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For Mike Mussina, his experience in New York was rather rocky. He won at least 17 games each of his first 3 years in NY; however, he came to New York to win the bling, but he never won a single championship here.
It is weird to see him go as he won 20 last year and I can't imagine anyone retiring after their first 20 win season. Also, he is leaving around 20 million dollars on the negotiation table. It is just an odd decision. I would have hoped for him to come back, to see if he could duplicate his effort of last year.
To me, it is kind of like seeing a pitcher retire after 1 year in the league because The Moose reinvented himself after a horrific 2007, and I considered him a new pitcher.
Good riddance!
But for all we know about athletes and retirement, he may change his mind on Friday!
Yaros
I wouldn't say his experience was rocky. Sure, he never got the title, but he pitched very well for the most part.
ReplyDeleteYou can't imagine anyone retiring after winning 20 because it's never been done before. Moose is the first to do it.
Why good riddance?
I think Moose made the right choice. He's retiring on a high note, like Michael Strahan. (Different high notes, but you get the idea.) Rather than allow his age to catch up with him, he's allowing himself to step out while still pitching respectably.
He will have to wait probably at least 10 years after he is eligible like Bert Blyleven is now who has 280+wins and 3000 Ks.
ReplyDeleteBut he will probably in 2025 or so get in, by a year where no one else good is eligible comes up. Also sorry yankee fans he had better and more years with the Orioles, the because a yankee argument wont fly here. Half of his seasons with the yankees are below average seasons for a starting pitcher and he is m,ainly getting in for what he did before the yankees.
Mike Mussina:
He almost won a WS
almost a cy young
almost a perfect game
almost another WS in 2004.
almost got Adam Kennedy to fly out in Game 5 of 2005.
almost struckout Curtis Granderson in 2006.
almost didnt give up the series winning hit to Asdrubal Cabrera in 2007.
Mike Mussina was almost a great pitcher
I have issues with both of your comments...
ReplyDeleteJersey, Sandy Koufax was the first pitcher to retire after a 20 win season. And, some seasons in NY, culminating in 2007, where not very good for Mussina.
Off, the biggest problem with the Blyleven argument is winning percentage. Granted Blyleven has more wins, but for pitchers with less that 300 wins, winning percentage is a far more important factor. The Moose is 117 games above .500 and Blyleven was 37 games above .500.
Blyleven has some gaudy stats because he played forever, but he was not a better pitcher than Mussina.
Yaros
mussina did play for better teams, its just an example of 2 players who will get in but just after a long wait, blyleven will get in probably in his last year of eligibility whenever it is, just like jim rice will get in, mussina wont have to wait 15 years but it will be a long time since he will not get in for a few years on the ballot like gossage and sutter. He will get in on one of those off years like 2006 and 2008 where no good first timers were around.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies. Moose is the first to retire after winning 20 since Koufax in '66. But Yaros, you're wrong as well: The first was Henry Schmidt in 1903, followed by two players in 1920.
ReplyDeletewe will talk common era where pitchers don't win nearly 20 games a year
ReplyDeleteyaros
Good riddence usually denotes a negative meaning. however, i think he could be a 3rd starter in a good rotation. i think for him to have qualified for the hall he would need to reach 300 which would be 2 more years. perhaps he felt that was too much.
ReplyDeletehey, maybe hes pulling a favre...
I was hoping he'd come back.
ReplyDeleteMussina won't sniff the Hall of fame. He is NOWHERE NEAR the level of his peers - Maddux, Johnson, Glavine, Pedro, Juiced Clemens. He did finally get his 20 win seasons...but still - thats just one 20 win season. he played on teams with GREAT offenses in baltimore and NY and had Rivera closing games for him for 8 years, and a dominant Randy Myers for a few more. He finished in the top 3 in Cy Young exactly once.
ReplyDeleteHe was a very good pitcher and had a very good career. So did Keith Hernandez, Don Mattingly, Alan Trammell, Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, Dale Murphy, and GIL HODGES.