Mike Mussina Spring Training Performance Thread

[Martini6196]

Well Mussina got tattoed today for 6 runs in 3 innings including a 3 run homer by Carlos Lee. I hope the Yankees have a back-up plan for Moose and it better not be Kei Igawa.

[sahara]

He's old and it's still really early in ST. I don't think he's going to be very good this year and we're going to get to see what Horne and Marquez have at some point because of it, but we need to wait a bit more on him.

Best case, we only "need" him to be slightly worse than league average and eat the innings the younger three guys can't anyway. That may be doable.

[Rastven]

Pointless thread.
It seemed like he was getting ahead of batters but couldn't seem to put people away completely.
If this was his last start before the regular season was to commence I'd be concerned but it's his first so no big deal.

Hell, his start was on par with Santana's and better than Zito's.

[hardrain]

I knew this would happen. (the thread that is). A borderline Hall of Famer was working on his pitches in an early Spring Training Start...

[TheYankee]

Pointless thread.
It seemed like he was getting ahead of batters but couldn't seem to put people away completely.
If this was his last start before the regular season was to commence I'd be concerned but it's his first so no big deal.

Hell, his start was on par with Santana's and better than Zito's.

Pointless thread? Hardly. What's wrong about discussing the performance of a guy that struggled last season, and is a big part to what the Yankee's may do this season?

I didn't get to pull up the webfeed until into the 5th, so I didn't get to see any of his work. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm worried about Moose's spot in the rotation this year.

[TheYankee]

I knew this would happen. (the thread that is). A borderline Hall of Famer was working on his pitches in an early Spring Training Start...

Maybe the thread starter went a bit over the top, but I think a thread to discuss his starts and backup possibilities is a good discussion piece.

[yanksphan]

Move his locker before he rubs off on Phil and Ian.

DOOOOOOMED!

[Rastven]

Pointless thread? Hardly. What's wrong about discussing the performance of a guy that struggled last season, and is a big part to what the Yankee's may do this season?

I didn't get to pull up the webfeed until into the 5th, so I didn't get to see any of his work. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm worried about Moose's spot in the rotation this year.

Pointless because the OP is trying to extrapolate Moose's regular season performance based on his FIRST spring training start.
If you follow the logic of the OP the Mets should be preparing to a backup plan for Santana as he had as bad a stat line in his first outing.

[Martini6196]

Maybe the thread starter went a bit over the top, but I think a thread to discuss his starts and backup possibilities is a good discussion piece.

This is exactly what I was trying to do. I just thought I would start a thread discussing Mussina's progression through Spring Training because of his importance to the team this year.

[hardrain]

Pointless because the OP is trying to extrapolate Moose's regular season performance based on his FIRST spring training start.
If you follow the logic of the OP the Mets should be preparing to a backup plan for Santana as he had as bad a stat line in his first outing.

Yeppers. And also why not let Karstens start opening day since he went 3 scoreless after relieving Moose? I mean, this game is the end all, be all.

Also, just for the record, Moose did not give up 6 runs as the thread starter says,,,he gave up 5 runs, 4 earned. A small point but it shows how exaggeration can rear its head when it comes to Moose.

[Rastven]

This is exactly what I was trying to do. I just thought I would start a thread discussing Mussina's progression through Spring Training because of his importance to the team this year.

An opening post that relied less on hyperbole and panic and more on logical thought and context would have gotten that point across better.

[NYYDragoon]

It was a rough outing, but I sincerely hope he can turn it around before the real thing begins.

The best part of Spring Training is that there's room for mistakes...

[JavyVazquezIsSick]

Moose isn't going to be good, but this Spring Training start has nothing to do with it.

[hardrain]

I am an official MOOSE b**t boy

[hobokenfish]

Yeppers. And also why not let Karstens start opening day since he went 3 scoreless after relieving Moose? I mean, this game is the end all, be all.

Also, just for the record, Moose did not give up 6 runs as the thread starter says,,,he gave up 5 runs, 4 earned. A small point but it shows how exaggeration can rear its head when it comes to Moose.

I wish Moose would exaggerate the velocity on his fastball and get it over 85 mph this season. This silly spring training outing aside, the guy's had a fork sticking out of his back for the past year and a half.

[Martini6196]

An opening post that relied less on hyperbole and panic and more on logical thought and context would have gotten that point across better.

Wow sorry buddy........didn't mean to upset you so much. Are you a big Moose fan?

[keg411]

Moose had a horrible ST two years ago and a great season; he had a horrible ST last year and a horrible season. I don't think he's going to be great in the regular season, but like Rich said, it's not because of ST; it's because he's old.

[bigdan]

This is not really a bad thing. The games don't count. The sooner the Yanks figure out Mussina is not a No 3 starter the closer they will be to a solution to their starting rotation problems.

[hardrain]

2008 MOOSE PROJECTIONS

Bill James projects 11-7, 3.74, with 159 hits surrendered in 154 innings.

Tom Tango projects 10-8, 4.53, 174 hits surrendered in 155 innings.

Both James and Tango see Moose picking up his K/9 ratio. It was a mere 5.39 in 2007. But James sees Mike leveling out at 7.25 and Marcel at 6.56.

[Rastven]

Wow sorry buddy........didn't mean to upset you so much. Are you a big Moose fan?

Yeah I do like Moose but what I like more is reasoned discussion of a players performance.
if you had bothered to a) get his stat line correct and b) put that stat line into its correct context such a discussion would have already have been underway.

[Sixty one]

It is March 3rd.!! If this was the end of the exhibition season and he was showing no progress....then you panic, not now!!

[NewEraYanks2527]

A Spring Training Performance Thread? Really?

[primetime714]

Moose had a horrible ST two years ago and a great season; he had a horrible ST last year and a horrible season. I don't think he's going to be great in the regular season, but like Rich said, it's not because of ST; it's because he's old.

Agreed. Moose usually is terrible in ST especially as he is getting older. I'm concerned about Moose this year, but it's not because of his ST performance its because last year the guy looked like he was toast. I'm not certain that he'll have a bad year, but I'm relatively certain he won't have a great year. Still I could see him holding down a 4.5 ERA, winning some games, and taking up some innings.

[R.V.47]

2008 MOOSE PROJECTIONS

Bill James projects 11-7, 3.74, with 159 hits surrendered in 154 innings.

Tom Tango projects 10-8, 4.53, 174 hits surrendered in 155 innings.

Both James and Tango see Moose picking up his K/9 ratio. It was a mere 5.39 in 2007. But James sees Mike leveling out at 7.25 and Marcel at 6.56.

ERA under 4 for Moose? Not likely in the AL east. Ill take Tangos projection as more likely.

[VinnyTheMick]

I'm glad we got to see all that determination Girardi talked about from Moose today.