Phil Hughes Moves Front and Center in Yankees' Hopes - A Bleacher Report Article

With Sabathia and Pettitte going on the DL at the same time, the Yankees great momentum might be facing a huge challenge.

If Phil Hughes ever wants to show the world that he is indeed a front line starter, that time is now.

I wrote about his challenge in my latest for Bleacher Report.

You can read the entire article HERE.

Neither the Yankees nor Red Sox are winning the AL Pennant

Casual baseball fan complain that the Red Sox and Yankees are in the World Series every year.
And they are right when you don't include 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 in recent years.

But they were ancient history. The Red Sox and Yankees spend the most. They have the best records in the AL and beat up AL West teams last week including the Division Leading Defending AL Champion Texas Rangers.

So it looks like the commuter lane has opened for either the big bad Yankees or the obnoxious Red Sox Nation to be playing deep into October.

Well, I'm not seeing it.
It smells a LOT like 2005 here.

The Yankees are beating up inferior teams and their bats are back. But have you noticed in back to back nights the pitching has let up 9 runs.

CC Sabathia is a great #1 work horse who is having a fine season but hardly last year's Cy Young caliber effort. He has been better than average in the second half and eating up innings. But his August ERA is almost 5. And he not ALL of his bad outings have been against the Red Sox.

After Sabathia, Ivan Nova has had a good year and has picked up the slack in August. But who knows how he will be in the post season. Freddy Garcia has been a savior in the rotation but do you trust his off speed stuff against the Red Sox, Tigers or Rangers bats in October?

Phil Hughes has been brilliant in some games and yet has an ERA over 6. That tells you what he is usually like. He put together some nice starts in a row and then let up 6 runs in less than 3 innings against a not very impressive A's line up.

And A. J. Burnett may get a mysterious injury soon... the kind that claimed Javier Vasquez last year. Tonight's fiasco put his ERA at 5.31. It's late August. That isn't a small sample size!

Yeah their lineup is better now, especially with Jeter back to being a .300 hitter and A-Rod back. But big bats don't advance in the playoffs. Deep pitching does. And if Sabathia is just ordinary they are putting a LOT of pressure on Ivan Nova.

And before anyone accuses me of being a Red Sox partisan here trashing the Yankees, I am including the Red Sox in this mess.

Some days the Red Sox look like world beaters. Other days they look like Egg Beaters.

They can hit with anyone and no doubt Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are as good a 1-2 punch in the AL Playoffs.

And the combination of Eric Bedard, Andrew Miller, Tim Wakefield and John Lackey make the #3 and #4 holes iffy at best and "Oh dear Lord make it stop" at worst.

As the playoffs stand right now, the Yankees would get the Rangers... who have a super deep if not spectacular pitching staff and whose lineup would crush any pitcher NOT named Sabathia.

And if Sabathia is just ordinary in the playoffs, the Yankees exit might be fast.

The Red Sox would draw the Tigers. And Verlander's presence on the team would negate Jon Lester in Game 1... and Game 5 for that matter. Meaning the Red Sox would be in a MUST WIN for Games 2, 3 and 4.

Did I mention their 3rd and 4th starters are questionable?

Doug Fister vs. John Lackey in Game 3 at Detroit. Who would you pick?

I'm not saying the Tigers and the Rangers aren't without their flaws. But they have less to lose. Despite the Rangers being the defending Champs and the Tigers trying to make up for the collapse in 2009, all the pressure is on the Red Sox and Yankees to advance.

And here we sit in late August, and I can't help but think "The ALCS could be Detroit vs. Texas."

And casual baseball fans next year will say "I'm sick of the Red Sox and Yankees every year."

Tip your cap to the Yankees... you ruined Joba Chamberlain's career

Hey! Where are all of the "Joba is going to be the ace of the Yankee staff as a starter" people now?

I am looking at YOU Chris DeLuca.

There is cause to fire Brian Cashman, the Yankees scouting and coaching department including Joe Girardi.

Why?

Because they were handed a pitcher with tremendous talent and a larger than life personality and was the clear heir apparent for Mariano Rivera. They turned him into a carefully handed middle reliever... then a mediocre starter... then an ineffective mop up man... and now is broken down and maybe be done.

