Comments on: Hughes risk didn’t pay for the Yankees http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/ A Yankees Blog by Journal News beat writer Peter Abraham Thu, 4 Dec 2008 03:42:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: ENTIVYPIONY http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-239373 ENTIVYPIONY Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:09:10 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-239373 Your site has very much liked me. I shall necessarily tell about him to the friends. Top <a href="http://members.lycos.co.uk/jerryokamoto/earring4822.html" rel="nofollow"> earring </a> links! Your site has very much liked me. I shall necessarily tell about him to the friends.
Top earring links!

]]> By: Garry http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35268 Garry Wed, 02 May 2007 22:21:55 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35268 Pete, I'm not going to add to the pile here, but by now you figure that the majority comments say that you're wrong, to which I agree. Injuries happen. Lots of injuries happen to the Yankees this year, and I must spread that blame to their conditioning team, which just got fired, thankfully. As far as rotation fillers are concerned, Pettitte, Mussina, and Igawa will be suppplemented by Rasner or Chase Wright, and hopefully Wang will return, otherwise one of those 2 will get to stay for another start. Long term, I see some trades coming. Farnsworth and Myers could go bye-bye, and be replaced by bodies from the minors (Rasner, Bean, TJ Beam, etc.), and Nieves and Minky's days are numbered. A real backup catcher with a future is needed...can you say Atlanta AA prospect, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, to back up and eventually replace Posada. Pete, I’m not going to add to the pile here, but by now you figure that the majority comments say that you’re wrong, to which I agree. Injuries happen. Lots of injuries happen to the Yankees this year, and I must spread that blame to their conditioning team, which just got fired, thankfully.

As far as rotation fillers are concerned, Pettitte, Mussina, and Igawa will be suppplemented by Rasner or Chase Wright, and hopefully Wang will return, otherwise one of those 2 will get to stay for another start. Long term, I see some trades coming. Farnsworth and Myers could go bye-bye, and be replaced by bodies from the minors (Rasner, Bean, TJ Beam, etc.), and Nieves and Minky’s days are numbered. A real backup catcher with a future is needed…can you say Atlanta AA prospect, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, to back up and eventually replace Posada.

]]> By: rl1856 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35148 rl1856 Wed, 02 May 2007 20:01:26 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35148 Interesting times for the Yankees. With all of the leg and back injuries plagueing the team, the new strength and conditioning people are being scrutinised as possible contributing factors. Carry this 1 step further, suppose they are primarily responcible ? Does the future bring a continue string of injuries ? It they are replaced, will there be injuries as players adjust to a new regimen ? Oh and it has been whispered that these guys had convinced Pettite to lift weights without his customary weight belt, causing him to cut short his workout when he felt back spasms..... If it ain't broke, don't fix it. As for Hughes- he was called up because the Yankees were out of realistic options- plain and simple. He pitched ok in his first start and DOMINATED in his 2nd. His curveball was excellent, fastball well placed and changeup surprisingly good. But where was the 96mph FB we have heard so much about ? ESPN gun was only showing 91-92... Now he is hurt and will be out for at least 4 weeks. Whether this would have happenened in Scranton is anyones guess. There was no reason whatsoever to have pulled him after 6ip. Pitch count was low and he was throwing a No No. The real question is what if he was at 110 pitches after 8 innings and still throwing a No No ? Post game Hughes said he over extended his right leg, trying to get a firm plant so that he can get on top of his curve ball. OK- he tried to make a perfect pitch. Why did this 1 action appearantly cause an injury ? What if his mechanics were different in '07 compared to years past ? Take a look at this link and decide for yourself: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/if-it-aint-brokea-video-review-of-phil-hughes-mechanical-changes/ Best, Ross Interesting times for the Yankees. With all of the leg and back injuries plagueing the team, the new strength and conditioning people are being scrutinised as possible contributing factors. Carry this 1 step further, suppose they are primarily responcible ? Does the future bring a continue string of injuries ? It they are replaced, will there be injuries as players adjust to a new regimen ? Oh and it has been whispered that these guys had convinced Pettite to lift weights without his customary weight belt, causing him to cut short his workout when he felt back spasms….. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As for Hughes- he was called up because the Yankees were out of realistic options- plain and simple. He pitched ok in his first start and DOMINATED in his 2nd. His curveball was excellent, fastball well placed and changeup surprisingly good. But where was the 96mph FB we have heard so much about ? ESPN gun was only showing 91-92… Now he is hurt and will be out for at least 4 weeks. Whether this would have happenened in Scranton is anyones guess. There was no reason whatsoever to have pulled him after 6ip. Pitch count was low and he was throwing a No No. The real question is what if he was at 110 pitches after 8 innings and still throwing a No No ?

