[新聞] Mussina gets milestone 20th victory

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Mussina gets milestone 20th victory http://myurl.com.tw/230j (NYY Official) BOSTON -- Mike Mussina started the day with a crossword puzzle and finished it munching on McDonald's french fries. Between these two staples of his life, the notorious creature of habit found the time to try something new: becoming a 20-game winner. In what he admits might have been the final start of his Major League career, the right-hander added an important line to his vaunted resume on Sunday, reaching an elusive career milestone by defeating the Red Sox, 6-2, on the last day of the regular season. "This is one of those things that's going to take a little while to sink in," Mussina said. "I've been playing baseball a long time, and I've accomplished some things. I've been on championship teams, had some really good years, and this is the last day of the season of a split doubleheader in Boston in the rain ... It's just kind of perfect. The story just fit together nicely." By throwing six innings of scoreless ball, Mussina lined up for his long-pursued accomplishment exactly 12 years to the date of his last opportunity to win No. 20, when he was pitching for the Baltimore Orioles. After logging the 270th victory of his Major League career, he said he has some interest in continuing to pitch but would be "completely satisfied" in walking away as well. "It's my last game in my last year [under contract], and I don't know what the future holds," he said. "It could be my last year, it may not be my last year. When you get to your 18th season, it could always be your last season." In hopes of securing the victory for Mussina, manager Joe Girardi fielded a lineup featuring most of his regulars. The only exception was shortstop Derek Jeter, who asked out with a sore left hand so he would not hurt Mussina's chances. "Guys were so happy," Girardi said. "They were clapping when he came in, and there were a lot of hugs when he came back on the field. It was a special moment for Moose." "I just feel really happy for him," catcher Jose Molina said. "After all the struggles that he had last year, to come back and win 20 games and have a good season, that tells you what kind of guy he is. A lot of people wanted to be there for the 20th win." Over his 18-year career, Mussina has accepted a tag of "Mr. Almost," having come tantalizingly close to but never winning a Cy Young Award or a World Series game, or throwing a perfect game. Armando Benitez blew Mussina's last chance at a 20-win season in Toronto by surrendering a ninth-inning home run to Ed Sprague, and Mussina never could have imagined he'd have to wait so long for another shot. He became the oldest first-time 20-game winner in Major League history. "I guess it's worth being close all those times to be able to do it this late in your career," Mussina said. Xavier Nady gave Mussina support in the fourth with his 25th home run of the season, a well-placed shot to right field that hit the top of the fence as J.D. Drew ran out of room. That accounted for New York's scoring against Daisuke Matsuzaka, who scattered four hits while walking two and striking out five in a tuneup start for the American League Division Series. Mussina, who finished the year 20-9, walked two and struck out three before relying on the bullpen for nine outs. He faced a moment of truth in the fourth inning, allowing singles to Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz to open the frame. Mussina got Kevin Youkilis to fly out to center field and then induced Drew to hit into an inning-ending double play, escaping unscathed. "It's been remarkable what he's been able to do," Girardi said. "We're not sure what he's going to do next year, but so far he's had one heck of a career. It's got to be gratifying, when he got close so many times, to be able to do it finally and kind of get that little thing off your back where he says he was never a 20-game winner. They can't say that anymore." Mussina won 19 games in back-to-back seasons (1995 and '96) for the Orioles, the closest he had been to the mark until Sunday. He was given free rein to control his start on Sunday, but he told Girardi that he was done after six innings and 73 pitches, his right elbow not at 100 percent after being struck with a line drive during his last start, on Tuesday at Toronto. Out of the game, Mussina paced the clubhouse during the seventh and eighth innings before walking to the dugout to watch Mariano Rivera pitch the final inning, placing his trust in the bullpen. Boston scored twice in the eighth inning off Joba Chamberlain, Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte, but Rivera recorded the final four outs for his 39th save. "I didn't have one complete game this year, so I couldn't have done this without every other guy in uniform since April," Mussina said. Mussina kept several souvenirs from the game, securing the final pitch he threw in the sixth inning, as well as his last strikeout -- Jed Lowrie, looking, in the fifth inning. Rivera hugged Mussina and presented him with the ball from the final out. Mussina also obtained both of his jerseys from the start -- he'd changed after the second inning just so he'd have an extra. Growing so close to the 300-victory mark, Mussina said that if he returns next season, he'd essentially be penciling himself in for 2010 and 2011 as well, barring a terrible year such as the one Atlanta's Tom Glavine endured. His preference would be to pitch for the Yankees, and though there are other options, he refuses to become nomadic in pursuit of 300 wins. "I've been lucky enough to play for two teams for 18 seasons," he said. "I'm not going to bounce around and try to scratch something out that still may never happen. ... It's not about salary. It's about the right situation to win as a group and the right situation to try to win 30 more games." Girardi is among those who believes that Mussina is the type of pitcher who could do it, citing the New York Giants' Michael Strahan as an example of a player who left the sport on top. And, as Mussina said, it would be much easier to walk away 30 wins shy of 300 than if he gets any closer. "I think it'd be pretty cool," Mussina said. "I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I think it'd be pretty cool." -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 220.229.141.120