JOE TORRE admitted to being more “curious” than normal to watch the first two games of this series against Kansas City, eager to see if Mike Mussina could work out the kinks and just to see Roger Clemens work.
While appreciating a more potent offense in 2002, Torre has never swayed from his pitching first, second and third philosophy. You don’t get to The Canyon of Heroes by muscle, but by keeping runners off first, second and third; champagne showers are the product of 60 feet, six inches of mastery, not tape-measure blasts beyond fences.
Because he believes these theories so devoutly, Torre has experienced discomfort with this group, a feeling that did not dissipate last night watching Mussina. Because against a team tail or-made to foster a turnaround, Mussina continued to be more No. 1 mystery than No. 1 starter. He allowed a career-high 14 hits to the club with the AL’s worst batting average as the Royals won 6-2.
“This is not something I’ve had to deal with before,” Mussina said of his poor pitching. “But I have to deal with it now.”
The Yanks have chased the holy grail of having too much pitching in 2002. They removed the uncertainty of putting an Ed Yarnall or Randy Keisler or even a Ted Lilly in the rotation and gathered experience to the point where Jeff Weaver is the No. 6 starter and Sterling Hitchcock the No. 7.
Yet, with less than two months left in the season, Torre conceded he has no idea who would start Game 1 of a playoff series or who would comprise the four-man rotation. And that is no way to get a parade.
These famous, pricey Yankee starters have been fragile in both body and body of work. Clemens comes off the disabled list to start tonight, but David Wells (back) could miss his start Saturday.
Amid all this, Mussina was supposed to be the rock, a great pitcher in his prime on a dynamic team.
“Obviously, I’m as disappointed as anyone with the way I’m pitching,” said Mussina, who allowed five runs in seven innings.
He should have gotten healthy last night, delivering a K.C. KO against an offense that had bettered four runs just once in the previous 14 games and was missing its best piece (Mike Sweeney). And Royals manager Tony Pena, who obviously missed the memo about not abetting a struggling pitcher, had three base stealers nailed in a third-to-fifth-inning stretch in which his hitters were 9-for-15 off Mussina.
Because the Royals won, Pena did not have to explain himself while Mussina lacked explanation. He says he is not injured, that he does not believe he is tipping his pitches, that he is too young to be losing his stuff and that his confidence is not dented.
But two scouts at the game said his velocity was down a tad, he was not throwing his knuckle-curve as much as before, he was nibbling early in the count too much and his location was worse than a house on an earthquake fault line.
Mussina called this “a stretch that has been tough for me.” However, this is not some small sample. In his last 19 starts, which stretches to late April, Mussina has pitched to a 5.48 ERA. Since June 1, the AL is hitting .315 off him. Over his superb career, Mussina always has possessed the moxie and arsenal to escape jams. But the Royals were 7-for-15 with men on base against him, and for the season his average against in those spots is .311 and worse (.324) with runners in scoring position.
“If I didn’t feel I was heading in the right direction than I would head home to P.A. [Pennsylvania] and I’m not going to do that,” Mussina said.
Instead, Mussina will continue to work through his lack of command, and Torre insisted he will stand by the righty.
What are Torre’s choices? He believes so firmly that the way to October gratification starts and ends with pitching. And, for now, he has a rotation long on pedigree and too short on fine results.
It is, well, curious.