FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT MUSSINA, NOT MO

Now there are gonna be Yankee fans out there that will look at that headline above, JUST the headline, and then blast me on Facebook.  Mostly because they're ignorant and have no idea that there's words in articles these days.  Oh yeah... there's always words in articles. Twitter and Facebook ruined journalism for everybody and then everybody became stupid.

OK... I'm getting off track.

The fact is Mariano Rivera is a Hall of Famer 100%, and we already knew that! And to be honest, for me, it's not about unanimously being voted in for him. Yes, while historic and absolutely deserving, the truth is the guy was getting in no matter what.  Being Unanimous? That's gravy. Mo earned it. No one better in that spot in how the game has transformed during his playing days.

There were no longer 3 inning or 2 inning closers anymore. Mo and many closers like him were 3 out guys. They evolved with the game. While some writers out there may feel as though that's not too impressive. The fact is... it's super impressive and I applaud him for that role. He's one of a kind.

But for me, the surprise. No... the news story of the day is the fact that after a many year debate, Mike Mussina is headed to the Hall.  And for me, I am happy about that.  Why? Because it came as a surprise.  This quiet ballplayer that just came in and did his job was a terrific pitcher for the Orioles, and certainly for the Yanks and his career, while not outstanding, was very, very good.

I have always felt as though Moose should be in. Truth is, with the whole steroids generation constantly being debated and questioned as to who should and should not get in... I still don't think those guys should be there. But in the end, they were great players and sooner or later they will be voted in.  That's because the Hall isn't about mediocre. It's about the greats, and believe me, while steroids tainted the game... years will make people forget.  Writers will soon stop being so stubborn, look closely at the numbers of the PEDs users and know that even in those players early years, the numbers were good... good enough to make it to the Hall. Sure, breaking records because you used steroids taints the game, but we will one day be at that point where those players will eventually be voted in because the less players are just not good enough. That's my gut talking now. We shall see.

But if they do that... if they let the PEDs users in, the next worry for those writers is then another hard debate. Will they'll have to vote in Pete Rose.  And God dammit, if PEDs users get into the Hall... Pete Rose needs to be there too.  But hell... that's another conversation for anther time.  The fact of the matter is this is about Mo... and Moose.

Moose is deserving. I'm glad they saw it that way. Sure, the numbers aren't quote "Hall of Fame" numbers, but that goes back to the evolution of the game.  Pitchers rarely complete games anymore.  Pitchers are pulled earlier for the bridge relievers... for the LOOGY... for the closer and that would be the big reason why Moose doesn't have those 300 wins. And you know what? That's OK. 270 in this era is pretty good. Again... the game has evolved, he evolved with it, just like Mo.  They did their jobs... they are both deserving.

The other guys who will go in are Edgar Martinez and Roy Halladay.  AP writes:

"Rivera became baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, elected Tuesday along with Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina and the late Roy Halladay. Rivera received all 425 votes in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Ken Griffey Jr. held the mark for top percentage at 99.32 when he was on 437 of 440 ballots two years ago. 

'Beyond my imagination,' Rivera said. 

The quartet will be enshrined in Cooperstown along with Today's Game Era Committee selections Harold Baines and Lee Smith on July 21. "

And so now we wait for the big day.

And fun fact.  I called the Cooper Inn today after the announcement came down.  Sold out. Wow.

Congrats to Mariano and Mike. Job well done.

By the way, Suzie Pinstripe will have her take on Mariano Rivera tomorrow morning. It's a great piece, be sure to check it out.

PLEASE DON'T BLOW THIS YEAR'S HOF VOTE

If you’re a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and happen to be reading this, check your mailbox. Your 2016 Hall of Fame ballot was just mailed out.

And if you happen to be one of the many members who hasn’t covered or even watched a ballgame since Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth on the home run list (nobody knows exactly how many of you there are because the BBWAA refuse to say), PLEASE do us a favor! 

Baseball Writers at Polo Grounds 1911. (Pach Brothers studio/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Chuck your ballot in the trash along with your junk mail from AARP, Depends and Fixodent. It’s both a shame and ironic the organization created more than a century ago to professionalize the press box can’t do better by the players they rely on for their copy than a selection process little better than replacement level.

