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Mike Mussina Kicks Off Yankees' 2011 Season

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- After two full seasons of retirement, five-time All-Star Mike Mussina was back on the Yankee Stadium mound Thursday.

LISTEN: Mike Mussina joins WFAN's Joe and Evan prior to throwing out the first pitch

"Moose," as he's affectionately called by Yankees fans, threw out the ceremonial first pitch shortly after 1 p.m. Mussina was only the 10th former Yankees player to deliver the Opening Day honor. Jorge Posada was on hand to reign in the toss.

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Mussina won 123 games in his eight seasons with New York. He retired after going 20-9 in 2008, arguably his finest year in pinstripes.

"I don't miss it," Mussina said before his first pitch appearance. "I know what these guys have been doing for the last couple of months in Florida ... And today's the first day of a six-month-plus haul that takes you all over the country at all kinds of hours. Flights, busses, hotels, rain delays, bad food. Whatever you can think of."

Mussina spent ten of his eighteen seasons with the Orioles but maintains, despite recording 147 of his 270 career wins in Baltimore, "it's an honor to put this (New York) uniform on."

"The Yankees have been so good to me from the first day I sat down and ate with Cashman and Joe Torre," said Mussina. "They treated me like I've always been a Yankee since my first day in the major leagues even though I played ten years in another city. This is going to be my third season retired and they still treat me like I'm part of the New York Yankees, and from my perspective, that's tremendous. "

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What was your favorite Mussina moment? Let us know in the comments below...

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