Post game Hughes said he over extended his right leg, trying to get a firm plant so that he can get on top of his curve ball. OK- he tried to make a perfect pitch. Why did this 1 action appearantly cause an injury ?

What if his mechanics were different in ‘07 compared to years past ? Take a look at this link and decide for yourself:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/if-it-aint-brokea-video-review-of-phil-hughes-mechanical-changes/

Best,

Ross

]]> By: JS http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35063 JS Wed, 02 May 2007 18:01:36 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35063 The other bright side, that no one has mentioned so far (in all my reading on the subject), is that the Yankees were going to limit Hughes to 180 innings between the minors and majors anyway. If he had become a legitimate member of the rotation then they were going to have a serious problem on their hands by mid-september as to whether to let him exceed 200 or 220 innings (before his arm is ready to do so). Shutting him down now for 6 or even 8 weeks virtually guarantees that he won't reach 180 innings even if they win the world series. That way, they can increase his work load 20 innings next season, and 20 more the following year, until he can handle 220-230 innings per year. Clearly, when you're talking about a serious major league talent like Phil Hughes the danger isn't that he doesn't come back soon enough in 2007 and the Yanks can't win the division. The danger is that they rush him back into action and he hurts his arm while compensating for the leg and he screws up a 15 year career as a #1 starter. That's why it's important to make sure that a lot of things happen before he comes back. You have to ensure that he's healthy, let him throw off flat ground, let him throw off a mound, get him to pitch simulated games, let him pitch 3 innings in minor league starts, etc., etc., to not only make sure that the leg is healthy, but more importantly to build up that arm strength. I gotta tell you guys, I was also worried after inning number 6 that they were going to be sentimental about the whole thing and let Hughes try to pitch a no-hitter. He really didn't need to be pitching a 9 inning complete game at 20 years old. I guess I am an optimist, but I see the forest for the trees in this whole thing and I see that this really could be a blessing in disguise as much as it doesn't look like one right now. The other bright side, that no one has mentioned so far (in all my reading on the subject), is that the Yankees were going to limit Hughes to 180 innings between the minors and majors anyway. If he had become a legitimate member of the rotation then they were going to have a serious problem on their hands by mid-september as to whether to let him exceed 200 or 220 innings (before his arm is ready to do so). Shutting him down now for 6 or even 8 weeks virtually guarantees that he won’t reach 180 innings even if they win the world series. That way, they can increase his work load 20 innings next season, and 20 more the following year, until he can handle 220-230 innings per year. Clearly, when you’re talking about a serious major league talent like Phil Hughes the danger isn’t that he doesn’t come back soon enough in 2007 and the Yanks can’t win the division. The danger is that they rush him back into action and he hurts his arm while compensating for the leg and he screws up a 15 year career as a #1 starter. That’s why it’s important to make sure that a lot of things happen before he comes back. You have to ensure that he’s healthy, let him throw off flat ground, let him throw off a mound, get him to pitch simulated games, let him pitch 3 innings in minor league starts, etc., etc., to not only make sure that the leg is healthy, but more importantly to build up that arm strength.

I gotta tell you guys, I was also worried after inning number 6 that they were going to be sentimental about the whole thing and let Hughes try to pitch a no-hitter. He really didn’t need to be pitching a 9 inning complete game at 20 years old. I guess I am an optimist, but I see the forest for the trees in this whole thing and I see that this really could be a blessing in disguise as much as it doesn’t look like one right now.

]]> By: Bill http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35052 Bill Wed, 02 May 2007 17:35:37 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35052 With all due respect Mr. Abraham, or shall I say Dr. Abraham (clearly being a writer for the Journal News and lohud.com qualifies you to make a medical diagnosis - "a few months at least") your blog today was horrible. I know there is Monday morning quarterbacking, but you took it way past that. You have no idea if this would have happened to Hughes or not anywhere else. What if at AAA he slipped covering first because the field was not in major league condition, what if (in trying to get ontop of that same curve) he slid on a AAA mound because it was damp from rain the night before? Are my arguments ridiculous, yea, I though so, however yours is no different. Get a grip my friend... With all due respect Mr. Abraham, or shall I say Dr. Abraham (clearly being a writer for the Journal News and lohud.com qualifies you to make a medical diagnosis – “a few months at least”) your blog today was horrible. I know there is Monday morning quarterbacking, but you took it way past that. You have no idea if this would have happened to Hughes or not anywhere else. What if at AAA he slipped covering first because the field was not in major league condition, what if (in trying to get ontop of that same curve) he slid on a AAA mound because it was damp from rain the night before? Are my arguments ridiculous, yea, I though so, however yours is no different.

Get a grip my friend…

]]> By: Rob http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35039 Rob Wed, 02 May 2007 16:33:42 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35039 Hughes said he was trying to bury a curveball on Teixeira, because he didn't want to hang it. I don't know how this would be any different with AAA hitter. No pitcher wants to hang a curveball to a hitter on 0-2 count. The same sitation could have happened if Hughes had a no-no going into the 7th in AAA. The whole reasoning on how Hughes was rushed is horse crap. Last nights game proved he belongs. Hughes said he was trying to bury a curveball on Teixeira, because he didn’t want to hang it. I don’t know how this would be any different with AAA hitter. No pitcher wants to hang a curveball to a hitter on 0-2 count. The same sitation could have happened if Hughes had a no-no going into the 7th in AAA. The whole reasoning on how Hughes was rushed is horse crap. Last nights game proved he belongs.

]]> By: Steve Holiday http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35013 Steve Holiday Wed, 02 May 2007 15:54:14 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35013 Hey Peter what if Timo Perez laid down a bunt and Hughes rushed for the ball to get the out at 1B and then pulled a hamstring? What if Hughes pulled a hamstring in any fielding scenario? Part of being a pitcher means fielding the ball as well as pitching it. Lemme guess, he should dog it to a ball because he can't risk pulling a hamstring. What kind of message does that send to his teammates? "I'm more important than you so I don't have to play as hard?" Since when did playing in the minors mean going easy or worse, not giving 100%? You seem to imply that if Perez had men on 1B and 2B i.e. the leadoff and #2 batters got on base, and it's 3-2 Scranton, Hughes wouldn't go after Perez with the same passion, vengeance, energy, whatever as he did with Texiera? I can't and won't believe it, and while I can't speak for Hughes, I think I can make a fair guess and say he'd tell you, me, or anyone who reads and posts comments that he's gonna go all out for any game at any level cuz it's pure competitive nature. 'Bottom line is you didn't think "injury" say after 5 innings of no-hit ball, none of us did. Hey Peter what if Timo Perez laid down a bunt and Hughes rushed for the ball to get the out at 1B and then pulled a hamstring? What if Hughes pulled a hamstring in any fielding scenario? Part of being a pitcher means fielding the ball as well as pitching it. Lemme guess, he should dog it to a ball because he can’t risk pulling a hamstring. What kind of message does that send to his teammates? “I’m more important than you so I don’t have to play as hard?” Since when did playing in the minors mean going easy or worse, not giving 100%? You seem to imply that if Perez had men on 1B and 2B i.e. the leadoff and #2 batters got on base, and it’s 3-2 Scranton, Hughes wouldn’t go after Perez with the same passion, vengeance, energy, whatever as he did with Texiera? I can’t and won’t believe it, and while I can’t speak for Hughes, I think I can make a fair guess and say he’d tell you, me, or anyone who reads and posts comments that he’s gonna go all out for any game at any level cuz it’s pure competitive nature.

‘Bottom line is you didn’t think “injury” say after 5 innings of no-hit ball, none of us did.

]]> By: ILOveTheYanks http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35005 ILOveTheYanks Wed, 02 May 2007 15:46:01 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-35005 Peter, I am amazed at the angst over this. You were and ARE correct 100%. The Yankees PANICKED and threw this kid into a situation at MLB level, with MLB pressure, and this culd have been avoided. Shame on US and SHAME on OUR FANS for ragging on you for being RIGHT. Peter, I am amazed at the angst over this.
You were and ARE correct 100%.
The Yankees PANICKED and threw this kid into a situation at MLB level, with MLB pressure, and this culd have been avoided.
Shame on US and SHAME on OUR FANS for ragging on you for being RIGHT.

]]> By: Jimmy Bean http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-34982 Jimmy Bean Wed, 02 May 2007 14:54:37 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-34982 Abrahams your a douche. Read This and you will know why: http://www.riveraveblues.com/ Abrahams your a douche.

Read This and you will know why:

http://www.riveraveblues.com/

]]> By: Harley http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-34969 Harley Wed, 02 May 2007 14:40:36 +0000 http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2007/05/02/hughes-risk-didnt-pay-for-the-yankees/#comment-34969 Please just let it go. The problem here is that you don't seem to know the first thing about hamstring injuries. Yes, the Yankees had a plan for Hughes based on 'months of research and evaluation.' And none of it, not a single sentence, was concerned with hamstring injuries. As your next post suggests, there's much we can agree on. But you might want to check in with a trainer or a doctor or a high school athlete before any further hamstring discussion. Please just let it go. The problem here is that you don’t seem to know the first thing about hamstring injuries. Yes, the Yankees had a plan for Hughes based on ‘months of research and evaluation.’ And none of it, not a single sentence, was concerned with hamstring injuries.

As your next post suggests, there’s much we can agree on. But you might want to check in with a trainer or a doctor or a high school athlete before any further hamstring discussion.

]]>