Nolan Ryan

estructive fashion had to be a significant slap in the face of the Rangers president: Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who may have been a tough guy on the mound, was an angel off of it. He continues to exemplify modesty and class--albeit of the Texas downhome-farmboy variety--in his personal life. To see a young punk with marginal major-league skills act like this was surely an affront, and bravo to Ryan and the Rangers management for taking no more from Ponson.

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dy Koufax and be unhittable for four or five seasons (and merely outstanding for a handful more) or Nolan Ryan and be unhittable for twenty years.

But you can't be just really good for many years and make it into the Hall, and to me, Mussina fits this definition. He's got some strong career numbers, to be sure, 2600+ strikeouts and 250+ wins, one of a handful of pitchers to win ten or more games for fifteen straight years. Much of these stats, however, are due to his longevity and durability, a guy who's eaten innings with no major injuries for seventeen seasons. He played for some good teams, from the O's of the mid-nineties to the Yanks of the early oughties (those hard-to-name years in the first decade of this century/millennium), which have helped his win totals. His career WHIP, a measure of a pitcher's ability to throw strikes while missing bats, is 1.17, a very solid number. His five Gold Gloves are a good measure of his defensive excellence, and he's a five-time All Star (both awards, however, are often measures of popularity and/or tradition as much as merit)

Continue reading "Mike Mussina for the HOF?"