Moose on the loose

In the American League East, where every team seemingly despises every other team in the division, one of those rivalries grows just a tad more bitter 23 years ago today as pitcher Mike Mussina – Baltimore’s ace since 1992 – agrees to a six-year, $87 million free-agent contract with the New York Yankees.

Mussina – the pride of Montoursville, Pa. – ends up staying eight years in New York before retiring after the 2008 season, when he posts a 20-9 record and wins 20 games for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.

Mussina’s final record over 18 seasons is 270-153 with 2,813 strikeouts in 2,563 innings and an earned-run average of 3.68.

With the Yankees, Mussina’s record is 123-72 over eight seasons after 10 years in Baltimore, where he is 147-81.

While that 3.68 career ERA seems a tad high for a traditional Hall of Fame pitcher, consider two factors: Mussina spends his entire career in the American League, where there are no given outs as designated hitters long ago replace normally weak-hitting opposing pitchers in the lineup, and, perhaps more important, Mussina spends his time pitching in the American League East, annually the toughest division in all of baseball.

Against those divisional opponents, whether he is pitching for the Orioles or Yankees – Mussina is 108-62 for a .635 winning percentage.

Ironically, his two worst records come against the Orioles and Yankees, against whom Mussina is a combined 16-16 working against his past and future teammates.