My Emotional Struggle with Mike Mussina

[Guest JChav]

I bolded the get-to-the-point-already parts if you think I ramble too much:laughlol:

He's at 16 wins with a projected 7 starts to go. 20 wins is certainly possible, but far from guaranteed as he likely faces some pretty potent offensive teams, with his only true break coming against the Mariners.

After the Orioles tomorrow, he's projected to face Boston, Detroit, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Toronto, and Boston again. That projection is on a 5-man rotation.

If they do a 4-man skip on off days, sub Detroit for Toronto, Tampa Bay for Anaheim, and Toronto for Baltimore again...the only real switches being Tampa for Anaheim, and Detroit for us? Yeah, great improvement there!

Do I want him to win 20 games or not?? The internal struggle comes down to two questions:

Do I say no out of a grudge?

Or do I give an objective nod to one of the better pitchers of the last two decades?

I wanted to make a poll for the 20-game question but couldn't figure out how... options being A) Yes, I harbor no ill will; B) Yes, I hate the person but the player deserves it; C) NO!; D) Can't decide; or E) This issue matters to me not

Feel free to make it if you know how.

Further more........

Mussina completely embodies the "fringe hall of famer" tag. 20 W's would certainly make him a sexier HoF candidate. Not to mention it would up his Cy Young votes. Any Yankee-love won't outweigh Cliff Lee unless Lee tanks in September...but *if* Mussina came away with the Cy Young, IMO that makes him an HoF shoe-in.

But which team would he go in with?!

Does anyone else have this recurring struggle as well? It's been brewing for 8 seasons, and now it comes to a head.

[Ruzious]

In order for Moose to win, the Yankees have to win. That makes the choice easy - I don't want him to win 20 games. If he was on an NL team, yeah - I might root for him. But you know what they say aboot ifs and buts.

[tennOsfan]

As long as he's a Yankee (and not on my fantasy team) I'm not rooting for him. I still like him and don't hold his leaving against him. But I want the Yankees to miss the playoffs, bottom line. A losing record would be swell also. Thus I pull against him and his miserable team.

[bobmc]

Great thread - I wrestle with it also. I loved him as an O, obviously. When he left, I was all for it because the O's weren't going anywhere and he would have been a "cancer" to have around.

Since then, I root against him while pitching against us and keep hoping he doesn't reach 20 wins. But this year if the Yanks don't make the playoffs and he does win 20, not winning against the O's, I can live with it.

He really hasn't badmouthed the O's, per se - maybe a few shots over the years against the powers that be. He still cherishes his good years in Baltimore.

Looking back in reflection now, I forgive him and hope he makes the HOF. He was a great Oriole (except against the Big Hurt ).

[lovetoaster]

I think about it every now and then. I am not rooting for him to win 20, but it is not going to particularly bother me either if it happens. As long as the Yankees are sitting at home on October 1, I can live with it.

I think he may already be in the HOF, and will be wearing a Yankee hat.

You don't see many pitchers now, or in the future that will put up big career win numbers. Mussina will probably end up with somewhere between 280 and 300, and I think that gets him in.

[bgtimber75]

Don't care that he's in a Yankee uniform I'm still a die hard Mike Mussina fan. Not his fault that we chose Scott Erikson over him.

[lovetoaster]

Don't care that he's in a Yankee uniform I'm still a die hard Mike Mussina fan. Not his fault that we chose Scott Erikson over him.

Um, he painted his shoes black! His coolness quotient was off the charts.

[waroriole]

I feel your struggle, b/c I have the same one. I loved him when he played for the O's, and thought he was the best pitcher in baseball. When he went to the MFY's it got difficult to cheer for him. I will say that I will not cheer for him in any game, but if he does win 20 and/or a Cy Young I will be happy for him. Hopefully, he will go into the HOF as an Oriole.