leader Wade Boggs, who sat out the last four games of the season.

Combined with finally winning 20 games, Moose's 115 victories over .500 and playing in New York for almost 10 years will solidify his HOF candidacy. The icing on the cake will be if Mussina stays in New York pitching for the Yankees a year or two more. Playing in New York definitely garners a few more votes for the HOF, plus his "good guy" status and perception as "media friendly" is always a boost for players on the bubble. Gary Carter is the perfect example of a media friendly "bubble" player who played in New York making the Hall. Getting 20 wins this year will give Moose 270 career wins, only 30 from the magical 300 mark.

Based upon his performance this season, three more seasons of at least 10 wins per is not out of the question, but if Mussina does not stick around for 300 career victories - this season of 20 plus wins will certainly get him into Cooperstown.

The author, Joseph DelGrippo, regularly writes for Mike Silva's www.nybaseballdigest.com where this item originally was published.