Mike Mussina (2019)

Date of Birth: 12/8/1968
Birthplace: Williamsport, Pennsylvania
College: Stanford University

Mike Mussina played football and basketball in high school but it was in baseball that he truly excelled. As a pitcher, he had 24 wins to 4 losses and a 0.87 ERA. In the summers, he played on an American Legion team.

Before deciding to attend Stanford University as a baseball player, Mussina turned down an offer to play football for Penn State University and a basketball scholarship at Vanderbilt. As a member of the Stanford baseball team, he was named an All American. He helped the team win two College World Series victories. His college record was 31 wins to 16 losses and a 3.89 ERA. In the summers, he pitched for the North Branch Baseball League of Pennsylvania. In 1990, Mussina graduated from Stanford with a degree in economics.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles drafted Mussina on June 4, 1990 in the first round, and as the 20th overall pick. He spent the 1990 season in the minors.

Mussina joined the Orioles for 12 games in 1991. He had 4 wins and 5 losses, 52 strikeouts to 21 walks, and a 2.87 ERA in 87.2 innings. He also pitched in 19 games in the minors.

Mussina had a career low ERA of 2.54 in 1992. He pitched in 32 games and he had 18 wins and 5 losses and 130 strikeouts to 48 walks in 241.0 innings. The following year, he had a 14-6 win-loss record, 117 strikeouts to 44 walks, and a 4.46 ERA in 167.2 innings in 25 games. In 1994, Mussina's ERA dropped down to 3.06. He finished the season with 16 wins and 5 losses and 99 strikeouts to 42 walks in 176.1 innings in 24 games.

Mussina led the AL in wins and shutouts (4) in 1995. He had 19 wins and 9 losses, 158 strikeouts to 50 walks and a 3.29 ERA in 221.2 innings in 32 games. The next year, he had career highs in games played (36) and innings pitched (243.1). He again had 19 wins, this time with 11 losses, and he struck out 204 batters and walked 69. His ERA in 1996 was 4.81. In his first postseason, he pitched 13.2 innings in 2 games and he struck out 12 batters and walked 4.

An excellent fielder, Mussina won his first Gold Glove in 1996. In 36 games, he made 34 assists, 14 putouts, and no errors. He won his second Gold Glove the next year, when he made 25 assists, 18 putouts, and again no errors. He had a career high in strikeouts in 1997 with 218 (to 54 walks). He finished the season with 15 wins to 8 losses and a 3.20 ERA in 224.2 innings in 33 games. In the postseason, he had 2 wins and no losses and 41 strikeouts to 7 walks in 29.0 innings in 4 games.

Mussina had 13 wins and 10 losses, 175 strikeouts to 41 walks, and a 3.49 ERA in 1998. The following year, he had a better win-loss record (18 wins to 7 losses), but his other numbers were similar to the previous year (172 strikeouts to 52 walks, 3.50 ERA in 203.1 innings in 31 games). He won Gold Gloves both years. He made 38 assists, 12 putouts, and no errors in 1998, and 46 assists, 14 putouts, and one error in 1999.

In 2000, his last season with Baltimore, Mussina led the AL in innings pitched with 237.2. He finished the season with 11 wins to 15 losses, 210 strikeouts to 46 walks, and a 3.79 ERA in 34 games.

New York Yankees

Mussina became a free agent on October 27, 2000. He signed with the New York Yankees on December 7th. He won his fifth Gold Glove in his first season with the Yankees, having 25 assists, 18 putouts, and one error in 34 games. His pitching numbers also were good: 17 wins to 11 losses, 214 strikeouts to 42 walks, and a 3.15 ERA in 228.2 innings in 34 games. He pitched 24.0 innings in 4 games in the postseason and he had 2 wins and 1 loss. He struck out 21 batters and walked 6.

Although Mussina's ERA went up to 4.05 in 2002, he still had a good season, winning 18 games and lossing 10. He struck out 182 batters while walking just 48 in 215.2 innings in 33 games. He didn't pitch well, however, in the postseason. In 4.0 innings in 1 game, he had an ERA of 9.00.

Mussina had another good season in 2003. He finished the season with 17 wins and 8 losses, 195 strikeouts to 40 walks, and a 3.40 ERA in 214.2 innings in 31 games. He won his sixth Gold Glove for making 35 assists, 14 putouts, and no errors. In the postseason, he had 1 win and 3 losses and 32 strikeouts to 8 walks in 29.1 innings in 5 games.

Mussina had poorer seasons in 2004 and 2005, when his win numbers were down and his ERA was up. He finished the 2004 season with 12 wins and 9 losses and a 4.59 ERA, and the following season he had 13 wins and 8 losses and a 4.41 ERA. He pitched in the postseason both years, finishing with 1 win and 1 loss and 22 strikeouts to 3 walks in 19.2 innings in 3 games in 2004, and again a 1-1 win-loss record with 7 strikeouts to 1 walk in 8.1 innings in 2 games in 2005.

Mussina pitched better in 2006, finishing the season with a 15-7 win-loss record, 172 strikeouts to 35 walks, and a 3.51 ERA in 32 games. However, he didn't pitch well in his one game in the postseason, ending with a 5.14 ERA in 7.0 innings. In 2007, his ERA jumped up to 5.15 and his win-loss record was 11-10 in 28 games. He pitched 4.2 innings in 1 game in the postseason and he had a 3.86 ERA.

In 2008, his last season in the major leagues, Mussina had one of his best years. He finished his career with a career high 20 wins and 9 losses, 150 strikeouts to 31 walks, and a 3.37 ERA in 200.1 innings in 34 games. He won his seventh Gold Glove, and he had 23 assists, 18 putouts, and 1 error.

Awards and MLB Records

• Gold Glove (7 times)
• Led AL in wins in 1995
• Led AL in shutouts in 1995
• Led AL in innings pitched in 2000

Career Statistics

Career pitching statistics for Mussina include:

• 537 games played
• 3,562.2 innings pitched
• 270-153 win-loss record
• 2,813 strikeouts to 785 walks
• 3.68 ERA

Career fielding statistics for Mussina include:

• 537 games played
• 497 assists
• 231 putouts
• 15 errors
• .980 fielding percentage

Career postseason statistics for Mussina include:

• 23 games played
• 139.2 innings pitched
• 7-8 win-loss record
• 145 strikeouts to 33 walks
• 3.42 ERA