Should Mike Mussina’s number have been retired?

[interloper]

3 minutes ago, Snutchy said:

No. He made his choice to go in without a team on his hat. 
 

99% of me does not care a shred about this conversation, but the other 1% holds this view right here. This alone negates any dumb tweet that adult-man-named-Buster decides to regurgitate into the universe. 

The O's are not going to make their first non-hall-of-famer retiree a guy who couldn't be bothered to wear an O's hat (OR a Yankees hat). Like get real. It's nonsense to feel otherwise IMO. He only pitched here 2 years longer than Cuellar. Like... who cares???? He was a good pitcher that was here for some years. That doesn't mean we're obligated to retire his number, just like he wasn't obligated to wear anybody's hat. He chose to waffle on the fence like a weirdo. Enjoy neither time retiring your number I guess?! 

[NCRaven]

17 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So why did the Reds retire Frank Robinson’s number and put a statue of him outside their stadium?   He has an Oriole on his hat on his plaque despite playing longer for the Reds?   Shouldn’t they have been insulted? 

Because he was one of the greatest players in the history of the game?  Don’t blame them at all.  And they traded him away, he didn’t leave.  Of course, in 1966, with the Reserve Clause, he couldn’t leave on his own.

[Frobby]

29 minutes ago, Snutchy said:

No. He made his choice to go in without a team on his hat. 
 

So why did the Reds retire Frank Robinson’s number and put a statue of him outside their stadium?   He has an Oriole on his hat on his plaque despite playing longer for the Reds?   Shouldn’t they have been insulted? 

[Frobby]

Here’s a list of some players who had their numbers retired by a team they left via free agency:

Roberto Alomar - Blue Jays

Nolan Ryan - Angels

Greg Maddux - Cubs

Rollie Fingers - A’s

Paul Molitor - Brewers

Dave Winfield - Padres

Ivan Rodriguez - Rangers

Wade Boggs - Red Sox

Carlton Fisk - Red Sox

Pedro Martinez - Red Sox

Mark Buehrle - White Sox

This list may not be complete.   It certainly shows there are teams that don’t hold a grudge if a player leaves via free agency.   How about the Red Sox, who retired Wade Boggs’ number even though he (1) left them for the Yankees, and (2) later stipulated in his contract with the Rays that he’d ask to go into the Hall of Fame with a Rays cap on his plaque?

[Snutchy]

19 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So why did the Reds retire Frank Robinson’s number and put a statue of him outside their stadium?   He has an Oriole on his hat on his plaque despite playing longer for the Reds?   Shouldn’t they have been insulted? 

That was their choice and I applaud them for it. I really do. Part of me is just bitter over the whole thing. That guy was my childhood hero and he abandoned ship for the Yankees. I understand why he did, but he did it nonetheless. It could have been any other team, but he chose the Yankees that rubbed Jeffrey Maier in our faces. 
 

And NO, they shouldn’t have been insulted because he let everyone know how much he loved being a Red. He always said that he would always be a Red. 
 

Mussina couldn’t care less about the Orioles.

[Moose Milligan]

33 minutes ago, interloper said:

99% of me does not care a shred about this conversation, but the other 1% holds this view right here. This alone negates any dumb tweet that adult-man-named-Buster decides to regurgitate into the universe. 

The O's are not going to make their first non-hall-of-famer retiree a guy who couldn't be bothered to wear an O's hat (OR a Yankees hat). Like get real. It's nonsense to feel otherwise IMO. He only pitched here 2 years longer than Cuellar. Like... who cares???? He was a good pitcher that was here for some years. That doesn't mean we're obligated to retire his number, just like he wasn't obligated to wear anybody's hat. He chose to waffle on the fence like a weirdo. Enjoy neither time retiring your number I guess?! 

Wouldn't it be a mind blower if the Orioles were just like "Yeah, you know what?  Mussina left here and in retrospect we wish he'd stayed and went into the HoF with an Orioles hat on but hey.  He was still great.  We're still going to retire his number AND give him a statue."

