Suspension upheld: Hawkins out for 3
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 06, 2008 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Mark Feinsand is reporting that LaTroy Hawkins lost his appeal and will be suspended for three games starting tonight.
Given that he pitched yesterday, he likely wasn’t available tonight. So it’s more or less a two-game suspension.
YES !
The Royals should protest this suspension. If I were them, I’d want him in there.
Oh. Darn?
MLB screws us again. I was hoping for 6 games.
Can we appeal that it should have been longer?
Anyway, thanks for the new icon for my iPhone! Once I figured out I had to delete the old one and then add it again, it works great! See you at the Stadium tonight!
lol, we all think alike. i wanted to see a 10 game suspension
If they upheld LaTroy’s suspension, then whatever they hand out to Cereal Boy should be upheld as well.
Can’t play favorites.
Good news. Maybe Farnsworthless can be suspended next?
that NY times article on Melancon is great.
Man he sounds like a real star in the making.. he has 43 innings already for the year…..
BTW Kyle has given up at least 1 run in 7 of the last 8 outings..
that is really hard to do..
he is bad bad bad….
Braboy selected by the Yankees in Rd. 18 is another 6 foot 195 pounder who touches 95 mph.
If he got 3 games, what will they give Crisp and Shields and Gomes for their fight in Fenway?
If they wanted to punish the team, MLB should have given him a three day appearance penalty.
after his suspension is over they can DFA him, right ? Remember when I told all of you that we needed to get rid of that bum by the All-Star break ? Who thinks that is a good idea now ???
i’m crying inside. really. we can all get mad a kyle fransworth for inconsistent pitching, he is limited and often bad. but he is no latroy hawkins. hawkins is a miserable relief pitcher. he is awful every time he touches the ball. i want to see video of last year and figure out how the hell he pitched in the post season and wasn’t horrible. i usually don’t question cashman, but this guy has got to go.
Pete (and others),
What would have happened to the Yankee roster if Hawkins was DFAed and then his suspension was upheld?
Would the Yankees still have lost a roster spot for 3 games?
Yankees select Mitch Abeita, C – Nebraska
JRVJ, interesting question. I would think that the suspension follows the player. It was the player who was suspended for his actions, not the team. A team type suspension would be the manager being suspended.
Don Vito A. Bellamo
Why wait, dfa him now.
Be Ge Burrs
Agreed.
good – he needed time off anyway
he needs the year off
Yankees select Patrick Venditte. RHP, Creighton in Rd. 20
(YEH THE SWITCH PITCHER)
First time in the history of the franchise the fans were rooting for more games to be added to a Yankee players suspension! lol
Great article on Melancon in the Times today. Really solid work by Kepner.
For those who take Mark Newman’s word as gospel that Melancon won’t be up this year, this is the same guy who said there were “no plans” to send McCutchen to AAA. He was in Scranton 4 days later.
The Yankees have this “habit” of secrecy when it comes to just about everything around the organization. Especially call ups. What they say publicly and what they eventually end up doing are often two different things.
Seems to me its foolish to have this guy on an aggressive program to build up his innings only to get him ready for the AA playoffs in August.
Last year at this time, I asked a member of the Yankees braintrust if they thought Joba Chamberlain could help them at some point during the year. I was thinking about him in the starting rotation. Had no real thoughts at that time about putting him in the ‘pen. The person looked at me like I was nuts and said “no way”.
By late July, he was with the Yankees.
I still think Melancon ends up in NY at some point in the season. Like Joba last year, perhaps Mid-Late July.
The yankees just drafted Pat Venditte – the “switch pitcher” who can throw with both his righ and left arm.
He alternates depending on whether the hitter is lefty or righty. It’s not a gimmick. Google him for a youtube clip – it’s very neat to watch.
They drafted him last year also. This year he’ll sign.
What a media circus it’ll be if he pitches in the bronx!
brandon is that the same guy they picked last year or a different switch pitcher
yousef hawkins would have been a better signing than latroy.
I hope Melancon stays with the Thunder until the emd of the month, at least. My nephew’s Little League team is named the Thunder and they’ve been invited to stand on the field with the team during the Anthem on June 25th. I’d love for him to get to meet Melancon and Jackson.
“Yankees select Patrick Venditte. RHP, Creighton in Rd. 20 ”
They really like this guy. Is he a senior this year?
Venditte is a senior. He’s going to be in the organization.
So far a very conservative second day of the draft. They haven’t gone after any of the better signability guys left on the board.
