Yardbarker: Mike Mussina

Moose, Yankees rolling along

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:12:22 -0500

How is Mike Mussina doing this? At 39, a year removed from pitching like a washed-up old man headed for the end of his career, Mussina is pitching as well or better than anyone in the American League, and as well as he ever has. Mussina is now 13-6 after 8 shutout innings in a 5-1 victory [...]

Moose, Yankees rolling along

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:12:22 -0500

Heads They Win, Tails You Lose

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:25:11 -0500

With a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Twin Killer Mike Mussina this afternoon, the Twins were officially swept out of the grand old park in their final regular season trip to the Bronx. Which brings me to a crossroads — the baseball fan in me will miss Yankee Stadium dearly, while the Twins fan [...]

Moose

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:54:43 -0500

Moose- 12 wins 3.49 ERA 15.2 VORP 4.625 STRIKE OUT TO WALK RATIO Who says he is washed up?

The 2008 Sleepers that Were and Weren't

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:27:51 -0500

With half the season already over, we thought it be a good time to go back and see how our 2008 sleeper picks are doing. Read what we said back in March and see who we got right and who we got wrong.

Baseball Musings at the Break

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:11:08 -0500

A few New York baseball thoughts while cursing the mythical "sick passenger" on the F train… It was great of Billy Wagner to let us know (via an article by ESPN.com writer Jason Stark) what the root of the New York Mets' problems were earlier this season: "I don't want to bash Willie, because I liked him, Billy Wagner said. "But before, it was more of The Yankee Way. It wasn't The Mets Way. There was no facial hair. You could never have music in the clubhouse. You couldn't have kids around. Believe it or not, some of us in here actually like kids." So it was the lack of facial hair and children in the clubhouse. Of course!! And I thought the problem was lack of production from the middle of the line-up. Silly me. Speaking of Wagner, I still don't trust him late in the game against good teams. Call him a baby, say he pouts, doesn't foucs, whatever…At the break, Jose Reyes is second in the National League in hits, fourth in runs scored and eighth in total bases. Throw in 32 steals and 42 RBI and Mets fans should really stop complaining about the guy. At this pace, he could make 30 errors this season and it wouldn't bother me. Ramon Castro should be catching 65-70% of the games for the Mets. Offensively he is light years ahead of Brian Schneider. I still don't see all the fuss about Schneider's defense. Give me Howie Rose on WFAN over Gary, Keith and Ron on SNY any day of the week. Radical idea that's not that radical: While Johnny Damon is injured; Joe Girardi should consider moving Bobby Abreu into the lead off spot. Abreu's lifetime OBP of .405 makes him much more of a table setter than the inexperienced Brett Gardner or the light-hitting Melky Cabera. Plus, while Abreu physically has the look of a middle-of- the-order masher, he has hit over 20 homeruns only once in the past 4 seasons. Not exactly Reggie Jackson numbers, especially for a lefty in Yankee Stadium. When Damon is back, Girardi could also consider Abreu in the #2 hole and drop Derek Jeter down to 3rd in the order. Idealy you want more power in the from your number 3 hitter, but with Damon and Abreu on base, Jeter could drive in 100 runs without using the long ball, the same way Tommy Herr did in 1985. In the first half of the season, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte have shown why 9 times out of 10, it's better togo with veteran starting pitchers than inexperienced throwers. Count me as one of the many who thought both of these guys were done. However they've kept the Yankees in contention, keeping the team in ball games almost every time they take the mound. If the Bombers can get anything out of back of the rotation, whether through a trade or from players already on the roster, they should be in the hunt for the Wildcard. Bashing Alex Rodriguez for not participating in the Home Run Derby is absurd. For guys who aren't hackers like Ryan Howard, the Derby affects a hitter's swing. Just ask David Wright. Has Major League Baseball checked Jason Giambi's mustache yet for HGH yet? How about his thong? How else can you explain his comeback? I've always thought Robinson Cano was a tad overrated, but he's a better hitter than he's shown so far. He should give the Yanks a boost in the second half of the season. Evaluating him like a normal second year player and not Superman, Joba Chamberlain has pitched pretty well. While long term he has more value as a starter than a reliever/closer, for this season, I still think the Yankees will get burned in the 7th and 8th inning. R.I.P. Bobby Murcer.

Actual AL Cy Young Odds

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:03:39 -0500

From Bodog.

Andy Pettitte, 50:1
Pettitte is actually one of the better longshots here. With 10 wins, he is only two behind Lee and Saunders. The problem is that he also has seven losses, and his ERA are over 4 (with his peripherals supporting about that level). 50:1 seems about right for him.

Cliff Lee, 9:2
I actually put Lee at exactly this price a few weeks ago. For him, not all that much had changed. Your AL All-Star starter has a good shot of being the best pitcher in the league, but the other factors that help you win a Cy Young--a good team record, a good bullpen, and a good offense--aren't exactly in his favor.

