Mike Mussina Set To Announce Retirement After 18 Seasons

Mike Mussina

Thank you for everything, Moose!!! Enjoy your time with your family.

Tien Mao/Gothamist.com:

30 wins short of 300 career victories and after the first 20-win season of his career, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina is reportedly retiring. The 39 year-old Mussina, who has pitched in the Majors for 18 seasons with the Orioles and the Yankees, retires with a 270-153 record and a 3.68 ERA. Fox Sports says that Mussina will officially announce his retirement later this week. And while Moose doesn't have 300 wins (the gold standard for Hall of Fame inductees), Fox points out that his Hall of Fame electability will be enhanced by the fact that he pitched in the steroid era and in the offense-heavy AL East.

MOOOOOOSE!!!

Mike Mussina

After being crticized by Hank Steinbrenner following a slow start in 2008, Mike Mussina has won 20 games in a single season for the first time in his career.

Who said Hammerin' Hank wasn't good for anything?

Congratulations, Moose.

Moose Has One More Shot At That Ever Elusive 20-Win Season

Mike Mussina

The lone bright spot for the Yankees tonight was Mike Mussina (19-9), who also won 19 games with the Baltimore Orioles in 1995 and 1996.  

Moose will try for a career-high 20th victory when he faces Boston at Fenway Park on Sunday in the final game of the regular season (...at least there is still a little bit to be excited about!!!).

Run DMC Responsible For Yanks Four Game Win Streak?!?

Mike Mussina

Anthony McCarron/New York Daily News:

After the game, Run DMC boomed from a clubhouse stereo as players dressed to leave. The rap duo's greatest hits have quickly become a tradition for the Yankees, who have listened to them after each of their last four games, Mussina said. "It's all we play," Mussina said.

Girardi’s policy on tunes, by the way, is that he’s all for a little music, as long as no one is competing - in other words, if two stereos are trying to outdo each other from opposite sides of the room, the manager is unhappy. If it’s just one, you can groove to all the “You Be Illin’” that you want.

Moose Cruises, Joba Confuses, Mariano Defuses

Mike Mussina

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

Hank Steinbrenner may not have been shy about his phone calls, but the more important event for the Yankees was hearing those Moose calls.

Mike Mussina won his fifth consecutive start Wednesday night for the Yankees, who snapped a short two-game skid by limiting the Rays to one run over 6 1/3 innings. Robinson Cano had four hits, including an RBI, and Bobby Abreu also drove in a run, leading New York to a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

The resurgent right-hander was sharp once more, mixing his pitches and spotting his offspeed stuff with command over an 87-pitch performance, scattering five hits. Mussina walked one and struck out four, lowering his ERA to 3.99. The performance came hours after manager Joe Girardi held the first closed-door clubhouse meeting of his tenure, and on the same day that Steinbrenner issued comments criticizing the club's sluggish 19-21 start.

Mussina started the seventh inning and recorded the first out, but was lifted after a walk to Evan Longoria, earning a mixture of Moose calls from the Tropicana Field crowd. Cliff Floyd greeted reliever Ross Ohlendorf with a single, and Dioner Navarro shot a run-scoring hit up the middle, but Ohlendorf escaped the inning when Gabe Gross lined to Derek Jeter for a deftly turned double play, nabbing Floyd off the bag.

After scoring just twice in their previous 24 innings entering the game, the Yankees touched Rays right-hander James Shields for runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Hideki Matsui rapped a two-out double up the gap in left-center and scored on Cano's single to center; in the fifth, Morgan Ensberg led off with a single, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on Abreu's two-out double.

Moose Just Hit Ben Francisco With A 102

Mike Mussina

Moose just beaned Ben Francisco with a 102 mph breaking ball...according to Sportstime Ohio...haha

Moooooooose!

Mike Mussina

John Harper/New York Daily News:

Maybe it's a matter of pride for Mike Mussina.

On a night when he passed Bob Gibson in career victories with 252, which puts him in quite an elite category, he wasn't going to give an inch, certainly not to Hank Steinbrenner.

Noting his use of two-seam fastballs, in fact, Mussina couldn't resist this line: "I pitched more like (Chien-Ming) Wang tonight than Moyer."

Even in going to the two-seamer, Mussina dropped his arm angle at times to create more movement, which is hardly Moyer-like, but it did seem to be an effort to do something a little different.