Jokes aside, isn’t 3 games for throwing near someone a bit much? I mean even Farnsworth got reduced to two games last time and he throws in the upper 90′s, I’d be surprised if Hawkins could even cause an arm bruise. But I digress, 3 games is too much even if he sucks and should be DFA’d.
Just watched the video — he looks pretty smooth from either side. Cool glove, too.
Pat Venditte LRHP
Oh and by the way, for all of you who bash the Hawkins signing, it came down to 3 years for Vizcaino or 1 year for Hawkins plus a draft pick, one lefty Jeremy Bleich from Stanford.
Jeff NJ -
I’m guessing it may have something to do with the fact that Hawkins threw a couple of pitches, not just one.
Yanks select Mitchell Delaney 1B from West Texas Rd. 21
That’s now two pitchers (Bittle was the other) that were selected both last year and this year.
It does show how much they like each guy.
The draft is showing what the Yankees intend to do in the future. They are loading up on pitchers and building enough of a pitching inventory throughout the organization to stock most of their staff with homegrown guys.
It also gives them the chance to be able to use the trade market (with their pitching as the primary weapon) to upgrade the major league club.
I suspect they will use free agency in the future to improve their bench and position players. It looks like they are firm in moving away from using free agency to fix their pitching woes. Its a philosophy many teams in baseball are employing today.
will he be allowed to pitch from both sides in the same at bat?
I like how he drops down when pitching lefty. This would be unbelievably interesting.
The yankees just drafted Pat Venditte – the “switch pitcher†who can throw with both his righ and left arm.
Remember Greg Harris??? Yankees had him for a very short time in the early 90′s. He could pitch with both arms as well. Only with the Expos, in the last year of his 15 year career, was he allowed to pitch lefthanded though.
The Hawkins suspension was warranted. Not only did he throw two pitches in a row at Scott, the second one was too close to his head.
Can’t do that and expect the suspension to get reduced.
Hawkins was a good signing in the sense that it was just a one year deal. I agree with Cashman’s contention that the draft pick was too good to pass up. Hawkins is just a stopgap guy until their younger bullpen arms are ready.
When they are ready, Hawkins will most likely be gone.
It was a weak year for bullpen help in free agency.
Brandon – Thanks for posting the link. That was pretty amazing to watch. I especially liked the 6-fingered glove.
No, once you commit to pitching one way during an AB, I don’t think you are allowed to switch over. Same as a batter.
I remember reading about Venditte having that trouble during one game. A switch hitter came up to bat against him, and they pair of them kept changing positions to face each other until he ump said they had to commit.
I suspect Hawkins suspension was not reduced because he was almost laughing when talking to the media about it.
To who ever asked if he can switch during an ab, no he can’t.
“will he be allowed to pitch from both sides in the same at bat?”
I believe this is the way it works – the hitter must declare first what side of the plate he intends to hit from.
Then the pitcher declares what arm he intends on using.
This came up last year – what happens if venditte faces a switch hitter?
But I think that once the at bat starts both the hitter and pitcher are locked into using that side of the plate/ arm.
He doesn’t have very good stuff – throws in the low to mid 80′s if i remember.
But perhaps they’ll have him work on developing really sweeping breaking stuff from both sides? If he dropped down from the right side more maybe he’d be more effective?
The possibilities are endless.
I wonder how long we’ll have to wait for Cox, Robertson, and melancon and be forced to watch farnsworth and hawkins? If even one of them is good and another only decent it would be a HUGE upgrade.
SJ44 –
If it’s becoming a popular philosophy, it begs the question, who’s going to want all the pitchers the Yankees stockpile if they’re stockpiling pitchers of their own?
Not that I think it’s a bad idea, mind you. The more you have to choose from, I guess the better your odds are of finding some real gems, whether you use your extra for trade or not.
Yankees select Cory Arbiso, RHP, Cal St Fullerton in Rd. 22
“But perhaps they’ll have him work on developing really sweeping breaking stuff from both sides? If he dropped down from the right side more maybe he’d be more effective?”
It would be awesome to have a Lefy and Righty specialist coming out of the pen. I would take Mike Myers type stuff from both sides. Would be a nice change of pace following a power arm.
Why dont they just tell Hawkins to get lost and be done with it
CB,
I think they are being conservative with their picks today for one reason. They are putting their money into the Latin American market when it opens July 2.
I think they have targeted the guys they want to sign in this draft and they will ante up those certain guys.
The rest of their money is going to Latin America, IMO.
I have a feeling we will hear Peter Gammons complaining about how much money the Yankees will be spending on undrafted Latin American free agents next month.