You see, there’s seven former Yankees -- Jorge Posada, Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Tim Raines, Javier Vazquez and Lee Smith -- on the ballot this year. One homegrown, the rest adopted; all respected and appreciated by baseball fans everywhere. And we don’t want or need your old-school eye tests, your metric-phobia, your inability to access and analyze pertinent databases or even follow the sport via computer since the Sporting News went out of print, or any loyalties to old drinking buddies you used to “cover” throwing roadblocks in theirs or anyone else’s path to Cooperstown.

Because goodness knows the path is challenging enough just staying healthy long enough and playing well enough to even make it onto the ballot in the first place. Throw in the constraints of limited ballot slots, the narrow qualifying profile for voter eligibility and conflicts of interest associated with the designated voter pool, and the obstacles to induction resemble something akin to Bartolo Colon trying to leg out an inside-the-park homer on a hot steamy afternoon.

I’m not going to waste anyone's time or BYB’s space here laying out the pros and cons of anyone’s Hall of Fame bonafides. Far more knowledgeable and articulate baseball observers than I have already done so, and all you have to do is Google “Hall Of Fame Case” and peruse the players’ names and their work. Read up, revel in the diversity of the data that’s out there and howl with righteous indignation January 18th when the official tallies are announced. 

(Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times)

Your opinion is no more or less valid than a small group of baseball writers that won’t even tell you how many of them actually watch the sport or compel their members to publish their ballots. (Will the three drunken clowns who didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. please stand up?)

I’ll just content myself with the knowledge that in the 80 years since the first Hall election, just 217 major leaguers have managed to crack the code for induction and 24 of them are wearing Yankee caps on their plaques. And this year, the Yankees have a half dozen players under consideration who have worn the pinstripes for all or part of their distinguished careers and did them proud.

And whether any or all of their Hall credentials are ultimately deemed extraordinary enough to warrant induction or not, as a fan of this ball club I get to watch some pretty extraordinary players make history every year, and I've got Monument Park. 

Trust me... that's good enough for me.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter:  @nyyankeefanfore

  

THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES WERE NAMED

The names have been announced.  The names shouldn't surprise anyone really, even though I'm kind of shocked.

Mike Piazza
Ken Griffey Jr.

These men will be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and well deserved even though I disagree.  BYB Senior Writer Ike Dimitriadis put together his list yesterday in his post MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT AT HIGH NOON. Here it is:

Mike Mussina
Lee Smith
Ken Griffey Jr.
Curt Shilling
Gary Sheffield
Trevor Hoffman

BYB Writer Alexis Garcia gave her opinion for why Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in the Hall and you should read her thoughts on why in  BONDS & CLEMENS DESERVE COOPERSTOWN.

If you are asking me, I agree mostly with the voting, although I'm not so sure that Piazza should be in, at least right now. I'm shocked actually.  Then again, there can be an argument for making it as well.

I would have also chosen Mike Mussina for his great work a a Balimore Oriole more than with the Yankees, Griffey, Tim Raines, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman and Roger Clemens.

I would have written in Pete Rose and if I was a member of the BBWAA, I would do it every single year. I do not care that he bet on baseball... his play needs to be recognized in Cooperstown. It's a wasted vote, I understand that, but it would have to be done. It would put my mind at ease.

I would have also written in Don Mattingly even though there is virtually no shot he will ever be a member of the Hall... his time may have passed.

Congrats to the inductees. Looking forward to the ceremony.




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MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT AT HIGH NOON

A family member sent me this news clipping from June 14, 1939

This Wednesday, January 6th, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the 2016 inductees. I am not a member of the BBWAA, so I will not get to contribute to some deserving players’ 75% of the vote. Like most of us, including my fellow writers, I have strong opinions on who I think deserves to get in. I am also a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA), which organizes and promotes the growing online baseball media and serves as a digital alternative to the BBWAA. We have our own Hall of Fame vote, and I wanted to share my votes for who I would put in the Baseball Hall of Fame and why. You already read my piece on Mike Mussina: MIKE MUSSINA BELONGS IN THE HALL and Alexis Garcia's piece on Clemens and Bonds: BONDS & CLEMENS DESERVE COOPERSTOWN.  Here are the rest of mine.

