When as a pitcher, you are unable to make a hitter feel uncomfortable at the plate; it makes one’s task to get that hitter very difficult.
The hitter sees your fastball and off-speed pitches at similar speeds and adjusts instantly, leading to longer at bats and more increasing the chances of making a mistake.
Pitches you were able to paint on the corners leak toward the strike zone and now are hit hard. The fastball that you once threw in the mid 90’s has lost its velocity and can barely touch 90. Your curveball that once had incredible break is now hanging in the middle of the plate on a one-way ticket to orbit.
What happened? How did it go away? Can it ever come back? Does one have to reinvent himself when they have been successful doing it this way for so long?
Welcome to the world of Mike Mussina.
Last season, Mussina was having another respectable season. But in the month of August, something happened. He was already working at reduced velocity, but now it had gotten worse. The 89 MPH fastball was dropping down to 85. Inability to hit the corners or alter speeds on his pitches presented a cavalcade of problems for him.
Four starts. All of them atrocious. It started at home against Detroit. Followed him to Anaheim on a road trip. And concluded in horrific fashion against the same Detroit team at Comerica Park. Former manager Joe Torre had no other choice but to remove him from the rotation as the Yankees were fighting for a playoff spot. Mussina could not explain what was happening to him. He continuously stated he was not injured and facial expressions during the games and afterwards projected a man who defeated mentally with his confidence at an all-time low.
There is an old saying in baseball. If you are 25 and struggling, that is attributed to youth. But when you are older (like, 39) and struggle, it is attributed to age as the reason. The game has passed you by as hitters have figured you out by now and can time you just right to inflict maximum damage.
Mussina could not believe that he just forgot how to pitch out of nowhere. The final six weeks of the season saw Mussina in the dual role of long reliever and spot starter. His success in that role was no different that his August from hell. The offseason came and it was time for Mussina to reflect on his lost season and wonder if he come to the end of his career or find a new way to extend his career and remain in the big leagues, otherwise he would be forced into retirement.
The 2008 season would begin, and after splitting his first two starts, trouble would find him in Boston. The entire Red Sox lineup would not haunt Mussina. But one man, Manny Ramirez, would.
Ramirez hit one homerun in his first at bat of Mussina. In his second, he would try to pitch around him. This time, his first pitch would leak back toward the plate and smacked for a two-run double to chase him out of the game.
Five days later, he would see the same lineup. Again, Ramirez would use Mussina as batting practice. He hit two home runs. One going faster and further than the other. It was also in those two games that he would throw 148 total pitches, and only two times a Red Sox hitter swung-and-missed. Red flags were raised and the Moose was reaching a critical mass. It was beginning (for some) to become a repeat of last season again.
Maybe it truly could be over. A decorated career was now falling victim to old age and deteriorating stuff. With the Yankees turning to young pitchers, it was very possible to see him out of the rotation on a permanent basis. Time was running out and he had to figure out something to correct this problem.
His next start would be in Chicago. The White Sox are known as a free-swinging team that lacks discipline and unlike the Red Sox, patiently grind out at-bats and foul enough pitches off to frustrate a pitcher. On this night, he would use their aggressiveness against them. Utilizing a fastball that was no more than 85 MPH, he would paint all four quadrants of the zone. When hitters were sitting on his lower class version of “The Express”, in came a curveball and a changeup as low as 65 MPH. For seven innings, he would dance and dart his way to a two run, four hit performance earning the victory in a 6-4 Yankees win that night.
As it was playing out, one could ask how the White Sox were missing at such pedestrian pitches. Later, they would credit Mussina for being a “pitcher” on this night. Putting on a classic display of being able to succeed with reduced stuff. Prior to the start, Yankees Chairman Hank Steinbrenner hoped that he would pitch like ageless veteran Jamie Moyer. Moyer, pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies at the ripe age of 45, has continued to make a living as a starter despite barely topping 80 MPH with his fastball. Now Mussina, six years younger was looking to have a similar rebirth.
The resurrection was continuing. He would go on to win his next four starts. Suddenly you looked at the season and Mussina was among the team leaders in wins. Against Baltimore at home on May 20, he could not get out of the first as he surrendered seven runs and five hits in two-thirds of that inning. Perhaps it was time for that market correction to take effect. Nothing was expected from him when the season began. If he were somehow to exceed everyone’s expectations, it could only be looked at as a bonus.
And he has rebounded. Since that game against the Orioles, Mussina has not lost since, running his record as of Saturday night to 10-4 with a 3.82 ERA and well on his way to earning a trip to the All Star Game in his home ballpark Yankee Stadium. He leads the Yankees in wins in a season where if he won 10 games, that would have been acceptable. Featuring a WHIP of 1.22 and walking less than two batters per nine innings, he not giving away at bats and is minimizing the amount base runners get on. Add to that, he is making efficient use of his pitches and not getting into deep counts that have plagued him in prior seasons. In addition, his ability to throw strike one allows him to expand and make hitters look foolish.
It is a complete turnaround. The only wonder now is how long this can last. He has never before won 20 games in a season. Even when he was the apex of his performance, the closest he came was 19. Perhaps it is this time, at this old age, where the stars align. Being able to use his pitches to continue keeping hitters off balance. Being able to pick up a victory on a day where he did not pitch his best, assisted by his offense.
To this point, it has all come together. Maybe he can end up having that magical season after all.