What if the Orioles just went ahead and did it anyway?  Then we'd have to hear endless bitching about how Mussina is the only guy with a statue but no World Series ring and not wearing an Orioles hat on his HoF plaque.  

Maybe they could just put his statue somewhere else, away from the others.  Kind of like a banishment or something.  

2 minutes ago, Snutchy said:

That was their choice and I applaud them for it. I really do. Part of me is just bitter over the whole thing. That guy was my childhood hero and he abandoned ship for the Yankees. I understand why he did, but he did it nonetheless. It could have been any other team, but he chose the Yankees that rubbed Jeffrey Maier in our faces. 
 

And NO, they shouldn’t have been insulted because he let everyone know how much he loved being a Red. He always said that he would always be a Red. 
 

Mussina couldn’t care less about the Orioles.

What else are you bitter about from 20 years ago?  Just wondering.

Mussina couldn't care less about the Orioles.  Also it appears that he couldn't care less about the Yankees.  

[tntoriole]

Split the difference.  Retire number 35 in honor of Mike and Mike… Mussina and Cuellar. 

[Frobby]

24 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

Split the difference.  Retire number 35 in honor of Mike and Mike… Mussina and Cuellar. 

Well, the reason this came up is that Rutschman is wearing it now — so it’s definitely gonna get retired when he’s done with it!

[JimGinSP]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Well, the reason this came up is that Rutschman is wearing it now — so it’s definitely gonna get retired when he’s done with it!

So should we be negotiating the 12-15 year extension now? 

[OriolesMagic83]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Here’s a list of some players who had their numbers retired by a team they left via free agency:

Roberto Alomar - Blue Jays

Nolan Ryan - Angels

Greg Maddux - Cubs

Rollie Fingers - A’s

Paul Molitor - Brewers

Dave Winfield - Padres

Ivan Rodriguez - Rangers

Wade Boggs - Red Sox

Carlton Fisk - Red Sox

Pedro Martinez - Red Sox

Mark Buehrle - White Sox

This list may not be complete.   It certainly shows there are teams that don’t hold a grudge if a player leaves via free agency.   How about the Red Sox, who retired Wade Boggs’ number even though he (1) left them for the Yankees, and (2) later stipulated in his contract with the Rays that he’d ask to go into the Hall of Fame with a Rays cap on his plaque?

Did Boggs get his wish of the Rays cap.  I thought the HOF blocked that. 

This list makes the O's look super petty.  If the Red Sox can retire Boggs' number who publicly dissed them and the Cubs can retire Maddux's number (he did win a Cy Young there) and the Padres can retire Winfield's number (do most fans even remember he was a Padre), the O's should retire Mussina's number.  Just do the right thing.  I know Mussina, was a douche, a lot of great pitchers are, but it's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of NIce Guys.

 

 

 

[accinfo]

11 hours ago, wildcard said:

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

No you don't.  It just happens that everyone with a retired number did win a World Series but that isn't a requirement.  If as said earlier Mike had played his whole career with the Orioles his number would be retired regardless if he won a world series.  Cal won one his second season as an Oriole.  If he hadn't do you think he wouldn't have his number retired?  

[tntoriole]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

Well, the reason this came up is that Rutschman is wearing it now — so it’s definitely gonna get retired when he’s done with it!

There you go … A Rutschman, Mussina, Cuellar tribute 

[OriolesMagic83]

What number will Elias wear when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Does he have a sweater vest with a number?

[Spakman]

I see him as a yankee not an oriole. 

[Beysbol]

16 minutes ago, Spakman said:

I see him as a yankee not an oriole. 

Same with me. He was a good pitcher for the Orioles and I liked watching him pitch, but I do consider him a Yankee. I grew up loving Cal and just thought that Mussina was just another good player. His number should definitely not be retired. Should of had a spot in the voting category labeled "hell no."