Mussina Talks About His Time In Baltimore

by blawk359 on Aug 8, 2008 9:01 AM EDT

Yahoo! Sports' Big League Stew blog is one of my daily required reads. Here's an excerpt of an interview with Moose.

Q: Does Baltimore seem like a million years ago?

MM: Yes and no. When you play a long time, the seasons kind of mesh together, but the eight years in New York — now that I sit here — have flown by. For that reason,Baltimore seems like it was just yesterday. But then you think about all the things we've done in the past eight years here — trips to the playoffs — yeah, it seems like a long time ago. There's hardly anyone over there on the other side (Baltimore) — a couple of trainers and a coach or two — that I remember. Other than that, everybody's different. It was a long time ago and it was yesterday.

Q: Why don't people go to Orioles games anymore?

MM: I don't think fourth place every year really brings in the fans.

Q: But that was a place to be.

MM: It was a place to be, but when they built the new stadium, for the next five or six years, there was excitement because it was a new place to watch games and also the team was competitive. It was at or near the top. But that changed in the late '90s and it hasn't gone back since.

Q: How many points did Camden Yards put on your career ERA?

MM: Oh, I don't know. I didn't have anything to Compare it to back then, and now I'm older. It probably added a couple, but there's a lot smaller ballparks out there these days than Camden Yards.

Q: Do you dislike that some Orioles fans look upon you as traitorous?

MM: Traitorous, yeah [nodding head]. No. The people who grew up loving the Orioles in Baltimore, it seems like, once you go and play for that team, "Why would you ever want to leave?" When you're a player, you have to take other things into account. I had to take other things into account. It was time to try something new, so I did.

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God help me...

I read that entire interview and I started to soften on Mussina. It’s just refreshing to read an interview with a baseball player who can string together two sentences. As he draws closer to retirement, I find myself defending him more and more from the “AGH FUCK HIM TRAITOR” foaming at the mouth O’s fans. I mean really, when he left Baltimore, the team was shit and Angelos had dicked around with the contract negotiations. Would you stay? He makes a point. Like it or not, if you’re a guy who grew up in PA and went to college in CA and you come to Baltimore, you’re not thinking “I can’t sign with the Yankees, they’re the enemy!”. So I wish him the best of luck as he makes one more run at 20 wins.

That said, I’ll still feel some small sense of satisfaction when he misses out.

by Brotz13 on Aug 8, 2008 9:22 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

I don't think I ever really blamed him

Your point about why he left Baltimore seems to be a good one. It’s almost fortunate that he didn’t really have a connection with the Orioles before he played for them – I mean, if he had been a lifelong Orioles fan (like Texeira?) and then they fucked him in the ass with the contract situation like the Orioles did, he might harbor some resentment and stay bitter at his favorite team giving him the runaround.

As it stands, the Orioles are just another team that he worked for, and he left when it was time to leave. People are loyal to the company they work for when they’re treated well, but if they’re low-balled or passed over for raise/promotion, and they’re good at what they do, they just move on to a better situation. Mussina did that. How can I be mad at that?

by PhilR8 on Aug 8, 2008 9:43 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Angelos insulted Mussina

And as a Mussina fan, I always felt like Angelos’ offer was sort of insulting to me, too. He did a nice job spinning this like it was Mussina’s fault, but I think the years have passed and more people are thinking the way you do. Who in their right mind would have stuck around for an owner that didn’t want to pay a competitive price?

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Aug 9, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Mussina is a grownup

and grownups don’t care about the same sorts of things that fans do when they make decisions about their employment.

Why on earth would anyone in Mike Mussina’s position in 2000 stay with the Orioles? He took a below-market contract with the Orioles once and quite reasonably decided that he wasn’t going to do it again, especially for a team as dysfunctional as the Orioles were clearly becoming. Meanwhile he had the team that just won three straight World Series courting him with more money than any pitcher had ever seen. Who on earth would spend more than three seconds before deciding to sign with the Yankees?

A lot of fans seem to take a certain delight that Mussina hasn’t won a World Series, which I don’t understand, but there is no way anyone can seriously say that his time with the Yankees hasn’t been immeasurably more satisfying than it would’ve been if he stayed with the Orioles. He’s been in the playoffs every year, played in two World Series, and increased his profile and Hall of Fame chances by playing for the Yankees. Those are things that lots of great baseball players never experienced. None of those things would’ve happened if he stuck with the Orioles. Apparently in private Cal Ripken always wondered if he made a mistake by playing his entire career with the Orioles. Maybe Mussina picked up on that and decided that he wasn’t going to have the same possible regrets.

