Farewell And Thanks Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Moose will be missed by Yankee fans for his crafty pitching, unrivaled spirit and relentless dedication. It was a pleasure watching Mike pitch, especially when that knuckle curve was in the zone. He was a fierce competitor grinding out every pitch of every inning. Mussina, who turns 40 next month, is the first pitcher to retire after a 20 win season since Sandy Koufax did it in 1966.
Last season Yankee fans were treated to 20 examples of his artistry on the mound and I for one enjoyed all of them. While he seemed a little cold or distant at times there was no quit in Mussina. His firey attitude was evident and he was know in the clubhouse as a good teammate.
A few career highlights:
- Drafted by the Orioles in 1987 in the 11th round, did not sign. Instead went to Stanford University
- Earned a degree in economics from Stanford in December 1990 finishing in only 3 1/2 years
- Signed with Orioles in July of 1990 after he was taken in the 1st round of the draft.
- July of 1991 made his first Major League start and finished the season with a 2.87 ERA
- Pitched 10 seasons for Baltimore before signing with the Yankees in 2001.
- Mussina pitched 8 seasons for the Yankees his last being his best winning 20 games.
- 18 Year Career stats: 537 Starts, 270 Wins, 153 Losses, 57 Compete games, 23 Shut outs, 3562 innings pitched, 2813 Strikeouts, 3.68 ERA
- Works with many charitable organizations throughout his baseball career.
- Received the 2007 Thurman Munson Award for his accomplishments on the field and his philanthropic work within the community
During his Yankee career Mussina made donations of baseball equipment to kids throughout the tri-state area. He had a big influence on youth players including my son who learned the knuckle curve after watching Mussina’s masterful use of it.
As I said in previous posts.. I thought he would stay in the game at least one more year. After the season he had in 2008 I thought he would give it one more shot. Maybe it was more hope on my part rather than a practical, logical prediction. I still think he could be successful, I’m sure he does too. However, it’s always best to go out on top… no one can blame you for that. He ended it on a 20 win season… the highest of high notes for a pitcher.
BTW… I purposely held off posting this until Mussina officially announced his retirement. I thought waiting for him to announce his decision was the right thing to do.
The debate will soon begin as to whether or not he is worthy of the Hall of Fame. Let’s leave that discussion for another day and focus today on thanking Mike Mussina for being a solid citizen and a great Yankee player. So Long Moose!
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Tags: baltimore, career, mike, mussina, new york, orioles, retires, yankees
