Mike Mussina Falls Short of 2018 Hall of Fame, Sets Stage for 2019 Induction
For the fifth time, former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Mussina misses a chance at Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot marked the fifth year for former Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Mike Mussina. However, the five-time All-Star pitcher made major strides towards his long-awaited induction into Cooperstown.
However, the 2018 MLB Hall of Fame class includes former Baltimore Orioles players Jim Thome and Vladimir Guerrero, who joins Chipper Jones and Trevor Hoffman as the four new members take their spots in Cooperstown.
In order to receive eligibility for Cooperstown’s MLB Hall of Fame, a player must have at least 10 years of MLB experience and receive votes on 75 percent of ballots cast by the 422 members of the BBWAA.
Just how close is Mussina to a Hall of Fame induction? Well, the long-time Orioles starting pitcher was named on more than half the 2018 ballots with 268 votes (63.5 percent) just 49 votes shy of induction, per BBWAA.com.
Player |
|---|
Votes (Percent)
Years on ballot
Chipper Jones
410 (97.2)
1
Vladimir Guerrero
392 (92.9)
2
Jim Thome
379 (89.8)
1
Trevor Hoffman
337 (79.9)
3
Edgar Martinez297 (70.4)9Mike Mussina268 (63.5)5Roger Clemens242 (57.3)6Barry Bonds238 (56.4)6Curt Schilling216 (51.2)6
Applying Ryan Thibodaux’s BBHOF Tracker, which collects public pre-announcement ballots from BBWAA voters, reveals Mussina gained 30 new votes but lost five votes from last year. BBWAA members who retrieved their vote for Mussina include Jim Caple, Carlos Frias, Gary D. Howard, Mike Shalin, and Willie Smith.
Mussina’s Hall of Fame voting results from the BBWAA follows:
- 2014: 20.3 percent
- 2015: 24.6 percent
- 2016: 43 percent
- 2017: 51.8 percent
- 2018: 63.5 percent
Mussina’s 63.5 percent is a noticeable uptick from last year’s 51.8 percent. If the trend continues, expect Mussina to earn a spot in the 2019 Hall of Fame class with New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera who gets his first chance at the Hall of Fame.
Along with Mussina and Rivera, Edgar Martinez is almost certainly a lock for the 2019 class after finishing with 297 votes (70.4 percent). The 2019 ballot will mark Mussina’s sixth year on the Hall of Fame ballot and will remain on the ballot until 2023 (10-year max), if not elected before.
When we reflect on soon-to-be Hall of Famer Mussina’s remarkable career, Orioles fans may recall his five All-Star seasons, including three straight selections from 1992-1994.
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Despite not earning a Cy Young award, Mussina finished top five in Cy Young voting results six times in his career and made at least 30 starts in five of his 10 seasons in Baltimore. Not to mention, Mussina is a five-time Gold Glove award winner and won 147 games for the Orioles, which is third all-time in O’s history.
Above all, Mussina will always be an Orioles legend and hold a special place in the heart of long-time Orioles fans.