Mussina announces retirement
BRONX, NEW YORK (TICKER)

  • New York Yankees righthander Mike Mussina announced Thursday that he is retiring from baseball after 18 major league seasons.

    Mussina is the first pitcher to retire following a 20-win season since Sandy Koufax in 1966. It was the first 20-win season of Mussina’s career.

    The 39-year-old Mussina, who went 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA last season, filed for free agency earlier this month, but there was widespread speculation that he would call it quits.

    Mussina spent eight seasons with the Yankees after playing 10 years for the Baltimore Orioles. He has a career record of 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA, and is expected receive consideration for the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.

    A native of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, Mussina is one of just 18 pitchers in major league history to own a career record of at least 115 games over .500. He is also the only American League pitcher to record 17 consecutive seasons of 10-or-more wins (1992-2008).

    The 6-2, 185-pounder put together one of his best campaigns in years in 2008, finishing sixth in voting for the AL Cy Young Award. He also won his seventh career Gold Glove.

    It was uncertain whether the Yankees would have re-signed Mussina even if he had decided to return. The team has shifted its offseason priorities to younger, high-profile pitchers such as CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

    Though he never won a World Series title, Mussina pitched in 23 playoff games, going 7-8 with a 3.42 ERA. He went to the World Series twice with the Yankees in 2001 and 2003.

    Selected 20th overall by the Orioles in 1990, Mussina ranks 19th all-time with 2,813 strikeouts and is tied with Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes for 32nd place in wins.

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