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Mussina to retire

Frayed Knot Nov 19 2008 05:24 PM

... or so claims FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal. Official announcement to come by the end of the week. Unusual to say the least to retire off a 20-win season, particularly when it's his one and only. But I guess he goes out on top and sticking around just to get 300 wins (he has 270) means two more seasons at least and possibly three. Short of HoF status IMO but a real nice career which will probably be appreciated everywhere except the Bronx where he'll be blamed for never winning. I can't wait to hear the logic about how he only was able to win 20 this year because they weren't in first and the pressure was off. I guess this increases the odds that Pettitte returns.

metirish Nov 19 2008 05:33 PM

Going on your 20 game comment I found this interesting. ] According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's just the fifth pitcher since 1900 to win 20 games or more in the final season of his career -- and the first since Sandy Koufax in 1967. He's the only pitcher in that group to win his 20th game in his final start.

Edgy DC Nov 19 2008 08:14 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 19 2008 09:23 PM

It would seem to be a healthy payday he's walking away from, but maybe Tom Glavine has ruined the market for giving wily and crusty starting pitchers their last contract. Has Glavine retired yet?

Willets Point Nov 19 2008 08:33 PM

="Edgy DC":2wvy2rql]Has Glavine retired yet?[/quote:2wvy2rql] That would be just the type of thing he would do now that he's not a Met. Bastard! Frayed Knot Nov 20 2008 11:22 AM ="metirish":tw53s5c3]According to the Elias Sports Bureau, [Mussina] is just the fifth pitcher since 1900 to win 20 games or more in the final season of his career -- and the first since Sandy Koufax in 1967.[/quote:tw53s5c3] 3 of which kind of don't count. Koufax's left arm was virtually crippled by his final season so he was really forced to retire at age 31. And two of the others were 'Black Sox' hurlers Cicotte & Williams who didn't retire off 20+ win seasons but rather were thrown out of the sport entirely. So it's Mussina plus some guy in the early 1900s. Not sure what his story was. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 20 2008 11:34 AM The whole "20 wins" thing is pretty shaky as a benchmark to begin with but Mussina did have 19 wins in the shortened 1995 season.