Moose, Schill and Cooperstown

Here’s why Mike Mussina is a Hall of Famer. He’s got 260 wins (and counting) which puts him close. Considering he’s played in the AL East his whole career, doesn’t that put him over the top? For the first half of this career, he regularly faced the powerful Red Sox and Yankees, and in the second half he still has had to regularly contend with the s Sox. That, in my mind, adds a little extra to those 260 wins. I mean, if you swapped career paths between Mussina and Glavine, is there any doubt Moose would have 300 wins? And where would Glavine be facing the Sox and Yankees all these years? Would he even be at 260? Throw in 6 top 5 Cy Young finishes (and 2 more finishing 6th), and the 6 Gold Gloves? Sounds like a Hall of Famer to me.

As far as Curt Schilling goes, if this is the end at 216 wins, is he in? My first thought is yes. He’s been huge in the postseason and had some big time individual seasons (despite not winning a Cy Young). Schilling’s career is very similar to Kevin Brown and Orel Hershiser in terms of overall numbers. Both Brown and Orel also had some huge postseason moments of their own (the pre-Yankees Brown of course). Will these guys even get a sniff? Not much of one. Does this mean Schilling is a no go? I don’t believe so, though I think Brown and Hershiser should definitely get more looks at the Hall. Seriously, how much better of pitchers were Don Sutton, Phil Niekro, and Gaylord Perry than Schilling, Brown, and Hershiser? Were they better at all? Of course they all stuck around and hit the magic 300 wins with their longevity and consistency, but considering all 6 pitchers changed teams in their careers (hence, no team got 20 years of consistency out of any of these guys), wouldn’t you take all 3 borderline Hall of Famers for a 10 year span over the 3 Hall of Famers? Look at the career winning percentages.

Niekro .537
Sutton .559
Perry .542

Schilling .597
Brown .594
Hershiser .576
And for kicks, Mussina .637 (wow)

Not sure if Niekro, Sutton and Perry don’t belong, or if Schilling, Brown, and Hershiser do belong, but if I was starting a team, I know which 3 I would take first and get 10 years out of, and they’re not the ones in Cooperstown…..yet?