Ken Griffey Jr.: For nearly a decade, he was the most feared hitter int eh American League. Four times he led the American League in home runs. Four times he had an OPS over 1.000. For 5 consecutive seasons, he hit 40+ home runs, 100+ runs, 100+ RBI. He is 6th on the all-time list with 630 home runs, 15th on the all-time RBI list with 1836, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and a 13-time All-Star. This is a no-brainer.

Gary Sheffield: Over the course of a 22-year career, he was a feared hitter who hit for power, hit for average, was a threat to steal, and mastered defense at multiple positions. He is 25th on the all-time HR list with 509. He is 27th on the all-time RBI list with 1676. He won a batting title in 1992. Six times he finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting. Unlike most power hitters, he never struck out more than 85 times in a season. Sheff has earned his spot in Cooperstown.

Curt Schilling: Put down the gun. If you’re evaluating him purely as a pitcher, there is no question. He pitched for 20 seasons and he knew how to win. Every team for which he was a regular starter went to eh playoffs. It is shocking that he never won a Cy Young though he came in 2nd three times. He was a 3-time 20-game winner, twice leading the league in Wins. Three times he threw over 300 strikeouts and a fourth time he threw 293, twice leading the league. He is 15th on the all-time list with 3116 K’s. He was notoriously durable, leading the league in IP twice and Games Started three times. Think durability doesn’t matter? Remember what happened when he went 1-4-7 in the World Series? Or the time he pitched with a bloody sock? Speaking of playoffs, he holds an 11-2 record with an ERA of 2.23, WHIP of 0.968, and a K/9 of 8.1 over 19 career postseason starts. He is likely the most deserving of all starting pitchers on the ballot.

Trevor Hoffman: The only reason people weren’t talking about him more during his career was that he had the misfortune of pitching at the same time as Mariano Rivera. He is second on the all-time saves list with 601 (to Mariano’s 652) and with 40 or more saves in nine of his 18 seasons. He also came in the top 3 in the league in saves nine times. He actually came in 2nd twice in the NL Cy Young voting and top 10 twice in the NL MVP voting, which is remarkable for a reliever. Aside from a Scott Brosius home run to dead center field, his resume is spectacular. Relievers get a bum rap in Hall of Fame Voting. It needs to change, starting here.

Lee Smith: This might sound surprising, but only if you never actually saw him pitch. He is third on the all-time Saves list with 478, and he was int eh Top 4 in Saves in 14 of his 18 seasons.  He was a dominant closer in an era when the value of a closer was just being discovered. People forget he was #1 on the career list for Saves the 13 years before Trevor Hoffman. This will be his 14th time on the ballot, and he should get more votes than he’s gotten in the recent past.

So that’s it for me. This Wednesday’s announcement should be exciting. There will be lots to talk about the winners and about who got robbed. Mike Mussina better be in the winners’ circle.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon







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WHY RIVERA'S 602 IS SWEET NO MATTER WHAT

I respect Joe Girardi. I swear. He didn’t break away from the Girardi binder because as much as it made sense to put Jorge Posada in to catch Mariano Rivera’s 602^nd save, the reality is, why break momentum? Why break stride? The Yankees just needed to do their thing today and get the win. After all, that’s what we’re really playing for, right?

I’m a baseball traditionalist and I love the history of the New York Yankees. Everything that happens in the Bronx happens for a reason. Big games, big records to be broken and big wins. Today was the sweetest moment next to Derek Jeter’s 3000^th hit and the Yankees winning the World Series back in 1996 after a drought going back to 1978. It was destiny and it was meant to happen this way. Yes, I wanted Jorge Posada to catch Mo's 602, but I'm happy no matter what. Today to friggin' special in Yankeeland.

A lot of people don’t realize that we can actually credit AJ Burnett for doing something right today. He continues to implode. Today, that was important believe it or not. Alright, it's a stretch, but humor me. Once again Burnett couldn't get out of the 5^th inning and our awesome bullpen took over and held the Twins to 4 runs. It was the perfect storm for Mariano today. So, as much as we want to gang up on AJ Burnett, you really have to smile and thank him today. After all, he’s probably pitched his way out of the starting rotation this time, right? While he started out very strong, he just fades so quickly.