I wonder if he could have been used as bait for Cliff Lee when Lee was traded three times between 2009 and 2010.

Try getting a Cliff BAR for him now.

This isn't hindsight being 20-20.

I've been saying this has been insane since the beginning of the 2008 season.

If George were still alive and he found out that the organization torpedoed the most talented pitcher the organization has developed in a generation, there would be many bodies to dump out.

And Cashman has the nerve to say he doesn't regret the Joba Rules.

He says the rules are common in the organization.

Even MORE reason to start firing people!

Think about it this way...

In 2007 the Yankees had Chein Ming Wang, who in his third year had developed into a 27 year old front line starter, winning 19 games in back to back seasons.

They had the talented Phil Hughes, a 21 year old with great stuff and of course 21 year old Joba Chamberlain who electrified the fan base and gave the bullpen unstoppable depth.

It's now 2011. All three are broken down.

The Red Sox have had young pitchers like Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon and Clay Buchholz who have had lots of injuries. (Lester had freaking CANCER!)

And somehow they were all able to not break down. And none of them are as big and strong as Joba.

Mission Accomplished, Yankees.

The Joba controversy has been solved.

Starter? Reliever?

How about neither.

Once again, Phil Hughes has become Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack

Remember when Phil Hughes was the Yankees solid #2 starter?
It seems a lot longer ago than last summer, doesn't it?

He was so bad in the second half of last year and in the playoffs that some people thought that maybe he wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

He has been godawful this year. So bad that the Yankees have put him on the disabled list, even though it isn't 100% clear why.

Chris DeLuca, creator of What Sucks, wrote on his Twitter page:

Breaking: Yankee doctors about to diagnose Phil Hughes with "sucking".

It's funny and it is also familiar.

I wrote about the same thing happening in 2008.

Hughes was pitching awfully for the Yankees and suddenly he was on the disabled list with what looked like a case of the "We can't send him to the minors because we'll look stupid for not including him in a trade for Johan Santana" syndrome.

Cut to 2011 and he has the "This will make it look even worse that we couldn't sign Cliff Lee and Phil Hughes sucks"-itis.

2 times in four years Hughes has been so bad that they had to shove him on the DL.
So if you are keeping score, he has one mediocre year in the bigs (2007, his rookie year.)

He has one good year as a set up man (2009, his World Series year.)

Half a year as an All Star starter (2010.)
Half a year where he was a below average starter (2010.)

And two seasons where he simply didn't look like a big leaguer (2008 and 2011.)

The ace half year could have been a Dontrelle Willis level fluke.

Meanwhile he is going on the DL after once again reenacting the "Ow My Arm!" scene form Caddyshack.

Phil Hughes might be just what the Red Sox need

Yeah the Red Sox have stunk and the Yankees are in town.
All could be awful if the Red Sox lose.

But guess who also stinks?
Phil Hughes.
He stunk the second half of last year, he stunk in the playoffs and he stunk in his first start.

So let's say the Yankees come into Fenway, Hughes stinks it up and the Red Sox get a win at home.

It will go a long way to healing some wounds in Boston.

LET'S GO SOX!

Are the Yankees insane?

Let's say you are organizing the entertainment at a casino.
While putting the line up of shows together, you realize that you can have Frank Sinatra perform three nights... but you say "Nah... we only want Frank for two nights. We need to save his voice, so we'll book Steve Lawrence instead for a night."

And when lining up the shows you say "We won't have Sinatra in our biggest show. We're booking Wayne Newton for our biggest show."

Chances are someone would break your legs or at least call you an idiot.

That's basically what the Yankees are doing.

They have that most valuable of commodities... a legit ace in C. C. Sabathia. He's an innings eater (and a Subway sandwich eater) and can take the ball over and over again (remember his tour de force complete game marathon for Milwaukee at the end of the 2008 season?)

And there is no danger of the Yankees running him into the ground like the Brewers did that season. He's thrown 6 innings since September 28th.

He's ready to throw game 1. And the Yankees should line up their rotation to get Sabathia throwing as often as he can against Texas. Have him throw Game 1, Game 4 and OF COURSE Game 7.

I thought that was a no brainer. He is Sinatra in this scenario.