I always liked Mike Mussina. He was my favorite Oriole of the post-Earl Weaver era and I was a lot more upset with the Orioles than I was with him when he left. I’ve always pulled for him and I’m happy he’s having a good season. I hope he can stick it out and get 300 wins and get in the Hall of Fame (I think he’s a better pitcher than probably a dozen Hall of Famers already, but as stupid as it is 300 wins would guarantee he gets in).

by yurizanow on Aug 8, 2008 9:56 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Agreed

Your comment about playing for the Yankees instantly raising your chances at being elected into the hall of fame is one of the reasons that I really really fucking hate the Yankees. But then again, like you said, I’m a fan – not a working stiff in the baseball business.

And it breaks my heart to read what you said about Cal, and it really makes me hate the Orioles for being a horseshit team for so long. Sigh. Lot of hate in this comment, directed at pretty much everyone except Mussina.

by PhilR8 on Aug 8, 2008 10:05 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I enjoyed watching the O's beat his brains in

A few weeks ago in the Bronx.

by dkdc on Aug 8, 2008 10:16 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

yep...

as stated in other threads, i reserve the right to irrationally dislike mussina, call him judas, fake moose or whatever.

...that being said, he seems like a pretty smart, straight up guy and, in my opinion, is totally deserving of the hall.

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Aug 8, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

The sad truth is that Moose did not belong here--he was too good for the Os

I remember him getting outrageous strikeout totals and giving up next to no runs and losing, because he was the Guts of his time—no run support. He totally outclassed the organization, went above and beyond in terms of loyalty, and even back then when he left I thought Good on him, he deserves a real chance to shine, and a shot at a ring.

by fishoutawata on Aug 8, 2008 11:47 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

He should have been on the Orioles 20 years earlier

He would’ve fit right in.

by yurizanow on Aug 8, 2008 12:03 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

And wouldn't those orange & black Pampers have been adorable?

by fishoutawata on Aug 8, 2008 2:33 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I meant that as a compliment to Mike Mussina

He is an amazing pitcher and would’ve melded well with the other amazing Orioles pitchers of the 1970’s.

by yurizanow on Aug 8, 2008 3:00 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

oh man

Mussina and Palmer would’ve been BFF. Makin’ fun of Earl, playing chess or whatever the fuck they do.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Aug 9, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I don't feel the same love for him that you all do.

Mussina wasn’t treated horribly by the Orioles. He became a millionaire. He was given the opportunity to pitch, he did well, and that was his job. Eventually, he was offered less millions than he wanted or deserved, but he wasn’t “mistreated.” Is that disrespectful? Now-a-days, yes, it’s considered disrespectful.. but really, nobody burned his house down and shot his dog.

He went from the Orioles to the Yankees. As “just a fan” – don’t expect me to be sympathetic to the “grown up” problems he had to overcome while becoming a millionaire playing the game of baseball for the Baltimore Orioles.

And no need to be condescending either… even though we’re “just fans” ... they are just entertainers.

I hope he never wins a world series in New York.

by Y Not on Aug 8, 2008 5:07 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

"you all" was in reference to some of the above posts, by the way

by Y Not on Aug 8, 2008 5:08 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

man

Not having your house burned down or your dog shot doesn’t mean he wasn’t badly mishandled as compared to others in his profession.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Aug 9, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

What would you have done in exact same situation?

Would you have stayed with the much worse team and taken less money?

If the answer is yes, then why, and if the answer is no, then why would expect not him to the same thing or feel upset that he did?

by yurizanow on Aug 9, 2008 7:08 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

You know, I'll hold back an answer on that one

I really don’t know what I’d do… it’s kind of hard for me to imagine being in that sort of position.

But as an Orioles fan, the bastard chose to go to our division rival… that’s all I’m saying.

by Y Not on Aug 10, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

That's a legitimate sentiment that I can understand

Then again, as fan you have to realize that athletes aren’t going to behave any different than any of us would when making decisions about their employment.

You’re comment made me think about the decisions I’ve made in my own life. Like a number of other people on this forum, I decided to leave the Baltimore area to move to New York City because of more opportunities, more things I like to do etc. and as fond as I am of Maryland, it’s not likely I’m going to move back. I just can’t come up with a compelling reason why I should begrudge Mike Mussina from making the same decision for essentially the same reasons.

by yurizanow on Aug 10, 2008 10:51 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

If he's a Hall of Famer...

Does he go in as an Oriole or a Yankee?

Career wins will probably end up split pretty evenly between the two franchises. He was probably better for much of his O’s career, but that was a long time ago. People pay more attention to New York players. He’s had this late-career Renaissance with the Bombers this year. If he gets to 20 wins in a Yankee uni that’ll weigh big. Even bigger if they manage to win a WS while he’s on the team and pitching at least reasonably well.

Add to that the distaste many Oriole fans hold for him (though that’s cooling, I think), and I think he’s a Yankee in the Coop, which is really a pretty big shame.

by pipkin on Aug 8, 2008 6:26 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

I've been asking this Q for awhile

ti’s a toss up. Right now, I want to say the O’s have a slight edge but if Moose posts a couple more strong seasons as a Yank, then it might tip the balance.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on Aug 8, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs