Three more and an almost for Mussina
When Hank Steinbrenner apologizes for what he said about you, you know you're doing something right. But both Mussina and Steinbrenner come off well in a Monday Newsday piece returing to April's Jamie Moyer comment. Everyone can agree Mike is doing a good job.
He's jumped to win #10 on the season and #260 in his career, up from our last check-in at 257. "He is tied with Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians for the A.L. lead in wins and has now reached 10 victories in each of the last 17 seasons," the Times reported on last week's win. "When you look back on it, you win 10 any way you can do it, it's a good year. And, actually, my minimum's 11. I didn't stop at 10 in any of those years. I actually made it to 11, just like Spinal Tap."
Earlier in the month, win #9/259 led the Times to speculate on a All-Star game start. A few days earlier, #8/258 had the AP noting Mike's tendency to have one bad inning before adjusting and recovering. The trend has definitely been there this year, and it should be interesting to see how it progresses.
Meanwhile, the "almost" of this stretch was a rare loss from Mariano after Mike went an unbeliebable-if-you-didn't-see-the-box-score eight innings. Compared to this effort, the always enjoyable Mussina posts in Strategic Failure fairly described the subsequent #10/260 as a "somewhat more prosaic outing." The blog also made good note of Mike's strikes-to-walks ratio this year, a memorable stat in his early career, one it's surprising to see rebound.
Also surprising: Mussina's role with the media this year. His take on Wang's unfortunate injury, rounding the bases in interleague play: "We run in straight lines most of the time. Turning corners, you just don't do that."
Maybe the unexpected wins are giving him more non-gameday leeway in his head, or with the Yankees press. Maybe the relationship is more comfortable with the Yankees youth movement arriving (relatively)? I figure Joba's a good guy but not a solid quote yet. Maybe it's being in a Girardi clubhouse intead of Torre's? Not that Torre would begrudge anyone the right to say something — Joe always seemed like a good listener — but maybe the space is less hallowed and more engaging.
(You had to love young Steinbrenner's take on the injury. "My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century. Am I (mad) about it? Yes. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s." Forget about interleague games and rivalries. Major League Baseball needs more interleague insults.)
Strategic Failure is reading the Feinstein's Mussina/Glavine book, and I'm interested to hear what he thinks. After being skeptical of what Feinstein — a great writer, but a very regular book writer — could get that wasn't covered in depth last year, a Newsday blog convinces me there's deeper stuff worth reading.
The blog posts about Moose are running fast and furious these days, but other highlights include: the Times Bats taking a look at Cooperstown (no, I've never been there, yes, I of all people should go there), a commenter on a baseball card blog saying his page of Mussina Upper Deck rookies is oddly going down in value (I've got the card, but the Score card was happily my first, thank you late Bethesda Dugout), Seamheads.com has a nice Rookie of the Year reference, Yankee Stadium Insider gets rebuked on doubting the All-Star credentials, and River Ave. Blue posts on the one-inning blues.
And, of course, there's the whiteboard and LoHud (via Bronx Banter).
Mussina wrote "The ice cream is back" on his message board. The Moose made a deal with Girardi that if he got to 10 wins, they'd put the ice cream freezer back in the player lounge. Now there are incentives for 12 wins (donuts) and 15 (candy, maybe).
Mussina went on one of his Dennis Miller-riffs on how he's pitched well for so long on Mountain Dew, donuts and M&Ms.
Now there's a union rep at work.
