Mike Mussina to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Yesterday, starting pitcher extraordinaire’ Mike Mussina (“Moose”) was announced as the 23rd player, coach, or front office executive with modern-day ties to the Baltimore Orioles to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Mussina, 50, played 18 Major League seasons from 1991-2008, including his first 10 seasons with the Orioles. He currently holds the best all-time winning percentage by a qualifying Orioles pitcher with a minimum of 140 decisions (.645), and ranks among the club’s all-time leaders in strikeouts (second, 1,535); wins (third, 147); ERA (fifth, 3.53); starts (fifth, 288); innings pitched (sixth, 2009.2); shutouts (eighth, 15); and complete games (10th, 45).
A five-time American League All-Star, all with Baltimore, Mussina won seven Gold Gloves, including four with the Orioles, and finished inside the top six of Cy Young Award voting nine times, seven with Baltimore. As a member of the Orioles, Mussina led the American League with a .783 winning percentage (18-5) in 1992; wins (19); shutouts (four); and walks per 9.0 innings (2.03) in 1995; games started (36) in 1996; and innings pitched (237.2) in 2000.
He tossed three one-hitters with the Orioles and struck out 15 batters in a game twice. In six career postseason starts with the Orioles, Mussina went 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA (12 ER/42.2 IP). He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2012.
Mussina ranks 20th all-time in Major League history with 2,813 strikeouts, tied for 32nd in wins (270), 33rd with a .638 winning percentage (270-153), and 34th in games started (536). Mussina, a Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native, was originally selected by the Orioles in the first round (No. 20 overall) of the 1990 First-Year Player Draft out of Stanford University.
Of his 18 seasons in the Bigs, Mussina played for Baltimore from 1991 – 200, and then the New York Yankees from 2001 – 2008.
Statement from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner:
“I’m very pleased that Hall of Fame voters recognized Mike’s consistently dominant career by honoring him with enshrinement into Cooperstown. While he went about his business in an understated way, Mike was a premier pitcher for almost two decades while competing in the grueling American League East. I’d like to congratulate Mike on this incredible distinction and for his many years of contributions to the Yankees and the game of baseball.”
Mussina will be formally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the ceremonies in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 21, at 1:30 p.m. ET.
(Source: MLB)
~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