And evidently the Yankees have other plans.

They intend to go with a 4 man rotation... and start A. J. Burnett.
Yes, the same guy who pitched for them in the regular season.
The same guy with a 5.25 ERA.
The same guy who essentially pitched himself out of the playoff picture.

Girardi will start him Game 4.

He is Steve Lawrence in this analogy.

And what about Game 7? The potential do or die game for the pennant... the one where the Rangers will inevitably throw Cliff Lee...

They intend to give the ball to Phil Hughes.

A nice pitcher. A good pitcher. A pitcher who has been up and down recently.

He's Wayne Newton.
Wayne Newton isn't bad... but he's no Sinatra.

And the Yankees are putting themselves into a potentially bad situation with their pitching staff in the ALCS.

They have the clear advantage in game one between Sabathia and C.J.Wilson.
The Yankees also have the edge in game two between Phil Hughes and Colby Lewis, but it isn't a sure thing.

Then their proposed Game 3 has Andy Pettite against Cliff Lee. OVERWHELMING advantage to Texas.

Then A. J. Burnett will throw Game 4.
Does it even matter who Texas is pitching? They have the advantage in Game 4 as well.

In other words the Yankees have set up their pitching staff to give Texas obvious advantages in Games 3, 4 and 7.

All because they don't want to use Sabathia 3 times. If they did use him 3 times, the Yankees would have the clear advantage in Games 1 and 4 and set up an ace versus ace Game 7.

The Yankees should throw Sabathia in those 3 games.
If they MUST throw Burnett, why not use him in Game 3 against Cliff Lee? Consolidate the pitching match ups that favor the Rangers into one game.

Have Pettite go Game 2 with Hughes coming out of the pen.
Have Hughes start game 5 and Pettite start game 6 on regular rest.

This is not a second guess. I am writing this on Wednesday and the series starts on Friday.

I am clearly NOT rooting for the Yankees to win. I would love to see this rotation explode in their face.

It just strikes me odd... they aren't putting their best team on the field.
They aren't booking Sinatra.
Ah well... I guess Girardi is saying "I'll do it my way!"

No offense to Hideki Matsui... but Mariano Rivera was the MVP

Nobody is denying Hideki Matsui had a great Game 6 of the World Series. Heck he drove in 6 runs by himself.

His two run homer off of Pedro Martinez got the scoring started... and when the Phillies answered with a run of their own, Matsui got the 2 out 2 run single that made it clear the Yankees weren't getting caught.

I still don't think he was the MVP of the World Series.

It's not a bad choice. Picking Phil Hughes would have been bad.

Matsui batting .615... he homered 3 times... he drove in 8 runs in the 6 game series...

All terrific.

He wasn't the MVP of the World Series.

Not to be harsh, but in a 6 game Series, the MVP should probably start more than half the games. (Not always... Dusty Rhodes should have been the MVP of the 1954 World Series... but I digress)

In this post season, every single closer blew a must win game for their team...
except one.

In this World Series, the mantra for both teams was get into their vulnerable bullpen. As Hughes and Chamberlain became less and less reliable, the Phillies would be licking their chops when Girardi pulled the starter.

EXCEPT for one pitcher.

The Phillies went into the later part of the Series not sure who would even pitch the 9th.

And yet basically their strategy seemed to be "Make sure Mariano Rivera doesn't pitch."

If Rivera pitched, the game was over.

That's kinda sorta a cut and dry definition of a Series MVP.

I said this to my dad last night and he replied "Yeah, but doesn't Rivera already have one?"

The answer is yes. He won the 1999 World Series MVP and the 2003 ALCS MVP.

He deserved those. And he deserved this one.

I'm sure Rivera isn't losing sleep over this and Matsui has been a great Yankee and it is easy to forget that this is his first World Series ring (doesn't it seem like he belongs with the Riveras, Posadas, Jeters and Pettittes as guys who have won a few?)

But when Rivera came out in the 8th, the roar of the crowd was that of people who knew the game (and the World Series title) was theirs.

They were right.

Because Rivera, the most valuable player of the series, was in the game.

Can we just create a "He's Been Sucking List"?

