Let’s Hear It For The Yankees Sunshine Boys
Through last night’s game, Mike Mussina, Joba Chamberlain, and Mo Rivera each have 20+ Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA) on the season. If they can keep that up through season end, it will be the first time since 1998 that the Yankees have had 3 pitchers on their roster, in a season, with 20+ RSAA. Here’s the list of Yanks with 20+ RSAA in a year since 1996, via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, with 2008 being to-date:
Pitcher YEAR RSAA IP Mariano Rivera 2008 24 69.1 Joba Chamberlain 2008 23 100.1 Mike Mussina 2008 22 194.1 Chien-Ming Wang 2007 21 199.1 Mariano Rivera 2006 21 75.0 Mariano Rivera 2005 27 78.1 Mariano Rivera 2004 22 78.2 Tom Gordon 2004 22 89.2 Mike Mussina 2003 23 214.2 Mariano Rivera 2003 21 70.2 Mike Mussina 2001 34 228.2 Roger Clemens 2001 24 220.1 Roger Clemens 2000 32 204.1 Jeff Nelson 2000 20 69.2 David Cone 1999 21 193.1 Mariano Rivera 1999 20 69.0 David Wells 1998 23 214.1 Orlando Hernandez 1998 21 141.0 David Cone 1998 21 207.2 Andy Pettitte 1997 38 240.1 David Cone 1997 33 195.0 Mariano Rivera 1996 35 107.2 Andy Pettitte 1996 28 221.0
Further, this is the first time in Yankees history where they have had 2 pitchers on the team, age 38 or older, with 20+ RSAA for the season. The only other Yankees to do “20+ RSAA” at that age or older were Spud Chandler in 1946 and Roger Clemens in 2001.
Is this a big deal, in Yankees history, to have this happen for the first time? Actually, it’s bigger than that. In fact, no team in baseball history, before the Yankees this season with Mussina and Rivera, has ever had 2 pitchers on their team, age 38 or older, in the same year, with 20+ RSAA on the season.
Where would the Yankees be, pitching-wise, this season without their two old-timers, Moose & Mo? It would be pretty bad. And, the fact that what they’re doing, at their age, has never been done before, in terms of a duo-act on the same team is…well…incredible.
Can Mussina duplicate this in 2009, even come close? Let him walk.
The big question is: How long can Mariano maintain this level? Yay Mo!
Mo should be fine. He’s in great shape and appears to have lost nothing, to date.
Mussina? Good question. No way will he win 19+ again next year. But, he could/should be good for 13 wins…idea for a #4 starter.
If I’m the Yankees, I offer him a one-year deal for $12 million. Or, a two-year deal for $11 million each – where the club has an option to buy-out the second year for $2 million.