And then there was some intriguing visual evidence. He got Nick Swisher to chase a 78 mph changeup down and away for strike three to end the fifth inning. He got Orlando Cabrera to flail at a high changeup for strike three in the sixth - hardly a textbook pitch, but the surprise was enough to get the out.

"All I know," said Swisher, "was he was changing speeds real well. He got me with a good changeup I didn't expect there."

Obviously, the test now will be whether Mussina can continue to produce these kinds of results, two runs over seven innings and a lot of routine outs from seemingly off-balance swings.

Did Mike Mussina dig deep and will himself to this kind of performance as a way of telling Hank Steinbrenner, among others, that he's not Jamie Moyer, and he's not finished as a winning pitcher yet either? Or was this a change in style that will have legs and allow Mussina to pitch effectively in the coming weeks and months? If it was the latter, it could have huge ramifications for the Yankees, taking some pressure off of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, not to mention allowing them to keep Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen.

Yes, there was every reason for Mike Mussina to sneer at Hank Steinbrenner's amateurish analysis. Yet maybe the bluntness of it was something Mussina needed to hear. He isn't Jamie Moyer, but he is a finesse pitcher these days.

Maybe he needed to be insulted to be pushed further in that direction.

Mussina-Beckett To Take The Hill Again

Mike Mussina

NYY: RHP Mike Mussina (1-2, 4.15 ERA)
Mussina's previous outing against the Red Sox will be remembered almost exclusively for his decision in the sixth inning, when he opted to pitch to Manny Ramirez instead of Kevin Youkilis with first base open. Mussina allowed a two-run double up the gap that helped the Red Sox post a 4-3 victory over the Yankees. Still, he has been consistent this season, lasting five innings or more in seven consecutive starts dating back to Sept. 12. Over that stretch, he is 4-2 with a 3.64 ERA, allowing 17 earned runs in 42 innings.

BOS: RHP Josh Beckett (1-1, 6.35 ERA)
Beckett proved last weekend that his back woes are finally over. In a 4-3 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park on Saturday, Beckett gave up five hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out five. In his career at Yankee Stadium, Beckett is 2-2 with a 6.86 ERA. However, those numbers don't include the gem that he pitched against New York in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, when Beckett was a member of the Marlins. In his first two starts, Beckett has limited opponents to a .200 average.

Just noticed Moose's ERA was lower than Beckett's. Who wants to bet on how long that holds up???

Mussina Solid Over Six

Mike Mussina

Cliff Corcoran of Bronx Banter:

Mike Mussina was sharp last night, allowing just three baserunners, two hits, and a lone run in six efficient innings of work.

He had his best curveball working and was able to throw it at a variety of speeds between 70 and 80 miles per hour while correspondingly varying the severity of the break from a slow 12-to-6 yakker to a quicker pitch that broke well in the zone. He also had a very efficient changeup.

Moose only recorded three strikeouts on the night, but got 11 of his other 15 outs on the ground, which was largely the product of having his best curve going tonight.

Fittingly, the one run Mussina gave up came on a hanging curve to Jonny Gomes in which Gomes put a lumberjack swing on the pitch consequently sending the ball into the left field seats.

Wait, They Did What? No Way.

Mike Mussina

Most people would look at that picture to the right and think it was Bobby Abreu celebrating his two-run home run in last night's game (which it is)...but not so fast!!!

That is actually a celebration in the outfield for some very deserving people!!!

As Pete Abe over at LoHud points out:

The Yankees held the Rays to one run in a game in which Mike Mussina, Brian Bruney, Kyle Farnsworth, and LaTroy Hawkins all pitched in. Seriously. That actually happened...tonight.

Nothing short of amazing. Dave Eiland is a genius.

Mussina Proving Bounceback Could Be Reality

Mike Mussina

PA has the rundown on his live Blog. 

There is no stopping Mike Mussina.  15 up and 15 down. 64 pitches/39 strikes. He toyed with Adam LaRoche in the fifth inning. Changeup for a strike, curveball away for a strike then a 1-2 fastball away for strikeout looking.  Back with more later. 

HGTV Visits Moose, Hughes, IPK

Mike Mussina

Pete Abraham just posted this picture of Mike Mussina's lockerscape on his Blog today. Apparently, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy entered a contest on HGTV.com this winter for a complete locker room makeover--and they won!!!

There are also plans to add a desk to the newly made over lockeroom so that all of the interviews the players are being asked to participate in can be conducted on site.