Dice-K has been sucking all year for the Red Sox... and now he's suddenly on the disabled list.

Granted some of this is from his shoulder problems and no doubt more of it is from his pitching in the moronic WBC.

(Hey Junior 75 and everyone else who loved that silly exhibition... how often do you think of those games during this season? I think Japan won, right? Or was it Korea? I can't remember... it was THAT MEMORABLE!)

I'm not accusing the Red Sox of pushing him back to the DL simply because he is sucking...

Actually that is EXACTLY what I am saying.

He was cleared to pitch and then threw with all the confidence of Calvin Schraldi.

And the Red Sox aren't the only ones doing this...

Brad Lidge, with Satan now collecting on his bargain, got shuttled off to the DL.

Chien Ming Wang has been horrific with the Yankees... and he's off to the DL.

Before Ortiz got hot again, there were whispers of putting HIM on the DL (and I advocated faking an injury).

In 2008 Joe Borowski was bombing with the Indians when an injury surfaced at just the right time. 

And of course there was the classic fake injury... Phil Hughes last year. No... he didn't suck. It wasn't a mistake to not trade for Johan Santana... he's hurt! Yeah... that's the ticket.

I say let's end the charade.

Give each team one "He's Been Sucking" transaction a year. No need to find an injury or fake one. Just come out and say it. "This is really bad... it would be better for all of us if we just find out what the hell is the matter with this guy."

The guy basically puts the dunce cap on and they can fill his roster spot with someone else.

And there is no limit to how long they can stay on the list. It could be the rest of the season if they suck that badly.

But they can only do it once a year and once the player is off of the "He's Been Sucking List" they can't put him back on. 

They have to figure out what is wrong and they can't shuttle him back and forth.

I'm actually 98% serious about this!

It makes perfect sense to me.

Which is why it will never happen.

Big Picture: 101

After the (say it with me) third Red Sox sweep of the Yankees this season, all of the Yankees are talking about "the big picture."

They are saying "big picture" so often that you'd think they were a bunch of art history students who came back from the Sistine Chapel.

The big picture is it is only 3 games and that there are 102 games left in the schedule and its only a 2 game deficit... blah blah blah.

Well there are some other aspects to the big picture that can't just be swept under a bumpy rug.

Yes it is early, but it isn't THAT early. The season is more than 1/3 of the way through. This isn't April... it's mid June. And before you know it it will be July.

The Yankees pitching staff is still underwhelming.

CC Sabathia has been good, but not on anyone's short list for Cy Young contenders.

A. J. Burnett has gone back and forth between mediocre and terrible.
Andy Pettite has been underwhelming.
Joba Chamberlain has shown flashes of brilliance but is a #3 starter at best now.

And Chien-Ming Wang is so terrible this year that I am sure Brian Cashman is thinking of ways to get him injured again. It's interleague! Why not have him run the bases again?

(Remember how everyone said that Wang would be back no problem because his injury wasn't pitching related? Oh well.)

It's been a year since Wang last gave the Yankees 5 innings in a game and this year his 0-4 record and 14+ ERA doesn't lie.

Meanwhile Mariano Rivera is still great but that 3.20 ERA isn't as eye popping as it used to be. And the middle relief is causing Mike Francesa to scream about Joba in the bullpen even louder.

(Losing a game in the 8th inning to the Red Sox will do that.)

And now they have Phil Hughes doing the bullpen/rotation shuffle because that worked out so well for Joba.

But would you rather have Hughes doing that or count on Aceves, Veras and Robertson?

To be fair, before last night Aceves pitched well and Robertson has been effective as well... but are the late innings of a potential pennant contender really going to be protected by Aceves and Robertson?

The big picture for this Yankee team is their depth is still in question. Besides Sabathia, their rotation depth is an issue. Besides Rivera their bullpen depth is an issue. If there is another injury in the infield, their infield depth will be an issue. Etc etc etc.

As I wrote before, it is inexcusable that Brian Cashman has an extra $65 million to throw around and has depth as an issue, but I digress.

More than a third of the season has passed and the Yankees have given their chief rival an 8 game head start on the season series. Remember that is more than a psychological edge. In 2005 the two teams finished tied but both made the playoffs. The Yankees were declared division champs based on their 10-9 head to head record against the Red Sox.

