There isn’t a Yankees fan alive who didn’t have Mike Mussina falling in behind staff ace Chien-Ming Wang by the first week of May, right?
Nobody thought Mussina was too old. Everybody believed he could bounce back from last year’s pedestrian season that included multiple injuries. Andy Pettitte was a nice addition, but he wasn’t Mussina. As for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, they were just kids.
Yeah, right.
The truth is, when Mussina reported to spring training, he was the biggest question mark in the rotation. Even if Hughes and Kennedy lacked experience, more people were concerned about Mussina.
Now, the antique right-hander is second to Wang and a big reason the wounded Yankees haven’t let the AL East get away from them in the opening five weeks.
“I wanted to come out this year and prove to myself that I still could compete at this level,” Mussina said.
Outside of two spankings administered by Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox, Mussina (4-3) has done more than compete. The 6-1 loss he hung on the Mariners yesterday in front of 52,810 chilly Yankee Stadium customers was the 39-year-old’s third straight win.
Having gone 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA and spending time on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and fighting other leg problems last year, Mussina was asked if doubted himself.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen the next year,” said Mussina, who posted his 254th career victory to pass Carl Hubbell and tie Jack Morris and Red Faber for 39th place on the all-time list. “At this point, five weeks into the season, I am pretty pleased with what has happened.”
The Yankees, who were concerned during spring training that Mussina’s velocity wasn’t going to get better than the 83-84 mph it was, are doing cartwheels over his pitching lately.
Yesterday, Mussina allowed a run and seven hits in six innings. Most impressive was his ability to stay out of trouble in the third and fourth by feeding Wladimir Balentien and Richie Sexson double-play balls.
In the sixth with a 4-1 lead, Mussina pitched around third baseman Morgan Ensberg’s one-out throwing error by fanning Jeff Clement and Sexson.
“I am getting the ball where I want to and doing what I want to,” Mussina said.
Johnny Damon keyed a 13-hit attack with three hits, including a two-run homer. Hideki Matsui went 2-for-5 and has hit in 13 straight games. Derek Jeter had three hits.
There are still almost five months remaining, and nights when Mussina gets punished are going to surface because he gives up hits. Yet, five weeks into the season, Mussina has answered all the question marks by bouncing back from the Boston beatings to give the Yankees a reliable arm between Wang and Pettitte.
Just like everybody drew it up in February, right?