Welcome back Moose. It is a renaissance that no one could have seen coming.
The hitter sees your fastball and off-speed pitches at similar speeds and adjusts instantly, leading to longer at bats and more increasing the chances of making a mistake.
Pitches you were able to paint on the corners leak toward the strike zone and now are hit hard. The fastball that you once threw in the mid 90’s has lost its velocity and can barely touch 90. Your curveball that once had incredible break is now hanging in the middle of the plate on a one-way ticket to orbit.
What happened? How did it go away? Can it ever come back? Does one have to reinvent himself when they have been successful doing it this way for so long?
Welcome to the world of Mike Mussina.
Last season, Mussina was having another respectable season. But in the month of August, something happened. He was already working at reduced velocity, but now it had gotten worse. The 89 MPH fastball was dropping down to 85. Inability to hit the corners or alter speeds on his pitches presented a cavalcade of problems for him.
Four starts. All of them atrocious. It started at home against Detroit. Followed him to Anaheim on a road trip. And concluded in horrific fashion against the same Detroit team at Comerica Park. Former manager Joe Torre had no other choice but to remove him from the rotation as the Yankees were fighting for a playoff spot. Mussina could not explain what was happening to him. He continuously stated he was not injured and facial expressions during the games and afterwards projected a man who defeated mentally with his confidence at an all-time low.
There is an old saying in baseball. If you are 25 and struggling, that is attributed to youth. But when you are older (like, 39) and struggle, it is attributed to age as the reason. The game has passed you by as hitters have figured you out by now and can time you just right to inflict maximum damage.
Mussina could not believe that he just forgot how to pitch out of nowhere. The final six weeks of the season saw Mussina in the dual role of long reliever and spot starter. His success in that role was no different that his August from hell. The offseason came and it was time for Mussina to reflect on his lost season and wonder if he come to the end of his career or find a new way to extend his career and remain in the big leagues, otherwise he would be forced into retirement.
The 2008 season would begin, and after splitting his first two starts, trouble would find him in Boston. The entire Red Sox lineup would not haunt Mussina. But one man, Manny Ramirez, would.
Ramirez hit one homerun in his first at bat of Mussina. In his second, he would try to pitch around him. This time, his first pitch would leak back toward the plate and smacked for a two-run double to chase him out of the game.
Five days later, he would see the same lineup. Again, Ramirez would use Mussina as batting practice. He hit two home runs. One going faster and further than the other. It was also in those two games that he would throw 148 total pitches, and only two times a Red Sox hitter swung-and-missed. Red flags were raised and the Moose was reaching a critical mass. It was beginning (for some) to become a repeat of last season again.
Maybe it truly could be over. A decorated career was now falling victim to old age and deteriorating stuff. With the Yankees turning to young pitchers, it was very possible to see him out of the rotation on a permanent basis. Time was running out and he had to figure out something to correct this problem.
His next start would be in Chicago. The White Sox are known as a free-swinging team that lacks discipline and unlike the Red Sox, patiently grind out at-bats and foul enough pitches off to frustrate a pitcher. On this night, he would use their aggressiveness against them. Utilizing a fastball that was no more than 85 MPH, he would paint all four quadrants of the zone. When hitters were sitting on his lower class version of “The Express”, in came a curveball and a changeup as low as 65 MPH. For seven innings, he would dance and dart his way to a two run, four hit performance earning the victory in a 6-4 Yankees win that night.
As it was playing out, one could ask how the White Sox were missing at such pedestrian pitches. Later, they would credit Mussina for being a “pitcher” on this night. Putting on a classic display of being able to succeed with reduced stuff. Prior to the start, Yankees Chairman Hank Steinbrenner hoped that he would pitch like ageless veteran Jamie Moyer. Moyer, pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies at the ripe age of 45, has continued to make a living as a starter despite barely topping 80 MPH with his fastball. Now Mussina, six years younger was looking to have a similar rebirth.
The resurrection was continuing. He would go on to win his next four starts. Suddenly you looked at the season and Mussina was among the team leaders in wins. Against Baltimore at home on May 20, he could not get out of the first as he surrendered seven runs and five hits in two-thirds of that inning. Perhaps it was time for that market correction to take effect. Nothing was expected from him when the season began. If he were somehow to exceed everyone’s expectations, it could only be looked at as a bonus.
And he has rebounded. Since that game against the Orioles, Mussina has not lost since, running his record as of Saturday night to 10-4 with a 3.82 ERA and well on his way to earning a trip to the All Star Game in his home ballpark Yankee Stadium. He leads the Yankees in wins in a season where if he won 10 games, that would have been acceptable. Featuring a WHIP of 1.22 and walking less than two batters per nine innings, he not giving away at bats and is minimizing the amount base runners get on. Add to that, he is making efficient use of his pitches and not getting into deep counts that have plagued him in prior seasons. In addition, his ability to throw strike one allows him to expand and make hitters look foolish.
It is a complete turnaround. The only wonder now is how long this can last. He has never before won 20 games in a season. Even when he was the apex of his performance, the closest he came was 19. Perhaps it is this time, at this old age, where the stars align. Being able to use his pitches to continue keeping hitters off balance. Being able to pick up a victory on a day where he did not pitch his best, assisted by his offense.
To this point, it has all come together. Maybe he can end up having that magical season after all.
Welcome back Moose. It is a renaissance that no one could have seen coming.
