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Mike Mussina took a secret to the ballpark every day this season. Maybe that's why he was so successful on the mound, so jovial in the clubhouse.
From the start of spring training, he knew this was his final year – even if it meant giving up bids for 300 wins, a World Series ring and a better shot at the Hall of Fame.
The New York Yankees pitcher walked away from baseball yesterday after his only 20-win season, weeks shy of his 40th birthday with a still-potent right arm.
"I don't have any regrets with what I decided. This is the right time," Mussina said on a conference call. "I don't think there was ever a point where I looked around and said, `You know what, I'm going to change my mind.' It was like the last year of high school. You know it's going to end and you enjoy the ride.''
Mussina, who finished 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 seasons with Baltimore and New York, says his dad and brother tried to talk him out of retirement.
"I love baseball. I love playing, I love pitching," Mussina said. "This is good for me. This is it.''
As for what's next, "I don't really have any plans," he said.
"I think February is going to be a little strange," he said. ``It'll be different. It'll be weird.''
Associated Press