And the Yankees had every reason to believe they would win this series. Yeah Beckett has been great, but wasn't he due for a let down?

Shouldn't Wakefield have been a pinata?

Isn't Penny vs. Sabathia a mismatch?

With A-Rod and Teixeira both healthy and smacking homers, shouldn't the Yankees have done better than 3 runs total off of those three starters?

Had the Red Sox won one more game, they would have played the Angels at home to start the playoffs instead of the eventual champion White Sox on the road.

And more than a 1/3 of the way through the season, the Yankees have played 16 games against teams currently in first place and lost 12 of them.

Granted, that 4-12 record is heavily skewed because of the 0-8 record against the Sox... but a stat like that shouldn't come up for a team thinking of winning it all.

Here's a big picture.

The pitching is shaky, the line up can be subdued by good (not even great) pitching, the roster is old and more at risk for injury as the season goes on and they are playing .250 ball against division leaders... and it isn't THAT early.

And oh yeah, here's another 101.

The Magic Number for the Red Sox 101!

And they need to go 2-8 against the Yankees the rest of the way to win the season series.

I don't know if that is art... but I like it

It might be time to implement OPERATION FAKE INJURY!

It's getting really ugly.

It's worse than "Babe Ruth as a Boston Brave" territory.

Even Papi is saying he stinks!

And I will say it...

The Red Sox need to put him on the Disabled List!

But Sully, you say, Papi isn't hurt.

Well to quote Dick Cheney.... so?

Seriously, was Phil Hughes hurt last year when the Yankees put him on the D.L.? I doubt it.

That was a "We were banking on this pitcher and he is stinking up the joint" situation where the Yankees knew that keep throwing him out there was going to kill his confidence (Todd Van Poppel anyone?) but sending him down would mean admitting failure.

So he's hurt! Yeah... that's the ticket.

The Yankees pulled that same stunt with Ching Mien Wang this year. We kept hearing "there's nothing wrong with him physically" and then BANG he's on the DL for a while.

I am convinced the Yankees suddenly found out A-Rod needed surgery once the distractions were piling up and they got wind that the drug testing in the WBC was a wee bit more strict than Bud's.

And it's not just the Yankees... last year the Indians put Joe Borowski on the DL because... well... he stunk.

So come on! Claim that Big Papi has damage in his primary ulnacartal muscle.

Do you know what the primary ulnacartal muscle is?

I didn't think so! I just made it up! But send a camera crew to Mass. General, have an actor wear a doctor's outfit and say that with a straight face!

Seriously, you'd buy it. Mass General is a pretty great hospital and chances are they would know what the primary ulnacartal muscle is and how it is vital for bat speed.

Get one of those bad ass splints for Papi to wear when he is on camera. That will explain everything!

And then here comes the painful part: 

Tell Papi it is over.

The Red Sox need to turn the page. I hinted at this during the off season, but it is time to cut bait. 

If Theo is great at anything it is knowing when the party is over. And this party is oooooover.

I mean let's list what Papi has to gain by leaving now:

- He will be the most loved Red Sox star ever. 

Notice I didn't say the best. But who is more LOVED? And before you say another name, remember fans booed Ted, Yaz and Rice.

And none of them delivered a World Series title, let alone two!

- He is not putting his Hall of Fame Candidacy in danger.

Why? 

Because he isn't going to the Hall of Fame. 

He only had five great seasons. That's not enough. 

Just ask the likes of Dale Murphy and Dave Parker whose Hall of Fame candidacies can't get off of the ground.

- The Manny Factor

I'll say it. Ortiz sees what is happening to Manny and he sees what is going to happen to Manny's legacy.

It will never be the same.

Now David Ortiz has never tested positive for anything. Guess what happens if that primary ulnacartal muscle is frayed and he misses the rest of the season?

He never will test positive for anything.

And his drop in production can be attributed to his primary ulnacartal muscle.

The Red Sox need a DH. Or maybe they can go and find a left handed platoon outfielder with Baldelli and stick J. D. Drew in the DH spot.

Maybe they can have Jonathan Van Every platoon.