Ervin Santana, 13:2
It's interesting to see that Santana, with a higher ERA and fewer wins, has lower odds than Saunders. This makes sense, of course, since Santana has the peripherals to support his current stats, while Saunders does not. Santana is probably the third favorite at this point, and is priced accordingly.

Joe Saunders, 10:1
I would have him a little higher--probably somewhere between 12:1 and 15:1--but after factoring in juice, this makes sense. No value here.

John Danks, 20:1
Danks is actually fourth among AL pitchers in VORP, but only has seven wins. He would have to have a ridiculous second half to accumulate enough Ws to be considered.

John Lackey, 25:1
Lackey has gotten wins in six of his 11 starts, and has a 2.47 ERA. If he hadn't missed six weeks, he might be the favorite. As it stands, he has a lot of catching up to do. He's not completely out of it, but he obviously has a lot of catching up to do. Probably not a lot of value at 25:1.

Jon Lester, 20:1
Lester didn't make the All-Star team because he's only 7-3, and he's not a real Cy Young contender for the same reason. He had a nice first half, with a 3.38 ERA, but is due for some regression, as his strikeout, walk, and GB ratios are only average.

Josh Beckett, 12:1
He could stand to get some more ground balls, but Beckett has actually had a really good year, with a 107:24 K:BB ratio in 112 innings. He is probably the fifth most likely to win the award, so 12:1 makes sense.

Justin Duchscherer, 9:2
He really got screwed yesterday. He has been getting lucky all year though, with a .213 BABIP and a 4.8% HR/FB ratio. His QERA is 4.40, which is right around his PECOTA projection. He's got a shot, but he certainly doesn't deserve to be priced right with Lee and Halladay.

Mariano Rivera, 6:1
I don't really understand this at all. Why is he here and not K-Rod? I get that Mariano has a low ERA, and hasn't blown a save, but this is ridiculous. He only has 23 saves, and he has three losses. And I don't care how good his K:BB ratio is (50:4), if the Yankees don't make the playoffs, he's got no chance.

Mike Mussina, 20:1
This is about right. 11 wins and a decent ERA. Not exactly a thrilling candidacy, but he's in the mix. Mussina also might get some points for the 250 wins he recorded prior to this year. His best Cy Young finish was second, in 1999 (although it wasn't exactly close).

Roy Halladay, 5:1
I think this is too high. What's not to like? 11-6 so far, with a 2.71 ERA. Best QERA in the league, at 3.07. Best FIP, at 2.86. Most innings, with 146.1. An outrageous amount of ground balls (56%). 121:21 K:BB ratio. And a very good track record prior to this season. All that, and he's priced below Justin Duchscherer? The only problem is Toronto's offense, which isn't exactly a juggernaut. Even so, if there's value in any of these, I think it's with Halladay.

Field, 9:2
This includes Matsuzaka, Kazmir, King Felix, Gavin Floyd, and of course K-Rod. I'm not sure why some of those guys aren't listed while Lester and Danks are, but I also don't think 9:2 is particularly high for that group.

Bodog also has odds on the NL Cy Young, and the MVP in both leagues.

Yankees First Half Recap

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:30:52 -0500

What do you get when Mike Mussina is your best starter, Mariano Rivera is making all of his other seasons look ho-hum, Derek Jeter is among the league leaders in double plays, there's a free mustache giveaway at the Stadium, and your back up catcher is putting up better defensive stats than your starter? Why, the 2008 Yankees, of course!

