Should Mike Mussina’s number have been retired?

[Frobby]

I didn’t want to derail the thread on Adley’s debut, but SG posted this tweet from Buster Olney:

What’s your view of this?   Personally, Mussina was one of my favorite players ever, and I did not blame him one bit when he left the team.   I strongly supported his election to the Hall of Fame and of course the Orioles Hall of Fame.   But with all that said, I’m not offended that the O’s chose not to retire his number.   He chose to leave, in the prime of his career.   If the O’s had retired his number, that would have been OK with me, but I’m also OK with their decision not to retire it.  

As to Olney’s tweet, I wonder how many Hall of Famers voluntarily left their original team after 10+ years and while still in their prime.   
 

[Can_of_corn]

Yes but Buster sounds as petty as Peter and that's never a good look.

I don't think Mike cares.

[foxfield]

I just posted to Olney on his twitter feed and I really don't tweet.  I agree Frobby, Moose was one of my favorite players post WS teams and though I hated that he left and hated that he went to the Yankees.  I held Peter Angelos responsible for that and still do.

Moose has 47.7 War as an Oriole pitcher, second in Oriole history to Jim Palmer who had 67.6 ALL with the Orioles.  IF Mike Mussina had stayed and played his entire career in Baltimore he would be in the Hall, would have a statue in Baltimore even if the Orioles did not win a WS in his time.  That would have made him the first to be honored in that way, but I believe it would have happened.

But he didn't stay, and it doesnt really matter who is to blame.  He had a better career than Mike Cuellar, but #35 Cuellar won a CY Young and a WS with the Orioles and is as deserving as Mussina in my opinion.

I guess what I am saying is Mussina is a HOF and I am happy for him, but one statue of a Yankee in Baltimore is plenty for me.

[eddie83]

28 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Yes but Buster sounds as petty as Peter and that's never a good look.

I don't think Mike cares.

Buster has become all about clickbait. 
 

If he was so bothered about this why wait until now to complain? 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Buster has become all about clickbait. 
 

If he was so bothered about this why wait until now to complain? 

I'm pretty sure he's complained about it before now.

[eddie83]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

I'm pretty sure he's complained about it before now.

Well if he has than I stand corrected. 
 

Basically saying Angelos being petty   

 

[Moose Milligan]

@Frobbyyou forgot a third, "I don't care" option.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Well if he has than I stand corrected. 
 

Basically saying Angelos being petty   

 

I don't specifically recall him making this exact complaint but given how much he's said over the years I think it's a safe bet this isn't new ground.

[eddie83]

Mussina is an odd case. 
 

Guy is a legit HOF but he’s not an all time Yankees great and Orioles fans don’t really embrace him. He also doesn’t seem to really care. 
 

At this point they aren’t doing to do it. Obviously it would have been done earlier. I don’t care if they have certain criteria to have a number retired.  That said he is clearly the best player that hasn’t.  

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't specifically recall him making this exact complaint but given how much he's said over the years I think it's a safe bet this isn't new ground.

If he has been consistent over the years getting on the Orioles about Mussina then bringing it up now is a little easier to digest.  

[wildcard]

You have to win a World Series to get your number retired in Birdland.

[jamalshw]

I'm much of the same mind as Frobby on this one. He's a HOF pitcher and spent the bulk (albeit close) of his career in Baltimore. Typically that means your number is retired. That said, I'm not offended that the Orioles haven't gone that route. He left, splitting his career between the Orioles and Yankees and didn't go into the HOF as an Oriole (not that the hat makes that much difference, but still). He's a bit of a unique situation. If I were in charge of making the decision, I probably would retire his number, defaulting to the logic that he played 10 of 18 years in Baltimore and is HOFer. But it's a borderline decision for me given the career split. 

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, wildcard said:

You have to win a World Series to get your number retired in Birdland.

If the O's were to announce that they are going to retire Adam Jones' number you'd be opposed?

[drjohnnyfeva]

Mussina never seemed into any of the idolization he had here.  To me, he was never a Robinson-esque or Ripken-esque figure.  I think some tried to make him that.  But Mussina never embraced it and always seemed aloof to me.  His signing with the Yankees turned a lot of fans against him, but evidently he succeeded in alienating the guys who decide the retired numbers even more convincingly.

[drjohnnyfeva]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

If the O's were to announce that they are going to retire Adam Jones' number you'd be opposed?

Yes, he sealed his fate with his refusal to be traded!