Mussina no longer wants to pitch: report

Pitcher Mike Mussina is planning to retire as early as this week, Fox Sports reported late Wednesday.

"Mike will be making a decision on his intentions shortly," Arn Tellem, Mussina's agent, wrote the Associated Press in an e-mail. "Given the significance of this to Mike, I would hope you can respect his desire to be the author of any such announcement consistent with his own time table.

"A decision of this magnitude should not be the subject of unconfirmed rumors and speculation. Accordingly, I am not going to make any further comment until Mike has made his final decision."

Mussina, 39, reached the 20-win for the plateau for the first time in his major-league career last season, posting a 20-9 mark with a 3.37 earned-run average in 34 starts with the New York Yankees.

The last pitcher to retire following a 20-win campaign was Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1966.

"I have not talked to him lately," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters Wednesday. "He had led me to believe that that is what was going to happen at the end of the year.

"I wasn't quite sure, in a sense, that I believed him because sometimes when you get away from it, you really miss it."

Mussina struck out 150 batters and walked 31 in 200 1/3 innings last season, his eighth with New York.

The veteran right-hander filed for free agency following the World Series, and later picked up a seventh Gold Glove Award for fielding excellence.

"We were just kind of waiting to see what he said," Girardi said. "He was on our radar screen, as well as many other starting pitchers that are free agents."

'Wanting to be home more'

Mussina is 270-153 lifetime with a 3.68 ERA, 57 complete games and 23 shutouts in 537 appearances, one in relief, over 18 MLB seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Yankees.

The four-time all-star was a first-round draft pick of the Orioles in 1990, and signed a free-agent contract with the Yankees worth $88.5 million US over six years on Nov. 30, 2000.

Mussina recently completed a two-year, $23-million US extension inked Nov. 27, 2006. 

"I know he talked about wanting to be home more and, if he does, I won't be surprised," Girardi said. "But if he comes back, I won't be surprised, either.

"I would not necessarily be surprised if that is what he said, [and] changes his mind in January. Because you know, it is something that has been such a huge part of his life and his family life, that you miss it."