But I’m not writing this to hammer AJ Burnett, we have the rest of the season for that. This moment is for Mariano Rivera... the best closer ever. Dante Bichette Jr. said it best today when he tweeted this:

This is a kid that will be the future of the Yankees and you know what? He’s right. The Yankees do everything big and while the hype for Mariano wasn’t big until 600, it’s huge right now and with good reason. Mariano is "the Sandman", the biggest, baddest and best closer in the history of baseball. If you look at the list, he's tops to greats like Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley, Rich Gossage and Tom Henke. Unbelievable. You can tell me that Saves are stupid and they don’t matter and as a traditionalist of baseball, I understand the argument. But while this record doesn’t seem important to some, it does to Mariano Rivera who went out there 602 times to close out a game and secure a win for the New York Yankees. Believe me Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a big deal... it’s a huge deal. Plus, it’s another record in the history books that the New York Yankees own.

Congratulations Mariano Rivera. You derserve everything great that comes your way and you deserve this record. Amazing work and an amazing career. Thanks for keeping it going and it's been a privilege to watch you in your great career. You're simply the best...ever.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY MARIANO RIVERA DESERVES AN HBO DOC

Man, that was fast. I remember when skinny Mariano Rivera was setting up John Wetteland in 1996 and even then, you could see he was going to be something. Mariano Rivera has not only become a leader in his career, he’s become an icon in pinstripes. One of the Core Four, this guy doesn’t say much. He communicates with his cutter, a truly beautiful pitch that clearly has baffled batters for years. It’s one pitch. Just 1, a signature cutter. The New York Times Magazine did an amazing animated piece to really explain how it comes in on a hitter, to both lefties and righties and trust me, you may think you have a chance, but you don’t. Check this out:

Now Mariano is embarking on something just plain brilliant, and nothing against Trevor Hoffman who accomplished it first, but let’s face facts, this is Mo and this is the New York Yankees we’re talking about. It’s bigger, much bigger, especially to us Yankee fans. Much respect to Hoffman, you’ve accomplished a tremendous feat, 601 saves is historic, but here comes Mo and he’s about to crush that record. It's Yankee dominance at it’s best.

To Mariano, it’s not about individual achievments. In fact, I’m sure the guy will get 600 saves and say it was a team effort. He’ll thank the fans for being there, never adknowledging that he achived this record himself. That’s Mo, a champion. He’ll make us all feel like he helped him achieve it. But make no mistake, it’s all Mo all the time when he comes in in the 9^th inning. The guy is the greatest closer of all time. Ironically, I see David Robertson taking Mo’s role in a few years, not Rafael Soriano. Why? Because in what’s developed this season, Rivera needed a set up guy and Robertson is "Mariano 1996." History repeats itself and it’s happening again.

HBO did the right thing for Derek Jeter’s 3000 hits, putting together a brilliant Documentary and giving us just alittle insight on the man behind the pinstripes and bringing us on the field with Jeet during his amazing 3000^th hit… a homer of all things. Well, I’d like HBO to do that again for the Sandman. Mariano may not be hitting, but he’s cracking bats and saving games regularly and 600 is just as important to a closer than it is to a hitter’s 3000th. Believe me, it’s an automatic Hall of Fame selection, it’s recognition, it’s iconic and this Documentary needs to get done.

So, I ask HBO, will you do it again? Can you make us Yankee fans gush at the site of Mariano Rivera getting 600? Will you bring us behind the scenes, watching Mo getting ready for a game, or hearing from the greats like Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith? Maybe interviewing someone like Sparky Lyle and Goose Gossage tell us Mariano's better than they could ever be? Could you? Can you interview hitters who’ve never hit him and can we hear from the man himself? Can we be on the field when he collects 600 and then passes Hoffman’s 601 Major league record? It’s only right HBO, after all, it’s a huge accomplishment in a relief pitchers career and after all, he’s a New York Yankee, the greatest franchise in all the world.

Mariano Rivera currently has 34 saves this season. If all goes well in the next 36 games, Mariano Rivera will break the 600 mark and pass the great Trevor Hoffman’s 601 record to be the all time best closer ever. "The greatest closer of all time." It’s a name we’ve given Mariano Rivera even before the record was broken, because, quite frankly, he is. That alone should be enough to make HBO realize the importance of this Doc, and it's the right thing to do.

Keep going Mo, you wow me every time your out there, and accept what’s coming your way. You did this on you own. Enjoy it, you’re a true champion.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.