Mussina's Near Miss
Mike Was Within a Strike of the Yanks' Fourth Perfect Game Ever(ett)
Mike Mussina was never more dominant than on the night of September 2, 2001, against the Boston Red Sox, when he was within a strike of pitching a perfect game.
Mike Mussina once was a dominant pitcher, but never was he more masterful than on the night of September 2, 2001, against the Boston Red Sox, when he came within one strike of pitching the fourth perfect game in Yankees’ history. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre noted, that as he watched Mussina warm up in the bullpen before the game, that he was taken aback by the sharp drop on Mussina’s curve ball. "It looked the same as David Wells’ curve ball on May 17, 1998."
Mussina and Cone Were in a Scoreless Game
By the sixth inning, Mussina had 11 strikeouts and had retired the first 18 batters on 70 pitches, but Red Sox pitcher David Cone, who had pitched a perfect game on Joe Torre’s birthday in 1999, was pitching his best game of the season. It was a scoreless game and remained that way until the Yankees’ ninth inning.
The Yankees Score in the Ninth Inning
Tino Martinez led off with a single but Jorge Posada flied out to left. Paul O’Neill then hit a double play grounder to second base, but Lou Merloni couldn’t handle the hard shot and the ball went into right field as Tino advanced to third. Clay Bellinger ran for Martinez and scored the games only run when Enrique Wilson grounded out to first.
Mussina Came Close to a Perfect Game Twice Before
Mussina went out to the mound for the ninth. Shea Hillenbrand hit a hard ground ball that appeared headed for right field and the first Red Sox hit, but Bellinger, who was playing first base after having run for Martinez, made a great diving stop to his right and threw to Mussina, covering first, for the out. Mussina, who had retired the first 25 Indians in 1997 before Sandy Alomar singled in the ninth, and who had retired the first 23 Tigers in 1998 before Frank Catalanatto doubled, thought he was going to get it this time after Bellinger’s great play.
Carl Everett's Pinch Hit
Mussina struck out Lou Merloni for the second out, bringing up Carl Everett, pinch hitting for Joe Oliver. Mussina had faced Everett on May 24 and struck him out four times on fast balls. Mussina got ahead, 0-2 and then missed with a high fast ball. Mussina paused, stared at the ground, and took Posada’s sign. He fired another high fast ball, and Everett ended the perfect game with a clean hit to left field. Trot Nixon grounded to second to end the game.
It Felt As If We Lost
I'm disappointed, obviously. I'm still disappointed. I'm going to think about that pitch until I retire. I guess it wasn't meant to be," Mussina said, not smiling. Joe Torre, who was in the stands for Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game in 1956, poignantly stated, "It was supposed to happen," but Clay Bellinger summed it up best. "It felt as if we lost the game."
References:
Olney, Buster. "Mussina Misses Yankees’ 4th Perfect Game by One Pitch." New York Times. 3 September 2001, p. A1
