10th anniversary: Mussina one out from perfection

10 years ago today, Mike Mussina came close, so very close, to immortality. While pitching for the Yankees against their arch-rival Red Sox, Mussina retired the first 26 batters he faced but allowed a single to the 27th batter, pinch hitter Carl Everett. This was not Mussina’s first near miss. Years early on May 30, 1997 he had a perfect game broken up with one out in the ninth by Sandy Alomar. This time he came one out closer. I remember watching this 2001 game and the post-game. In the interview, Mussina said he was aware he had a perfect game as he went along, and he was aware of it in 1997, too. He just had to go out and make his pitches, but both Alomar and Everett made the swings they needed to for the ball to land between the defenders. The 2001 game was a bit more impressive, though. Whereas Mussina fanned “only” 10 men in his 1997 near miss, he blew away 13 in 2001. He fanned five of the first six batters of the game. The only time he went a full inning with...