Over the last weekend, the New York Yankees were unable to hold large leads against the Boston Red Sox en route to an embarrassing sweep that made the Bombers look very vulnerable.
As New York talk radio went crazy, I took a deep breath and convinced myself that a four-game losing streak is nothing to worry about. They happen to every team, but it is important that someone steps up and delivers a quality pitching performance when a team is scuffling.
Phil Hughes did just that in his first start of the season. Replacing the ineffective Chien-Ming Wang in the rotation for the time being, Hughes looked the part of rookie phenom in his 2009 debut. Against the formidable Detroit Tigers lineup, Hughes threw six innings of two-hit shutout ball. Along the way, he walked two and struck out six. It was Hughes first big league win since 2006, and it had to take a lot of pressure off of him after his 0-4, 6.62 ERA experience in the Majors last season.
Joe Girardi made it sound as though Hughes could be making an extended appearance with the big league club.
"I don't want him to think that no matter what happens, he could possibly go back," Girardi said. "We want him to pitch great and stay in the rotation."
Hughes fastball touched 96 miles per hour last night. With the increased velocity, the youngster has all of the tools necessary to set up his impressive off-speed stuff and assume the role of phenom that he temporarily separated himself from last season.
It will be interesting to see how the rotation plays out. But between Hughes' strong start at AAA and now a clear sign of success in the American League, it is pretty clear that the Yankees should still be optimistic about this kid's future.
Showing posts with label Chien-Ming Wang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chien-Ming Wang. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wang to DL, A chance for Hughes
New York Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang is headed to the disabled list. I had blogged about his ineffectiveness earlier, but this development is interesting.
The question of whether Wang is actually injured is a fair one. Doctors say he has weakness in his hip muscles stemming from his foot injury last season, but this strikes me as something entirely different. It's pretty clear that the Yankees just wanted a chance to send him to the minor leagues without exposing him to waivers.
Phil Hughes will come up and pitch on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. Their ballpark is one of the best to pitch in in baseball, though they do have a tough lineup. With Hughes' early success in the minors, this makes all the sense in the world. Let Wang figure his issues out, and give the once-jewel of the organization a chance to show how he has matured since his struggles last season. I lobbied heavily on my other blog for the Yankees not to re-sign Andy Pettitte and give the rookie a spot.
With Pettitte pitching effectively so far, I can't still hate the move. But Hughes is still very talented, and there is no reason to bury him in the minors. Every start he gets in the majors adds to his knowledge, and even if he has a tough time, it's good for the organization to get him the experience. Since Wang was a batting tee for his first three starts, this is a win-win for the organization until the Taiwanese righty can return to form.
The question of whether Wang is actually injured is a fair one. Doctors say he has weakness in his hip muscles stemming from his foot injury last season, but this strikes me as something entirely different. It's pretty clear that the Yankees just wanted a chance to send him to the minor leagues without exposing him to waivers.
Phil Hughes will come up and pitch on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. Their ballpark is one of the best to pitch in in baseball, though they do have a tough lineup. With Hughes' early success in the minors, this makes all the sense in the world. Let Wang figure his issues out, and give the once-jewel of the organization a chance to show how he has matured since his struggles last season. I lobbied heavily on my other blog for the Yankees not to re-sign Andy Pettitte and give the rookie a spot.
With Pettitte pitching effectively so far, I can't still hate the move. But Hughes is still very talented, and there is no reason to bury him in the minors. Every start he gets in the majors adds to his knowledge, and even if he has a tough time, it's good for the organization to get him the experience. Since Wang was a batting tee for his first three starts, this is a win-win for the organization until the Taiwanese righty can return to form.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Damon Airs Out Wang
You never like to see a team start with infighting this early in the season.
After Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 34.50) fell apart for the third consecutive start en route to a 22-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Johnny Damon had some choice words for the former ace. "He's making it real tough on our bullpen right now. We have to count on guys in our 'pen to go seven or eight innings. We have six losses on the year right now, and he's got three of them. In all three of those games, we've been blown out and we've had to go to our bullpen, so maybe our bullpen's not sharp the following days. I don't know what more to say, but hopefully he can figure it out, because it'd be tough to keep on going like this," the outfielder said.
The Yankees are concerned about Wang psychologically right now. His mechanics are clearly off, and his sinker is not the biting pitch that it used to be. It is very alarming considering the fact that an opposing hitter once described hitting Wang's sinker as akin to smacking at the ball with a wet newspaper.
Damon should probably have kept his mouth closed. Nothing he said is inaccurate, but the last thing the Yankees need is for Wang to start feeling like an outcast on the team, or like a burden on his teammates. The guy won 19 games each in 2006 and 2007, years the Yankees were desperately thin in the starting rotation. He didn't mouth off about other pitchers who struggled, and he definitely didn't air out Damon during his forgettable 2007 season. Say what you want to about his current performance, but Wang is a soft-spoken, classy athlete. He doesn't deserve Damon's lacerating comments in a public forum.
Everyone in New York is very aware of Wang's ineffectiveness without Damon pointing them out. Last night at an artsy bar in Brooklyn, it was a recurring topic of conversation around the room. On Twitter, New York celebrities like Artie Lang and Joe Budden were weighing in on Wang's struggles.
The Yankees are talking about skipping Wang's next start, in Fenway Park, where he has struggled in his career. They have a day off before then, so it would not affect the other pitchers' rest. But what will likely need to happen if Wang doesn't pitch a gem in his next outing is a AAA assignment. Phil Hughes (2-0, 2.31) is off to a hot start with the 10-0 Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees, and Wang clearly needs to make some adjustments.
It would be a real shame if he really has lost his touch. Watching him pitch at the height of his game is a joy. No one hits the ball out of the infield. He is a master of inducing weak contact. No one expected this.
After Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 34.50) fell apart for the third consecutive start en route to a 22-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Johnny Damon had some choice words for the former ace. "He's making it real tough on our bullpen right now. We have to count on guys in our 'pen to go seven or eight innings. We have six losses on the year right now, and he's got three of them. In all three of those games, we've been blown out and we've had to go to our bullpen, so maybe our bullpen's not sharp the following days. I don't know what more to say, but hopefully he can figure it out, because it'd be tough to keep on going like this," the outfielder said.
The Yankees are concerned about Wang psychologically right now. His mechanics are clearly off, and his sinker is not the biting pitch that it used to be. It is very alarming considering the fact that an opposing hitter once described hitting Wang's sinker as akin to smacking at the ball with a wet newspaper.
Damon should probably have kept his mouth closed. Nothing he said is inaccurate, but the last thing the Yankees need is for Wang to start feeling like an outcast on the team, or like a burden on his teammates. The guy won 19 games each in 2006 and 2007, years the Yankees were desperately thin in the starting rotation. He didn't mouth off about other pitchers who struggled, and he definitely didn't air out Damon during his forgettable 2007 season. Say what you want to about his current performance, but Wang is a soft-spoken, classy athlete. He doesn't deserve Damon's lacerating comments in a public forum.
Everyone in New York is very aware of Wang's ineffectiveness without Damon pointing them out. Last night at an artsy bar in Brooklyn, it was a recurring topic of conversation around the room. On Twitter, New York celebrities like Artie Lang and Joe Budden were weighing in on Wang's struggles.
The Yankees are talking about skipping Wang's next start, in Fenway Park, where he has struggled in his career. They have a day off before then, so it would not affect the other pitchers' rest. But what will likely need to happen if Wang doesn't pitch a gem in his next outing is a AAA assignment. Phil Hughes (2-0, 2.31) is off to a hot start with the 10-0 Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees, and Wang clearly needs to make some adjustments.
It would be a real shame if he really has lost his touch. Watching him pitch at the height of his game is a joy. No one hits the ball out of the infield. He is a master of inducing weak contact. No one expected this.
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