Mike Mussina shouldn't be forgotten man in 2019 Hall of Fame class

The results and reactions are in following the announcement of the 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame class, and there’s one feeling we just can’t shake. It’s the feeling that one of baseball’s four new Hall of Fame inductees is getting overshadowed.

We see you Mike Mussina. We won’t let you become the forgotten man.

The former Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees right-hander just barely crossed the 75 percent threshold needed for election. He finished with 76.7 percent, which this year meant a mere seven votes separated Mussina from being on the outside looking in again. That ranks just outside the top 10 closest elections in Hall of Fame history.

In most Hall of Fame years, Mussina’s slight margin would make him the talk of baseball in the aftermath of the Hall of Fame announcement.

This year, there hasn’t been enough spotlight to go around. Not with Mariano Rivera becoming the first player in Hall of Fame history to be elected unanimously. Not with Roy Halladay becoming the sixth player voted to the Hall of Fame posthumously. And not with Edgar Martinez finally getting the call in his 10th and final season on the ballot.

Those stories demanded headlines. As did Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling falling short again despite gaining new support.

As for Mussina, well, he got in.

We’d like to do our part to make sure Mussina is getting the proper recognition. We’re talking about a five-time American League All-Star who set a standard of consistency, longevity and excellence that few pitchers have matched. He’s a seven-time Gold Glove award winner who showed off his athleticism.

No, Mussina never won a Cy Young Award, but he did log at least 200 innings 11 times, including in his final season at age 39. That was also his only 20-win season, which shows how he sustained his value.

It might be extreme to call Mussina’s election an afterthought. But look around. Does it feel like enough people are talking about it? Especially considering the debates and build-up that have led to this moment for the man they called “Moose.”

Since joining the Baseball Writers Association of America’s ballot in 2014, Mussina’s case has been among the most heavily debated. Sure, we had the Jack Morris debate, then the Tim Raines debate, and most recently the Martinez debate. But there was always time to argue whether Mussina’s 270 career wins were enough, or if pitching his entire career in the AL East made his consistent excellence even more impressive.

Because of that debate, if and when Mussina’s election happened, it seemed destined to be a headline-stealer.

Just not in 2019.

In 2018 and in 2020, perhaps it’s a different story. They say timing is everything, so maybe Mussina just picked the wrong year. Or maybe we misjudged the level of excitement that would surround his induction. Not every candidate elicits the same excitement after all.

Perhaps Mussina’s own surprise is a good indication that it’s the latter scenario.

Regardless of how surprised Mussina is, how long he was on the ballot, how close the voting was, or how excited fans may or may not be, this is his honor just the same.

We salute you, Mike Mussina.

More Hall of Fame coverage from Yahoo Sports:

• Hall of Fame adds four: Rivera, Halladay, Martinez and Mussina
• Rivera becomes first-ever unanimous Hall selection
• Bonds, Clemens, Schilling make progress toward Cooperstown
• Jeter headlines star-studded 2020 ballot
• The phone rang for Halladay, one of the greats