Mike Mussina

ed to the Hall of Fame when they become eligible in 2014.  Along with Greg Maddux and possibly Mike Mussina, it should be quite a class.

O’s Notes

Miguel Tejada is back

Continue reading "Two more great careers reach the end of the line"

the pitcher’s mound.  It is no coincidence that 2009 is the first year that Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina, and Kenny Rogers aren’t eligible, each having retired following the 2008 season.  From 1990 through 2008 – his final year in the big leagues – Greg Maddux was named the National League’s Gold Glove pitcher every year but one – 2003, when teammate Mike Hampton won.  From 1996 through 2008, the American League saw two pitchers –

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Mike Mussina announced his retirement this week.  While I’m glad he won’t be a Yankee anymore, I can’t say I’m happy to hear the news.

Mussina hasn’t been a member of the Orioles in eight years, but he was the team’s pitching staff in the 1990’s.  He became the staff ace as soon as he arrived, and won 147 games during his nine and a half seasons with the team.  He broke my heart when he left to sign with the Evil Empire, but the Birds had a bad habit of not scoring enough runs for their #1 pitcher and it was hard to blame him for leaving for greener pastures.

Continue reading "Say it ain’t so, Moose"

In his 18th and perhaps final big-league season, Mike Mussina finally reached the 20-win plateau he so clearly deserved.  I couldn’t root for it to happen while he wore Yankee Pinstripes, but Mussina’s first-ever 20-win season was long overdue.  He deserved it more than once as a member of the Orioles but didn’t get enough offensive support.  For those of you unfamiliar with

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That being said, what about Mike Mussina?

The Moose has a lifetime ERA of 3.69, 2804 strikeouts and 268 wins (and counting) in his many seasons. But all things considered, does that make him worthy of a bust next to Goose Gossage?

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re any terrible omissions from the American and National League All-Star teams.  Jermaine Dye, Mike Mussina and Xavier Nady (as well as a handful of others) could have made it, but there are always guys having good seasons who aren’t selected because of limited roster space.  The victim of last year’s biggest all-star snub was Kevin Youkilis, whose name was not on the ’07 ballot because David Ortiz, Boston’s regular DH, was listed as the Red Sox first baseman.  Besides the fact that Youkilis was having an exceptional season and deserved to be not only listed but elected to start, Ortiz did not belong on the ballot because the ballot did not list Designated Hitters, as the game was to be played in a national league park, where pitchers must hit for themselves.

Continue reading "All-Star Highlights, Snubs, Other Thoughts"

(Adam Jones after his grand slam in the sixth. John Dunn for The New York Times) 

The game just kept getting better after my update last night! The Orioles crushed the Yankees 13-4 thanks to a powerhouse offense (every Oriole got a hit last night) and a solid start from Jeremy Guthrie. The Orioles set a season high for runs and matched its top hit total with 17.

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Orioles are off to a hot start! There has been some dangerous base-running: Brian Roberts got thrown out by a mile at home, but Mora went first to third on Luke Scott's single and both were safe. Then Millar got a three-run home run to make it 3-0. Ramon Hernandez stepped up to the plate and his 1000th career hit was a solo shot out of Yankee Stadium! Awesome. And props to starter Jeremy Guthrie who retired the first six Yankees.

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erek Lowe ($10M)Ben Sheets ($10.1M)Johan Santana ($16.9M)Pedro Martinez ($11.8M)Andy Pettitte ($16M)Mike Mussina ($11M)Carl Pavano ($11M)Matt Morris ($10M)Greg Maddux ($10M) Barry Zito ($14.5M)Chris Carpenter ($10.5M)Vincente Padilla ($11M)Kevin Millwood ($10.3M) AJ Burnett ($13.2M)Roy Halladay ($10M)

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That leaves them with a rotation of Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Darrell Rasner, and a still-developing Joba Chamberlain, with Dan Giese expected to step into the fifth starter role.  That’s a shallow rotation, weighted at the older and younger ends like a barbell. Hurry up, C.C. Sabathia.

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OK, that title was irresistible, but in fact I'm going to say that Chien-Ming Wang's foot injury should force the Yanks hand in a trade, especially when combined with other injuries this season. Funny how little things can combine to lead to something even larger, accumulating momentum gradually until it becomes irresistible, as it has with the murmurs about a trade for C.C. Sabathia, which is really more the point of this blog.

Continue reading "Off On the Wang Foot"

Mussina is on the hill today for the Yanks and, while I admire him and think he's a very good pitcher and a modest, intelligent, generally good fellow, I wonder about his Hall of Fame credentials. Dave Niehaus, the mellow-toned broadcaster, has repeatedly called him a shoo-in or a lock for the Hall during the game today, and it's made me wonder. To me, a player in the HOF represents someone who was genuinely and consistently feared (on the field, not off) during his career, the kind of pitcher that batters hated to face (and vice versa). And not for one year, but for several; you can be Sandy Koufax and be unhittable for four or five seasons (and merely outstanding for a handful more) or Nolan Ryan and be unhittable for twenty years.

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when they are pitching well, just so that they can be stretched over the course of the season.

If Mike Mussina cannot return to some semblance of his former self, the Yankees will be desperately in need of other pitchers who can provide quality innings. Kei Igawa, who notoriously bombed last season, could be counted on for multiple inning appearances out of the bullpen, as well as frequent spot starts. While Chamberlain is a force at the back end of the bullpen, they will still need other late inning relievers, especially if the starters aren’t making it through seven innings. At least for this season, the Yankees will be sorry they didn’t get Santana and expect them to be major players for pitching at the trade deadline this season.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Season Preview: American Leauge East"