MSU Alum Mark Mulder Honored in Athletics History
Another former Spartan is getting honored, and this time it's with his two best friends.
Mark Mulder's baseball career was cut short far too soon due to rotator cuff injuries that drastically hurt his overall performance. But when he was healthy, it was almost impossible to hit the lefty.
Now a competitive golfer and a full-time dad, Mulder received an email that he wasn't expecting.
Mulder took 15 minutes of his time and spoke with Chris Townsend of "A's Cast Live" to discuss what it means to be honored by the team he spent his best years with.
"I don't remember exactly what it said, but the subject said something about A's Hall of Fame, and I went, 'Huh?'" Mulder said.
The nine-year veteran had a storied career when playing for the Oakland Athletics, and he, alongside pitchers Barry Zito and Tim Hudson, formed one of baseball’s most unstoppable trios.
Now they all get to live in A's history until the end of time.
"I started reading it and seeing that we (Zito and Hudson) were all in it together, and I'm not going to lie, it kind of got me for a minute," Mulder said.
It was only a matter of time before the franchise honored three of its most successful pitchers. In the early 2000s, Mulder, Zito and Hudson went on a run where they all captured 20-win seasons on the mound.
In 2001, Mulder was second in Cy Young voting, going 21-8 with a 3.45 ERA, leading the league in shutouts and posting six complete games.
Mark Mulder finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting with the famous 2001 Athletics 👏
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 13, 2025
The 2x All-Star southpaw discusses sharing a group chat with some ex-teammates and hitting his only career HR in the grand opening of Busch Stadium!
MLB Network + @CoronaUSA pic.twitter.com/qa6LtXUmE0
"Obviously Barry was (in Oakland) longer, but I just think the three of us had a pretty fun run, and those teams were pretty special to the Athletics' history," Mulder said.
Since going their separate ways, Mulder, Zito, and Hudson have all maintained a healthy friendship.
"Huddy's (Hudson) wife, Kim, is like a sister to me," Mulder said. "I've had conversations with Barry about family, about his kids, about my kids. Huddy's kids, I remember as newborns, and now they've all graduated high school. ... They're more like brothers and meant the world to me."
During the 2004 season, he once again led MLB in complete games, with five, going 17-8 with 140 strikeouts, and was named to the American League All-Star team for the second time in his career.
But after that season, the trio was broken up. Oakland sent Mulder to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dan Haren, Kiko Calero and Daric Barton, and Mulder was going to have to build his legacy on his own.
That first season in St. Louis was just a typical Mulder-like season. He went 16-8, posted a 3.64 ERA with three complete games and two shutouts. He also helped the Cardinals reach the NLCS, where they eventually fell to the Houston Astros.
Shortly after, his career fell downhill.
His 2006 season started off strong, going 5-1 with his usual 3-4 ERA. But then his rotator cuff issues started to arise. Every start afterward, Mulder became a liability, and he only won one more game for the rest of the season. His ERA skyrocketed to a career-worst 7.14.
Mulder's career was never the same.
After two comeback attempts, the ace suddenly turned into a three of diamonds — ineffective and injury-prone. He quietly retired in 2010 after realizing no team was interested in signing him.
Perhaps the injuries were a sign of things to come, because in 2014, at age 36, he attempted one last comeback. He signed a spring training deal with the Los Angeles Angels, and on the second day during agility drills, he felt a pop. He tore his Achilles tendon.
The comeback ended before it started.
Today, Mulder is enjoying life after the diamond, now on the links. He's become a competitive golfer, winning multiple celebrity golf tournaments and even participating in the PGA Tour's Safeway Open in 2018.
Even though it was cut short, Mulder is still recognized as one of Michigan State's exceptional alums. And if not for the injuries, he may have been a perennial Hall of Famer.
Regardless, being honored with two of his best friends on the team where he had his best years feels just as good — if not better. It’s a bond that can’t be broken, as the trio now lives forever in A’s lore.
Stay up to date on all your Michigan State alumni news when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Be sure to also like and share our content when you follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI.
feed
Greg Liodice is a proud Hofstra University alumnus who brings a wealth of experience to On SI. As a respected sportswriter, Liodice has covered the NHL, college football, and MLB. He currently serves as a college and professional sports writer for SI. Liodice supports an eclectic group of teams: the New York Islanders, New York Mets, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Pelicans.