TurnTwo January 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

“Wrong answer. Hughes will be as good or better than Joba and Bucholz.”

Are all three of them excellent pitching prospects? yes, so we’re kind of splitting hairs in terms of potential production.

but I saw all three of them pitch last year, and you can read scouting reports all over the web that would prob say the same thing, and if you are judging potential mlb success based on pure stuff, Hughes just doesnt have what Bucholtz and Joba have in his repertoire.

The problem is that Hughes was hurt for a good portion of last season.

He has more than either of them.

Unbeknownst to him someone nudged his child in the gallery at the back. “Pete, stand up…your father is passing”.

With apologies in advance to that fine film “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

Now, that I know the Yankees have a better rotation than the Jays and that I have billed a sum total of one combined hour today responding to everyone.

But I’m grateful to all of you who took the trouble to read my post and to respond to it, even those of you who were critical with the arguments or my diction.

I always enjoy a good, bracing argument. It helps to clarify my opinions and occasionally sways me to amend them. Lord knows, I’m not infallible.

And thanks again to Pete for the opportunity to post here and for the chance to introduce my blog to those of you who hadn’t already read but are inclined to read in the future.

Halladay isn’t that much better than Wang, just going on last years stats. If I had a choice, I would lean slightly towards Halladay I would also take Pettitte over Burnett. Agreed on Joba=McGowan & Hughes over Marcum , as well as IPK & Litsch being an unknown.

You add those three, with higher innings totals, to Halliday and a healthy Burnett (if that’s not an oxymoron) and to be honest, you could persuade me the Jays’ rotation is better than the Yankees.

1) Halliday v. Wang = Halliday
2) Burnett v. Pettite = Burnett, if healthy, which, I concede is a rarity
3) McGowan v. Joba = draw, perhaps, McGowan b/c of innings caps
4) Hughes v. Marcum = Hughes
5) IPK v. Litsch = ?

All three of whom, McGowan, Marcum, and Litch, totalled 439.7 innings or 43% of all the innings pitched by Blue Jays starters, which is precisely my point.