(Phil Hughes contributed the clock on the locker wall and the small picture in the bottom left of the frame is from the Wizard Of Oz rookie hazing day.)

Side note-
Peter Abraham and Phil Hughes are going to conduct a Q&A on their respective blogs starting today. If you want to submit a question please limit it to just one. You can submit your questions until 6p.m., on February 26th.

To submit your question- please only send ONE E-MAIL per e-mail address, to Pete and Phil. Make it a good one!!!

Pete's email: pabraham@lohud.com
Phil's email: phughes34@gmail.com

Mussina Prepared To Play Mentor

Mike Mussina

Article written by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

It’s Day 2 of Camp Girardi, and the pitchers appear resigned to the fact that they’re going to have to do more running this spring than they have in the past.

Other than that, it’s business as usual. Phil Hughes will throw his first bullpen session today, lining up with Mariano Rivera and some other relievers. Hughes arrived at Legends Field today to find his locker occupied by Billy Traber.

Hughes’ locker had been moved about 10 feet away, next to Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy. It seems the move was Mussina’s idea, as the veteran is apparently taking to the role of mentor for the young pitchers.

“If I’m going to sit there and talk to Kennedy about pitching, it makes sense to have Hughes there, too,” Mussina said.

Cashman:Mussina in the Rotation

Mike Mussina

According to Peter Abraham;

Cashman said that Wang, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are in the rotation.
The other two spots are open. At some point, Chamberlain will have his innings restricted. That could come in a variety of ways including being used in the bullpen. “We have to see how it all plays out,” Cashman said. “But Joba will prepare as a starter.”

I really thought we had seen the end of Mike Mussina's days in the Yankee Rotation. Take a look at Moose's ERA the last four years;
4.59
4.41
3.51
5.15
Take out the walk year abberation and Moose has been a bad pitcher for some time now. It is time for Moose to join the ranks of the National League or slip into his spot as a long reliever. Hearing Cashman say that he is in makes me cringe. I only hope that this is the plan to start the season as a way to avoid Joba's innings limit(~160) and once the calendar turns to June, Joba takes over every fifth day.

Projecting Current Yankee HOFers

Mike Mussina

The hall of fame results are set to be announces tomorrow at 2pm and it got me thinking, How many current Yankees will end up making the Hall? Now even though I project the holy trinity to dominate for years lets skip the kids, including Cano, for this exercise and only look at players with 10+ years in the league.

No-Brainers
Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez
All three are first-ballot candidates even if they never played another game. Jeter will have 3,000 hits barring injury (has 2356) and with all his gold gloves and clutch play he is in. ARod might become a guy everyone starts rooting for as he starts to erase Bonds from history, he really could retire today and be a first ballot candidate. Rivera is the greatest closer ever, period.

Borderline
Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada
Mussina
Now Mussina has a real good shot. His numbers are pretty close;
Top Ten Cy Young - 8 times
Top Ten Wins - 8 times
Top Ten K's - 10 times
Top Ten adjusted ERA+ - 10 times
Five Time All-Star(Seems low)
6 Gold Gloves
Career ERA 3.70
250 Career Wins
The biggest issue Mussina will have is not with the quality of his numbers but the fact that he doesn't have any of he criteria that voters love; a high peak, reaching number thresholds and postseason excellence. High Peak-Moose never won 20 games and never won the Cy Young. He was always overshadowed by Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson. Reaching Numbers - 250 wins is nice but 300 is still where automatic election begins. Postseason excellence - Moose pitched some great games in the post season but his numbers (Except Wins) are almost a carbon-copy of his regular season numbers(3.42 Era more then a K per inning). I once heard Moose referred to as Mr Almost, almost wins 20 games, almost won a series, almost pitches a perfect game and it looks like almost makes the hall.

Andy Pettitte
Andy has 200 Wins at age 35 and could become a strong candidate if he pitched well for 3-4 more years. Add in his 18-7 postseason record and he becomes a real strong maybe. However, it looks like he will pack it in sooner rather then later and end his career with 230+ wins, that won't be enough but if he has a late career surge he could make it in.

Jorge Posada
I was surprised to find myself putting Jorge on this list but he has 5 silver slugger awards in the eight years since he been a full-time player. Does the best player at a position for almost a decade deserve consideration for the hall? I think so. Jorge does only have 218 career home runs, to have a reasonable shot he needs to eclipse 300.

Most likely we are probably looking at four who end up getting in; Rivera, Jeter, ARod and one from Posada, Moose and Andy.