This blog would have been done last week, but a few other topics caught my eye a lot more. Major League Baseball has four players heading into the Hall of Fame in July. Two of which seemed like obvious choices and the other two with question marks.
The biggest is Mariano Rivera, the first unanimous choice. He was a starter for the Yankees back in 1995, became a set up relief pitcher in 96 and became the full time closer in 97. The stats are through the roof. With over 650 saves, just above 2 runs given up a game and a multitude of many stats, he really shined. Obviously, there are some bad moments, but that's a given. He had a very lethal cutter pitch and he was about as lights out in the playoffs as you can get. You can see why he was worthy of unanimous.
Mike Mussina is more stat based and longevity, but it works. A 1991 rookie, he spent 18 years, climbing his way to some pretty good numbers as an Oriole and Yankee. He could get you out in many ways. Consistent, and very reliable, he became crucial to key moments, mainly his time with the Yankees. He put up 270 wins, over 2,800 strike outs, and over 3,500 innings. The 3.68 career earned run average might be a little high, but consider who he had to deal with during the 90s and 2000s. He was in the later years of eligibility, but the timing was right for him to get in.
Roy Halladay is someone I really question. And I hate to disparage the late pitcher, but his stats don't scream Hall of Fame. After a rough four years to begin his career in 1998, he started to show what he was made of 2003. Other than a few years with injury, the next seven years were special for the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a few years in Philadelphia following the 09 season and started off strong and then faded away around 2012 and 13. The Cy Young awards help a bit. His no hitter in the 2010 playoffs gets him a few extra points. One thing you do have to give credit is the 67 complete games. Otherwise his numbers aren't anywhere impressive. He's comparable to Pedro Martinez, but way worse than Martinez. Winning 203 games, over 2,100 strike outs, over 2,700 innings pitched. I think it was a tough sell, but his sudden death over a year ago, could be a bit of a factor. I don't know. I can't judge on what the writers were thinking, but Halladay's numbers are not anywhere impressive.
Designated hitters are something that is questioned on Hall of Fame credibility. Edgar Martinez had to live with that stigma. After a few years of not playing much, he showed up with decent numbers in 1990 and enjoyed the next three years before a bad injury in 93. After the strike year of 94, he would enjoy a good seven year run, crushing the ball and being a big contributor to the Seattle Mariners. He would struggle a little bit in his later years, but showed his worth until finishing in 2004. The numbers don't strike as impressive, but I think his later years are what I see as the reason for the Hall of Fame. Overall, it's over 2,200 hits with just over 300 home runs. He always found ways to get on base and either get RBI's or score himself. He certainly is one of those guys who people will be split on whether he's worthy. However, I think it will pave the way for designated hitters getting a chance. David Ortiz in a few years will make people's heads spin, and he has a lot more better stats than Martinez.
Even with my criticism of Halladay and Martinez, it's still not a bad class. All four had their chances to be in the spotlight for many moments in their careers. No doubt, this will be a big crowd. But I got a feeling next year will bring even more people.
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