It took years and a sabermetrics revolution to put mike. Mike mussina, a williamsport, pa intellectual who came to the yankees by way of stanford and the baltimore orioles, was trying to add a 20win season and. Im always looking for books that can offer insights into sports. Buy from multiple sellers, and get all your cards in one shipment. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at the world seriesglavine with the mets, mussina five miles away.
Glavine, tom official store of the baseball hall of fame. The two pitchers in question are none other than lefty tom glavine and righty mike mussina. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues and. Comparing the career resumes of tom glavine, mike mussina. Living on the black feinstein, mussina glavine at home. But one of the things that shouldnt be up for debate is that mike mussina should be in. Comparing the career resumes of tom glavine, mike mussina both tom glavine and mike mussina are on the hall of fame ballot this season. Playing and broadcasting the game i love, and more on. Tom glavine rookie cards have never been major hobby drivers, but they managed a slowburn climb to musthave status.
Tom glavine, a blue chip hs athlete from billerica pronounced bill uh rica, mass. Veteran sportswriter feinstein follows the yankees mike mussina and the mets tom glavine during the 2007 season, as they pursue personal milestones and try to pitch their teams back into the postseason. The main one he gets, is he related to former atlanta braves pitcher tom glavine. The official online store of the national baseball hall of fame offers a wide assortment of baseball apparel and collectibles, including exclusive 2020 induction merchandise, cooperstown collection items, mlb team gear and vintage collectibles. In fact, glavine, 45, is the younger brother of the hall of fame lefthanded pitcher. Pedro martinez, randy johnson, roger clemens, tom glavine, mike mussina hard to argue with four hall of famers and the rocket. Tom glavine rookie cards cast their uneasy smiles on the. Baseball books of our eternal youth the book shopper. Mike mussina, shown with the orioles in 1997, accrued 270 wins, five. Although they each reach some of their goals mussina to 250 wins, glavine 300, neither team reaches its ultimate goal. John smoltz, and curt schilling were rewriting the record books every.
Consistent excellence finally leads a deserving mike. But dont let the title fool you, the book is mostly. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues and both. Veteran sportswriter feinstein follows the yankees mike mussina and the mets tom glavine during the 2007 season, as they pursue personal milestones and try to pitch their teams back into the. Living on the black book king county library system.
John feinstein john feinstein explores the intense side of major league baseball through the events of one nerveracking season and through the eyes of two great. The mets choke down the stretch, blowing a 7game lead with 16 to play. Mike mussinas case for hall of fame induction may appear unremarkable, but he has a compelling case for induction. Living on the black booksamillion online book store. Living on the black is an interesting and insightful look at tom glavine and mike mussina, two of the games greatest pitchers, during the 2007 season. As glavine pursues his 300th career win, mussina attempts to deal with being dropped from the yankees rotation after not missing a start in 498 turns. Glavine has the second biggest ra9 fip difference in history only jim palmer is higher. I recall the book alternated between each pitcher as the season progressed. Greg maddux, tom glavine and frank thomas, stars with no connection to performanceenhancing drugs, were elected to the baseball hall of fame on. Sort of like the man himself, who won a couple of cy young awards and racked up five 20win seasons on his way to 305 victories in a 22year career. Tom glavine books list of books by author tom glavine.
John amisap he grew up on treble cove road in billerica, the son of a construction worker and a stayathome mom. Maddox, glavine on hall ballot pittsburgh postgazette. By that standard, mussina probably wouldnt even make a fiveman starting rotation from his, ranking behind clemens, greg maddux, randy johnson. Both entered the 2007 season in search of individual milestones and one more shot at the world seriesglavine with the mets, mussina a few miles and one borough away with the yankees.
It took years and a sabermetrics revolution to put mike mussina in. Unlike 2014 hall of fame honorees greg maddux and tom glavine or. Mussina agreed to be the subject of a book by john feinstein titled living on the black. So yes, because hes in the hall of fame and mussina wont be doesnt deserve to be, at least it makes tom glavine the one with the better career. Living on the black by john feinstein overdrive rakuten. Drafted by the atlanta braves in the 2nd round of the 1984 mlb june amateur draft from billerica hs billerica, ma high school. Here are the best ballplayers ive covered, position by. Living on the black two pitchers, two teams, one season to remember book. Thomas michael glavine born march 25, 1966 is an american former professional baseball player.
Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual. John feinstein is the author of many widely acclaimed and bestselling books on. Living on the black follows tom glavine and mike mussina, two of the best and most consistent pitchers in the game during the 2007 season. Tom glavine, from billerica to hall of fame the boston globe. See all books authored by tom glavine, including none but the braves. Fourtime cy young award winner greg maddux, twotime winner tom glavine and twotime al mvp frank thomas are among 19 newcomers on this years hall of fame ballot, joining steroidtainted holdovers barry bonds, roger clemens, mark mcgwire and sammy sosa.
The biographies of the two guys, mike mussina of the yankees and tom glavine of the mets now again with the braves in 2008 offers insights not only to how to get batters out, but on the relationships in the clubhouse between players, coaches, and the press, as well as the 1994 baseball strike and the role of the baseball players union of which mussina and glavine are player representatives for their respective teams. August 17, 1987 age 21145d, 12,982nd in mlb history. John feinstein a look into the complex world of baseball pitchers tom glavine and mike mussina as they try to perform at the highest level in the twilight of their careers, on the rooler coaster that was the 2007. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues, remarkable highs and heartbreaking lows. Greg maddux, tom glavine and frank thomas elected to hall. The 2007 season would prove to be the most trying of mussinas career as he pitched to a careerworst 5. Mike mussina deserves to be in the hall of fame sports. Mike mussina is worthy of enshrinement in the baseball hall of fame.
In living on the black he uses his journalistic credibility and his extraordinary story telling powers to create a behind the scenes story of two veteran pitchers, mike mussina and tom glavine. No its not, gold gloves measure one skill while the hall of fame measures the whole career. Consistent excellence finally leads a deserving mike mussina to cooperstown. Cub, the eternally effervescent ernie banks, lets take two. Living on the black is a primer on pitching and storytelling. He was the mvp of the 1995 world series as the braves beat the cleveland indians with 164 victories during the 1990s, glavine earned the second highest number of wins as. Unlike 2014 hall of fame honorees greg maddux and tom glavine or 2015 honoree randy johnson, mike mussina didnt reach 300 wins in his career. Living on the black and millions of other books are available for instant. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at the world seriesglavine with the mets, mussina five miles away with the yankees. Mike mussina society for american baseball research.
His accomplishments had occurred in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. Anyway, heres piazzas take on tom glavine, his teammate with the. A pitcher, glavine played in major league baseball for the atlanta braves 19872002, 2008, and new york mets 20032007. While he might not possess the eye popping statistics of a greg maddux or have won 305 games like tom glavine, mussinas overall body of work clearly states that he was an elite starting pitcher in an era tainted by performance enhancing substances. Pitchers are the heart of baseball, and john feinstein tells the story of the game today through one season and two great pitchers working in the crucible of the new york media market. As sports journalists, we need to recognize how much we dont know, no matter how long we may have played or have covered a specific sport. Tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues. At this point in their career, they both throw in the 90s or lower considered i learned something new with this book. The 2007 season would prove to be the most trying of mussina.
For as well as he pitched in october, his teams never won a. John feinsteins living on the black does just that, revealing how two future hall of famers tom glavine and mike mussina approach pitching in the major leagues. Glavine pitched almost extra innings, so even his ra9 war is much lower than mussinas on a rate basis. Its time for mike mussina to become a hall of famer. Tom glavine, right, spoke about his hall of fame election on wednesday. Each purchase helps support the baseball hall of fames nonprofit mission to preserve baseball history, honor excellence and connect generations of. Nor did he ever win a cy young award, in part because a teammate practically stole one out of his hands on the basis of superior run support. Glavine posts a 8 record for the mets while registering his 300th career win. Two pitchers, two teams, one season to remember, also featuring tom glavine in his quest for win number 300. Feinstein is as smooth a writer as glavine and mussina are pitchers. The 07 season for mussina and mets pitcher tom glavine was the subject of a 2008 book by john feinstein, living on the black. Seasoned pitchers tom glavine and mike mussina have seen it all in the major leagues, and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at the world seriesglavine with the mets, mussina five miles away with the yankees. Greg maddux, randy johnson, martinez and perhaps tom glavine.