Congratulations, Mike Mussina, on outliving the average moose by 26 years (and counting)

According to National Geographic, moose have an average lifespan of 15-20 years. On his 46th birthday, Mike "Moose" Mussina has more than doubled that -- proving once and for all that he is better than actual moose in nearly every regard.  

Mussina was born on December 8, 1968 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. If he were a real moose, he would be an alces Americana, which according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, is the technical term for moose native to the northeastern United States. But Mussina is no ordinary alces Americana.  

Though Mussina (6-foot-2) is roughly the same height of a moose, if you measure the beasts from the shoulder (5- to 6.5-feet), that's where the similarities end. The average moose weighs 1,800 pounds -- grossly out of shape for an MLB pitcher. Thankfully, Mussina weighs a comparatively svelte 190.

A moose belongs to a herd; Mussina played 10 years with the Orioles and eight with the Yankees. And while male moose boast intimidating antlers, Mussina boasts All-Star stuff on the mound:

To put the Mussina vs. Moose debate to rest, though, we turn to Day in the Life: Mike Mussina:

We'd like to see a real moose do any of that. Coach basketball? Collect classic cars? Pfft, yea right.

So as he turns 46 years old, let's remind ourselves that Mike "Moose" Mussina is not your average moose. In fact, he's not even a real moose -- he's a human, which are better than moose. Case in point: Mussina is in the Orioles Hall of Fame. What Hall of Fame do moose belong to?

One final fun moose fact: Canadian Geographic lists average moose lifespan as 15-25 years. Does that mean Canadian moose live longer than American moose? Either way, Mussina lives longer than any type of moose.