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Steve Davis: The Case For Mussina Into The Hall of Fame

Mike Mussina would need to get 75% of the vote to get into the Hall of Fame, so he is a long way off.

However, many players, over time, see a steady climb in their numbers and ultimately get in. The case can certainly be made for him. No, he didn't win any Cy Youngs; in fact, he only finished top 3 once. He only won 20 games once. He didn't get to 300 wins. That said, here are a couple compelling stats. He had the second most wins in the AL during the DH era. The guy ahead of him is Roger Clemens.  Mussina pitched in the AL East and was second only to Clemens.

Here's another stat...there are 12 pitches who had 10 years or more of ERA+ of 125, which is a very valid stat. 1 of those is Mussina, another is Clemens. The other 10 are in the Hall of Fame and 7 were first ballot Hall of Famers.  Mussina was not my favorite guy, but measured against his peers and in an era where hitters were juicing, he deserves more Hall of Fame consideration than he is getting.

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