MLB Sets New Interleague Attendance Record

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500

Major League Baseball has set new records for total and average attendance during Interleague Play (8,893,312 and 35,573, respectively), eclipsing the previous marks (8,795,939 and 34,905) set last season. It marks the third straight season that MLB has set new highs for attendance during Interleague Play and the fifth straight year that the total Interleague attendance has increased. One Interleague game still remains (the July 10th make-up of the June 26th NYY-PIT rainout). The 2008 Interleague average of 35,573 per game is 15.9 percent higher than this season’s current intraleague average of 30,689 per game. Since its inception in 1997, Interleague Play has drawn 12.5 percent more fans than intraleague games; Interleague Play has averaged 33,250 fans per game, compared to the intraleague average of 29,563 fans per game during the same span. Overall this season, MLB’s cumulative average attendance is 31,687 fans per game (38,784,809 fans over 1,224 dates), representing a 0.6 percent increase over the same date during the record-breaking 2007 season and currently putting MLB on track for a fifth consecutive year of record overall attendance. Thus far, the American League has posted 149-102 record in Interleague Play, marking the fifth straight season in which the A.L. has won the season-series and extending its all-time Interleague lead to 1,536-1,419 (.520). Eleven of the A.L.’s 14 Clubs finished over .500. A.L. Clubs collected a .275 batting average with 1,247 runs scored, 276 home runs and a 3.69 ERA, compared to the N.L.’s .251 batting average, 1,010 runs scored, 251 home runs and 4.56 ERA. With a 2.44 team ERA, the Minnesota Twins earned the top Interleague record with a 14-4 (.778) mark, followed by the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals, both of whom went 13-5 (.722). Overall, A.L. Central Clubs went 58-32 (.644) in Interleague Play, with four of its five Clubs going 12-6 or better. The New York Yankees, who were 10-7 in Interleague Play this year, have baseball’s best all-time Interleague record at 123-86 (.589), followed by the Oakland Athletics (10-8) at 123-89 (.580). The Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets tied for the N.L.’s best Interleague mark with 9-6 records. The Florida Marlins, who went 5-10 in Interleague Play this year, still have the National League’s best all-time Interleague record at 110-91 (.547). Interleague Play’s all-time statistical leaders include Albert Pujols with a .350 batting average; Derek Jeter with 278 hits; Jim Thome with 55 home runs; Carlos Delgado with 153 RBI; Mike Mussina with 21 wins; Johan Santana with a 2.49 ERA; and Mariano Rivera with 55 saves. The Interleague leaders in 2008 were Aaron Miles of the St. Louis Cardinals with a .463 batting average; Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox with 36 hits; Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox with eight home runs and 23 RBI; Mark Buehrle (4-0) of the White Sox, Andy Sonnanstine (4-0) of the Tampa Bay Rays and A.J. Burnett (4-1) of the Toronto Blue Jays with four wins; Jair Jurrjens of the Atlanta Braves with 0.00 ERA (min.: 1.0 IP per team’s games played); and George Sherrill of the Baltimore Orioles and Joakim Soria of the Kansas City Royals with seven saves apiece. Select Read More to see additional statistical data on 2008 Interleague Play.

MLB Fantasy Minute - Week 14

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:31:49 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon breaks out his famed MLB Fantasy Minute and breaks down the MLB's top five stories. Low batting average does not mean low fantasy production. Dodgers youngsters are making their case. And is K-Rod a fantasy MVP? Mr. Yoon has all if it covered and much more.

Moose an All Star snub

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:10:07 -0500

Last season Mike Mussina won 11 games and was 4-6 with a 4.62 ERA in the 1st half. On Saturday he equaled last seasons win total tossing six scoreless innings vs. the Boston Red Sox. The win also gave him 261 for his career and has won at least 10 games in 17 straight seasons. Moose said he was not upset that Boston manager Terry Francona did not select him. Dice-K was also not picked and is an impressive 9-1 with a 3.12 ERA. The Stanford grad lowered his ERA to 3.46 and has looked like a different pitcher since April. He has walked only 16 batters in 18 starts and has stepped up to be ace of the staff. He is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA vs the Tampa Bay Rays who have the best record in the American League. He has not been an all star since 1999 and the 39-year-old has exceeded all expectations. "We'd be under .500, that's for sure, if Moose hadn't done what he's done," Yankee manager Joe Giradi said. Since joining the Yankees in 2001, Mussina has not been named to the AL all star squad. I feel he should of been named over Tampa bay lefty Scott Kazmir. The 24 year-old lefty has 4 less wins and 12 more walks. He has pitched 30 fewer innings than Moose due to a DL stint. The ex-Met has not gone 6 innings in his past 4 starts while Moose has pitched at least 6 innings in each of his past six starts including two starts where he went 8. The Ray that was left out was stud rookie Evan Longoria who should of been selected over White Sox third baseman Joe Crede. In Mussinas last 14 starts he has allowed 3 runs or fewer in 12 of them. Before beating Boston yesterday he allowed 9 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings vs. the Sox in early April. The 39 year-old has battled through tearly season struggles to become the Yankees more consistent starter. Moose will not be joining Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera at next weeks game but he is on pace for 19 wins which would be his highest output since 1995. "He's the comeback player of the year," said Alex Rodriguez, the game's top vote-getter. "He's been a magician this year for us and a life-saver and he still has an outside shot of making it if someone goes down."

Moose an All Star snub

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:10:06 -0500

Mussina's All Star Snub a Real Shame

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:10:49 -0500

Mike Mussina says that he "OK" with his omission from the 2008 American League All Star Team. I think it is a shame. In all likelihood this will be Mike's last shot to make the team. He is having an outstanding year and is just as deserving as any other starter who made the team. He is even on schedule to pitch on that day. It would have been real nice to see Moose jog out to the First Base foul line with the "Moose calls" raining down from the upper deck. I just hope Terry Francona does not cheat the hometown Yankees fans of seeing Mariano Rivera jog in from the bullpen in the 9th inning with "Enter Sandman" blaring from the centerfield speakers. As Michael Kaye says "It is the coolest entrance in sports".

Who has the most All0stars

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:15:30 -0500

There has been debate about who should vote for the All-star teams but in the end, the teams usually end up equally, even if the AL team always wins. This year's voting has been filled with late overtakings including the young wiz kid Ryan Braun overtaking Ken Griffey Jr. This year there are two teams tied for most All-stars at seven, one team having a great season and the other having a somewhat disappointing season currently in second place.

Who has the most All0stars

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:15:30 -0500