Thoughts on Mo Rivera, Halladay, Edgar & Mussina Reaching Cooperstown

The National Baseball Hall of Fame's membership grew by four players today when it was announced that Mariano Rivera, the late Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina were all elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).

The Panamanian born Rivera spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the New York Yankees. He saved a MLB record 652 games, earned five World Series rings and made 13 AL All-Star Teams. Rivera was and remains one of the most revered professional athletes ever. It's not every Yankee who gets a standing ovation at Fenway Park. Rivera becomes the first Hall of Famer to receive 100% of the vote.

It was a bittersweet day for the family of Roy Halladay. Although inducted in his first year of eligibility, he will only be in Cooperstown in spirit. Halladay perished in a plane crash in November 2017 at the age of 40. A first round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1995, Halladay showed early promise by nearly throwing a no-hitter in his second big league appearance in 1998. By 2000, Halladay had fallen apart on the mound and was demoted all the way to Single-A ball in Dunedin, Florida. With the help of pitching coach Mel Queen plus learning how to throw the cut fastball from none other than Mariano Rivera, Halladay changed his delivery and returned to the Jays one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League before joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010. He earned two Cy Young Awards (one in the AL in 2003, one in the NL in 2010), led the league in complete games seven times and led the league in innings pitched four times, was named to eight All-Star teams, threw a perfect game and became the first pitcher since Don Larsen to throw a no-hitter in the post-season. Halladay reaches Cooperstown with 85.4%.

Edgar Martinez also received 85.4% of the vote from the BBWAA. Unlike Rivera and Halladay, Martinez reaches Cooperstown on his 10th and final year on the the BBWAA ballot. Martinez spent his entire 18-year MLB career with the Seattle Mariners primarily as a DH. Martinez earned two AL batting titles, led the AL in OBP thrice, drove in 100 or more runs six times (including a league leading 145 in 2000), was named to seven AL All-Star teams and bestowed with five Silver Sluggers finishing his career with a lifetime .312 batting average. Martinez is also arguably the greatest player to ever put on a Mariners' uniform and is the team's all-time leader in games played, OBP, runs scored, total bases, doubles and walks.

In his sixth year on the ballot, Mike Mussina got over the finish line with 76.7% of the vote (the threshold is 75%). Although Mussina never won a AL Cy Young, he had six top five finishes winning in double digits in 17 consecutive seasons finally winning 20 in his final big league season in 2008. Equally successful during his decade long tenure with the Baltimore Orioles and in eight seasons with the Yankees, Mussina finished his career with 270 wins and 2813 strikeouts along with seven AL Gold Gloves and five AL All-Star appearances. He probably would have been inducted sooner had he attained 300 wins or 3000 strikeouts. But no matter. He's there now.

The quartet will be enshrined in Cooperstown on July 21st along with Today's Game selections Lee Smith and Harold Baines, J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Jayson Stark and the late Al Helfer who will be bestowed with the Ford C. Frick Award. That will be some weekend in upstate New York.