“Raw emotion, humorous anecdotes, throngs of cheering fans, moments that were bittersweet, others that embraced thankfulness. And there was even a musical soundtrack provided by a former player. The 2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony had it all.
Mike Mussina
| Birthdate | 12/08/1968 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1991 |
| Year of Induction | 2019 |
| Teams | Orioles, Yankees |
| Position | Pitcher |
A five-time All Star and seven-time Gold Glover, Mike Mussina set an AL record by winning at least 11 games in 17 consecutive seasons.
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Mike Mussina won 270 game and earned votes in Cy Young balloting in 9 seasons
Mike Mussina won 270 game and earned votes in Cy Young balloting in 9 seasons
Mike Mussina broke in with the Baltimore Orioles in 1992. He pitched 12 games, going 4-5 with a 2.87 ERA. Over the next 17 years he averaged 16 victories per season, winning at least 11 each year.
A decorated pitcher, Mussina was a five-time all star and 7-time Gold Glover. Though he never won a Cy Young Award, he did received votes in balloting for the award 9 times. Mussina finished in the top 5 for the Cy six times.
The Stanford All-American won 147 games in his 10 seasons in Baltimore. In December of 2000 he signed a free-agent deal with the Yankees. In his eight seasons in New York, Moose went 123-72. In his final season he won 20 games for the first time in his age-39 season.
In the collection is a check made out to Mussina from the Fleer trading card company for the amount of $15,920 on July 27, 2001. With Topps paying less than $100 per season, it’s difficult to image what Mussina did to warrant such a payment.
On the date in which the check was issued, Mussina pitched eight innings, scattering four hits en route to his 11th victory of the season. It was his first year with the Yankees after ten seasons in Baltimore.
Mussina pitched his entire career in the AL East during the Steroid Era
Mussina pitched his entire career in the AL East during the Steroid Era
Mike Mussina pitched in baseball’s toughest division during his entire career. The 270-game winner pitched a decade in Baltimore and another 8 seasons with the Yankees.
Pitching from 1991-2008 in a high-offense era, Mussina was one of the most consistently reliable pitchers in the game.
It sure would be nice to deposit a check for more than $15K. That’s exactly what Mike Mussina did after endorsing the back of this payment from Fleer.
Mussina retired after the 2008 season in which he led the league with 34 starts and posted a career-best 20 wins. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 2019.
The 2019 Cooperstown class featured Mike Mussina and five others
The 2019 Cooperstown class featured Mike Mussina and five others
The Hall of Fame’s website described the 2019 induction beautifully.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, with temperatures in the low 80s with occasional cloud cover, the wait for baseball immortality finally came to an end for six of the sport’s greats from the last few decades. Historic closers Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith, durable and consistent starting pitchers Mike Mussina and Roy Halladay and slugging designated hitters Harold Baines and Edgar Martinez were inducted as the Class of 2019.”
Baines and Smith got the nod via the Veterans Committee; the other four were writers’ selections. Their inclusion brought the total number of Hall of Famers to 329.
Shown here the autograph of 203-game winner Halladay on a receipt for his 2011 All Star Game ring.