Now before anyone rolls their eyes and says "You are replacing David Ortiz with Jonathan Van Every?" just remember... we're not replacing 2003-2007 David Ortiz. We're replacing 2009 David Ortiz... who has fewer homers than Jonathan Van Every!

But the Sox need to put him on the DL now. 

And don't let pesky things like "the truth" or "facts" get in the way!

We'll take it

OK, hands up if you thought Francona was making a strange move by bringing in Papelbon in the 8th!

Keep those hands up if you bellowed at the TV "LET IT HIT YOU!!!" when Ellsbury moved away from a Phil Coke pitch that would have made the score 7-4.

And keep those hands up if you thought the Yankees were going to get an extra base hit off of Papelbon in the bottom of the 9th.

This was neither a Dodged Bullet but I admit, I was thinking I was going to add one to the Teeth Grinder column at one point.

All that matters is the W. And by bringing in Papelbon in the 8th, Francona once again shows that he gets it... these games ARE more important. And if there is a chance to nail down another Red Sox win over the Yankees, then do it! These games count just as much as the ones when the Yankees are at full strength.

Big Papi had two doubles, one knocking in a run and walked twice. Let's hope he keeps slumping like that.

Either way, the first ever Red Sox - Yankees game in the new monstrocity goes Boston's way.

4-0 on the season series.
There are no style points, just wins.

We'll take it.

Got to give credit where it is due

I had made fun of Phil Hughes and Mark Melancon in my previous post... but I have to tip my cap to them.

They combined for 7 innings of shutout 2 hit ball and the Yankees cruised.

Hughes has infinitely more wins in 2009 than he did in 2008.

And thus far has one other distinction:

He's the last Yankees pitcher to win a post season game (Game 3 of the 2007 Division Series.)

So this passionate Red Sox fan will ease on the throttle for Hughes and Melancon. It will be interesting to see how the New York press anoints Hughes as the next ace, won't it?

No Pressure Hughes or Melancon

Well it's not even May yet and the Yankees are in overhaul due to Wang's fake injury and a bullpen that has more holes in it than the script of Highlander 2: The Quickening.

And yet with a payroll $65 million more than any other team (and yet they forgot to sign a back up infielder), a new unfilled stadium and sky high expectations, they are turning to two people to change their fate.

Mark Melancon, who before Sunday had appeared in exactly zero major league games...

And Phil Hughes, who Betty White tied his win total for 2008.

And my Yankee fan friends are talking as if they are saviors.

NO PRESSURE GUY!

Just save the season.

Thanks a bunch.

Can we stop the babying of pitchers?

Between Phil Hughes injuries, Ian Kennedy pitching as well as Teddy Kennedy and Clay Buccholz stinking up the joint, I am hoping it will be the end of this insane babying of pitchers.

All the Joba rules and treating the 2008 season as Joba's private spring training didn't prevent him from going on the DL when he was needed most.

Treating Kennedy like John Travolta in the Boy in the Plastic Bubble didn't prevent his year from stinking worse than Battlefield Earth. (That's two Travolta references in one sentence.)

And my Red Sox treated Buccholz like he was the egg in Risky Business... and look how that turned out. He's in AA Portland!

Here's a radical idea:

Have pitchers pitch.
If they are in the show, show that they have earned it.

I have seen a grand total of zero positives of treating pitchers like fabrege eggs. Go out there and pitch some f---ing innings!

Who would have thought that Carl Pavano would have only one fewer win than the combination of Hughes, Kennedy and Buccholz?

Can someone please show me the pitching staff that has had long term success by turning their drawers brown when a starting pitcher hits 6 innings?

This is why I was advocating Joba for the bullpen:
If your starters are only going 6 innings, you had better be sure talented pitchers are throwing the 7 and 8th innings... because if they blow the lead, you only have 2 or 3 chances to get it back.

Granted that point became moot when Wang got injured and Joba HAD to start.
But still, all the babying in the world for a big guy like Joba... and he's hurt when the Yankees need him

And the tyranny of the pitch count makes no sense.
Sure a pitch count works when you have a guy who tends to wear down (something that Grady Little had a hard time grasping.)

But not every pitcher is built the same and not every pitch has the same amount of stress on the body.

