Mussina to the Hall?

I once opined that a

Hall of Fame [starting] pitcher will have

• at least 300 wins

• or, at least 250 wins and an ERA+ of 120 or higher. (Go here and scroll down for the definition of ERA+.)

• or, at least 200 wins and a W-L average of .600 or better and an ERA+ of 120 or higher.

I opined, further, that an " 'immortal' pitcher will have at least 250 wins, a winning average of at least .600, and an ERA+ of at least 120."

Well, it turns out that, by my definition, Mike Mussina qualifies as an "immortal": 270 wins, a winning average of .638, and an ERA+ of 123. Not so fast.

Mussina, who has just announced his retirement, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame; I have no quibble with his qualifications on that score. But Mussina doesn't strike me as an "immortal," which is an honor that I would reserve for these starting pitchers:

Pete Alexander
John Clarkson
Bob Feller
Lefty Grove
Carl Hubbell
Walter Johnson
Tim Keefe
Christy Mathewson
Kid Nichols
Jim Palmer
Eddie Plank
Charley Radbourn
Tom Seaver
Cy Young

Accordingly, I must add another criterion for "immortality" among starting pitchers: at least five seasons with 20 or more wins. Mussina had only one such season: his last.

If -- in this era of the relief pitcher -- there is never another "immortal" starting pitcher, so be it. Tom Seaver will then have the honor of being the last of the breed.