Comments on: Pinch hitting: Yankees Etc.

By: ken777

ken777 — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:58:08 +0000

Very easy. When you are in the BP you throw your best two pitches, sometimes mixing in your other pitches(but, not enough). Remember the curve, change are feel pitches. When you use only your two best the others seem to suffer big time. As one only starts every 5 days 3/5 starts = 2+weeks/4 weeks. Not documentation just experience. I could be wrong but we will see, if he starts in the BP.

By: Old Yanks Fan

Old Yanks Fan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:37:12 +0000

League average SPs are getting $10m these days. If Moose is close to that, and wants to play, I’m sure someone would offer him $5-8m as a #5 SP. Philly? The Mutts? St. Louis?

By: Old Yanks Fan

Old Yanks Fan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:35:07 +0000

You would lose him for about 3 or 4 weeks(he would still have the innings count).—————————————————————————————-
Do you have any documentation for this.
The players get 4 wks of ST to make up for 4 months of not playing at all. Why would it take 3 weeks to go from throwing 2 innings ever 3 days to throwing 6 innings ever 5 days???

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:14:25 +0000

What is the Rule of 30?

By: jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge

jennifer- Hip Hip Jorge — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:53:22 +0000

Mike wants to pitch close to home. Home is Eastern Pa. I don’t see him moving his entire family to say Atlanta. I also don’t see him returning to Baltimore, espically after how he was treated by fans when he left there. And I’m not just talking booing and throwing money at him. From what I heard from other people, it was downright scary.

By: Marissa

Marissa — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:33:47 +0000

I’ve been reading Travis G’s blog for a while now and it’s one of the good ones. I have it bookmarked and check it daily to read his updates and opinions (http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/).

By: bodhisattva

bodhisattva — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:33:43 +0000

SJ44,

Since when is this Moose’s “last year in baseball”? It’s his last year under contract to the Yankees. He could very seamlessly get a couple of productive years out of going to the NL. I have never read quotes from Mussina or his agent declaring 2008 to be his final year. Have you?

By: TurnTwo

TurnTwo — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:28:32 +0000

ken, i think you arent taking into consideration the context under which you have to make the Joba decision.

By: ken777

ken777 — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:11:30 +0000

Travis good blog.
I should have read you site before my comments. Good job!

It is better to go from starter to BP than it is the other way around. If one goes from BP to starter, he would need time in the MIL to get the arm back up to par and the right mind set. As an old Eddie Lopat type pitcher, I did this. You would lose him for about 3 or 4 weeks(he would still have the innings count). I still think he needs to be in the rotation, for his and our sake.

By: SJ44

SJ44 — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:55:13 +0000

I don’t see how Joba starting in the bullpen hurts his development.

In fact, as has been documented from other posters, not only have other pitchers done it, its actually helped their development. More importantly, its also helped their teams.

The reality is, unless injuries hit, I have a hard time believing the Yankees are going to enter the season with 3 (basically) rookies in the starting rotation.

They didn’t spend 400 million dollars this off-season to re-sign veterans to turn the starting rotation into the Rays.

Could it end that way? Perhaps. However, starting out, barring injuries, I think its safe to say, Wang, Pettitte and Moose have 3 of the starting spots locked down.

That leaves Kennedy and Hughes for the other two spots and Joba in the ‘pen.

When you look at it that way, it really does give them their best chance to win.

Joba can still develop, still use all his pitches and, as Turn Two said, we will see more 2 inning outings than last year.

Under Girardi and Eiland I expect to see a lot more logical use of pitching. Especially out of the bullpen.

I don’t think they will fall in love with one guy and run him into the ground.

Obviously, Joba has to be able to handle it. But, after seeing him all last year, from Single A to the majors, there isn’t a helluva lot he can’t handle.

I don’t think the Yankees are going to take any unnecessary risks with ANY of their young arms. I do, however, think they are going to examine every way possible to get the maximum amount of usage out of all of their young arms this year.

2008 may be a rebuilding year for some but, its not for the Yankees.