Mike Mussina - AL All-Star? I think not

I obviously have a history of being tough on Mike Mussina. However, if you know me personally, you will know that I have always believed that Mike Mussina has been UNDER-appreciated as a member of the New York Yankees. That debate aside, there is a new one brewing: should Mike Mussina be named to the 2008 AL All-Star team?

I have to admit, for the past month, I have been blinded by the win/loss record of Moose and Michael Kay's incessant babbling about the Mike Mussina renaissance. I figured if the guy has 12 wins at the break, how can he be denied a spot on the team? Then I realized, there is a lot more that goes into pitching and wins aren't exactly the best measure of who the best pitchers are. Here are some better measures and how Mike Mussina ranks:

His VORP is 94th in the American League among PITCHERS:

His ERA+ is 106, (can't find rankings, but he isn't anywhere close to the top). (he is 39th in ERA)

He is 10th in the AL in WHIP

He is 4th in the AL in K/BB

However, he is tied for the AL lead with 10 wins and we all know that is what anyone looks at.

So, who would I take before Mike Mussina on the All-Star team? Here are a few names:

Roy Halladay
Cliff Lee
Shawn Marcum
Scott Kazmir
Felix Hernandez
John Danks
C.C Sabathia

There is a derogatory nickname that has always floated around when discussing Mike Mussina - "Mr. Almost". If the for the AL All-Star game do the right thing, that moniker will certainly stick when considering Mike Mussina's 2008 All-Star game chances.

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Great start, my eyes dart.

What a PERFECT opening day. My roommate and I made home run predictions at lunch yesterday. He predicted 3 dingers, with the first being by A Rod. You gotta go with A Rod for first homer of the year, right? Apparently not!

The youngster Melky stole that one! And stole the show for that matter with his far ranging, highlight reel catches in the fourth inning. Wang was great, out-dueling the Jays ace. And the reigning MVP, A-Rod, copped the first of many RBI's he'll accumulate this season. And Joba-Mo did their thing!

I said my eyes dart... Where do they dart? Well, straight past tonight's game. To tomorrow nights game, as Phil Hughes will make his 2008 debut. I know, Moose will be just as important, if not more so, to this seasons success than Hughes. But I don't care. I can't NOT look ahead. He is the future.

I'd bet there are a bunch of Yankees fans who feel the same way!

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump