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Mussina has officially announced his retirement.

270 wins, over 2,000 strikeouts.

Thanks, Moose. Good luck with the HOF voting.

Mike Mussina is a Hall-of-Famer. If he doesn't get voted in, it will be a travesty. The man did something that NO other AL pitcher EVER did: win at least 10 games 17 years straight; and he did it in the AL East, the toughest division in baseball.

Add to that the 270 wins and all the other accomplishments, and there is no doubt in my mind. Yeah, he could hang around just to get 300 wins. But he shouldn't have to.

I don't know that he will get in. He should, but I'm not convinced that the argument is overwealming.

Al, check out Pete Abe's blog and what he said about the "Gray Ink" test on Baseball Reference.com.

Should the Moose make the Hall?

If the voters keep looking for "overwhelming" evidence, then nobody is going to get in.

Which is what has been happening to a lot of pitchers the last couple of decades.

First off, thanks to the Moose for his services over the past 8 years. I've loved watching him, and though there were certainly some low points, the ones that will stick in my memory include his brilliant performances in the Jeter Flip Play game in 2001 and his relief job in the 2003 ALCS. Seeing him come back and go out on top in the manner in which he did this year was also great to see.

Mussina had a great quote at some point in the middle of the season, when discussing the prospect of 300 wins. He said he hoped he wouldn't be judged on what he did at the end of his career when he was just hanging on, or any superficial numbers he piled up in the dying stages of his career. I have a lot of respect for this sentiment, and I hope he can enjoy some nice time with his family now. And from what we've learned about the Moose over the years, he's thought quite a bit about what he's doing and is probably at peace with his career, whether it ends in Cooperstown enshrinement or not.

I definitely feel Moose deserves a spot in the Hall with what he's done, but as long as people such as Bert Blyleven keep on being snubbed, it's not likely. Sooner or later, as it becomes apparent that the standards for starting pitchers in the Hall need to come down a bit due to their evolving role in baseball, I expect the voters will come around. It may take quite a while, but I expect to see Mike Mussina enshrined in a small New York town at some point.

Moose getting in the HOF all depends on how you look at his career. He wasn't the most dominate pitcher, but he was a winning pitcher who was consistent over his years. His win loss ratio is good. His ERA+ is certainly good enough to carry him to Cooperstown.

A lot will depend on who else comes up for vote in his class.

I really thought he was done the year prior, then he came out strong. He was even pitching hurt through the last weeks of the season. I think that his elbow hurting was the biggest reason he was able to walk away from the game.

He decided before the season got under way that this was his last. His 20 win season might have changed his mind, though, had he not been pitching through pain.

He will be missed.

I am glad for Mike. He's a man of integrity, and he'll not be wavering on this decision. I will miss him in the rotation, and I believe he should be elected to the Hall of Fame.