Which is more stressful? Pitching in a 9-0 game or a 2-1 game?
Oh that's right... games are played in vacuums. I forgot.

It's MASS INSANITY!
People are suscribing to a theory that has never worked and yet is being treated as gospel!

They are using the Rick Peterson method that has led to injuries for Mark Mulder, Zito stinking up the joint and Rich Harden needing to legally change his name to "Injury Prone Rich Harden."

Why not have pitchers pitch like Mazzone had the Braves pitch?

Mazzone had Glavine, Avery and Smoltz...
Maddux had his best years with him
As did Neagle, Mercker and Millwood.

And how many pitchers got their careers back on track with him?

My God he made a career of polishing turds and then having those turns sign big contracts with the Yankees

Think Chris Hammond, think Jaret Wright, think Kyle Farnsworth

But better not follow HIS example
Better follow Rick Peterson's whose teams have won fewer post season series than the 2007 Rockies.

Better keep babying pitchers and blowing their arms out because they are so fragile.

Albert Einstein once said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

But what the hell did HE know?

Rodney Dangerfield IS Phillip Hughes

So the Yankees phenom Phil Hughes has stunk so far this season.

Nothing to be alarmed about... a lot of terrific pitchers start off horribly.
Greg Maddux finished up his rookie status with an 8-18 mark and a 5.59 ERA.

Between Tom Glavine's debut in August of 1987 and the end of the 1988 season, he compiled a 9-21 record and a 4.76 ERA.

And not to let their parter in titles get away Scott free... John Smoltz started his career 2-7 with a 5.48 ERA.

All three are going to the Hall of Fame.

Who knows if Hughes will join them, but right now he seems like a guy who is overwhelmed by the pressure and is 0-4 record with a 9.00 ERA and allowing 34 hits and 13 walks in 22 innings (less than 4 innings a start).

The Yankees have only 2 options:

1. Stick with him and gut it out and say "Hey, it's a transition year. There's nothing left for him to do in the minors. These are growing pains."

or

2. Send him to the minors to get his confidence back and to take him out of the glare. He WILL be an ace... he's just not ready yet.

Well, of course I forgot the third option... the Joe Borowski option.

Pretend he is hurt!
Yeah... that's it.
They aren't sending him down... that would make Prince Hank Steinbrenner even more angry that the Yankees didn't send Hughes to Minnesota for Johan Santana.

We didn't rush him up... he's hurt. Yeah, that's the ticket.

When I read he was being sent down (a day after saying he felt fine) all I could think of was the scene in Caddyshack when Rodney had the ball hit him on the arm while he was playing lousy. I almost expected Hughes to pause awkwardly and say "Ow my arm!"

Man, the folks at the Newsday Yankee blog can be a tough crowd

I was reading the live blog of tonight's Yankee game at my favorite Yankee blog, the Newsday Blog that is usually written by Kat O'Brien.

Well today my pals there were in rare form. They were cursing and spewing venom towards one particular Yankee in general....

A-Rod? Not today (It's not October yet.)
Jeter? Please. He can do no wrong!
Cashman for putting Joba in the pen?
Phil Hughes and his 0-4 record?
Mussina for being toast?

Nope, the anger was pointed directly at the head of Chris Stewart.

Now unless you are a member of the Stewart family, I can only guess your reaction to the previous sentence was "who?"

Well, with Posada hurt and Chad Moeller designated for assignment less than 10 days after killing the Red Sox, the Yankees needed a catcher to back up Jose Molina.

So up from Scranton came this poor schmuck with 23 games of big league experience under his belt... all with the White Sox and Rangers. He's a 26 year old catcher playing for his third team in as many seasons... clearly not the next Johnny Bench. Essentially a warm body to make sure all the pitches don't hit the ump square on the chest.

3 innings into the game, with Phil Hughes getting rocked, the buzz on the Newsday board was replacing Stewart in mid game (always a confidence booster) who could the Yankees trade for... who is available... should they sign Mike Piazza... Doug Mirabelli...

I asked if maybe they could let the guy catch a big league game before feeding him to the wolves... or at least make it to the 4th inning before declaring his career dead.

Enjoy your time in New York, Mr. Stewart.
You've already become a villain and you've been there one day!