3 games? So does that mean Lester’s gonna get 14 days for yesterday, right? Oh wait, I forgot. He’s white, had cancer and is a Red Sox. No reason any of his two brush backs and two HBP AFTER the brawl intentional.
Drafting as many pitchers as possible is the way to go. Probably 2 out of 10 will make it to the big leagues, while 1 out of 20 will have a substantial career (total guesses). It’s easier to predict position players in free agency. Plus, international signings are good way to add position player depth.
Kyle Long goes to the White Sox
Doreen,
There is always a market for pitching. Mainly because many teams may draft pitchers but, they do a very poor job of developing them.
The Pirates are a prime example. The White Sox are another.
So are the Philies.
A lot of teams have the same philosophy but, they don’t always execute it to perfection.
That’s what makes what the Yankees have done the last 3 years so amazing. They haven’t missed on too many of the higher ceiling arms they drafted.
That’s rare. When you add to it guys like Sanchez (acquired in the Sheffield trade), and Aceves (signed from the Mexican League), its a very impressive inventory of arms.
It gives them options for the future. Prior to this renewed commitment to building up the system, their only option to upgrade their team was via free agency.
That’s not only expensive, it makes the misses, VERY painful. As we have seen with guys like Pavano, Farnsworth, etc.
Lester should get a suspension as well as the others that were involved with the brawl.
I thought that if the teams are warned, the pitcher gets tossed if he hits a batter. So, they might just pass him off and pat his head.
i hope all our pitchers saw the clip of shield’s hitting crisp IN THE LEG yesterday. crisp’s overreaction aside, that’s the way you do it and avoid being suspeded.
“I think they are being conservative with their picks today for one reason. They are putting their money into the Latin American market when it opens July 2.”
SJ,
I was thinking exactly the same thing. I was holding off drawing final conclusions until the end of the draft but there are very few “signability” guys left at this point.
Even the yankees have a budget. I think last year they spent around 12M on the draft and 3-4 on international signings. Something like that. I know they spent the most on the draft last year.
It’s very clear as they keep passing on guys who are considered to be top 100 talents like Alex Meyer that they just don’t think the signability guys this year are worth it.
And that’s not because they are going “cheap” or anything like that are suddenly changing their draft philosophy.
They’re allocating resources. They went after a signability guy in the 6th round in Marshall but have been quite since.
It’s very clear that they are saving those resources to use in other ways and that has to be the international market.
I think they are going to spend an unbelievable amount of money.
Don’t know how many players they’ll get for that. The wild card is Michael Inoa. No idea how much he gets – it’ll be a record. People are saying he’s one of the best pitchers on the international market since Felix. Don’t know if he’s truly comparable. But it seems like the yankees aren’t going to let him go.
How does the LA stuff work? Can they just sign whomever they want? Is there a draft set up there?
Yanks select Ryan Wikes, SS, Kentucky in Rd. 23
that’s one LHP in 23 rounds my friends.
the idea of stockpiling on pitching is great, grow your pitchers/buy your position players and bench can build a really good team. But one lefty in 23 rounds? how many pitchers total? I haven’t been paying too much attention but it’s gotta be like 14 righties and the one lefty
Brandon, I thought they picked up another lefty earlier. No?
“that’s one LHP in 23 rounds my friends.”
1 1/2 !
Be Ge Burrs, I’m keeping Vandette on his own category.
Yankees select Michael Lyon, 3B, Northeastern in Rd. 24
all u guys get happy about latroy, start being a Yankee fan and cheer for ure team and stop b&&&&ing and complaing.. be A REAL fan and cheer for ure team, u should change teams if ure not happy..Hawkins did good yesterday..
“1 1/2 !”
1 1/2, CB beat me to it!
There is no draft. Its a total free for all.
You go down there with a lot of cash and you aggressively go after guys.
They have agents, advisors, hangers on, go betweens, all of that kind of stuff.
Use use your contacts and scouts to identify the guys you think are very projectable talents. Then, you get ready to write a lot of checks.
The rumors have been pretty strong for the last two months the Yankees have already identified 3-4 guys in which money will be no object to sign.
If that’s true, its probably why they are pulling back a bit today.
Inoa is far and away the best undrafted LA pitching prospect since Felix Hernandez. There are some in the organization who are still ticked off they lost out on King Felix.
I don’t think they want to lose out on Inoa.
Is it a crapshoot? You bet it is. There are no sure things.
Especially when you are dealing with language issues, lifestyle and maturity issues, injuries, etc.
That’s the way it is though. Its a big part of putting your organization together nowadays and its a marketplace where the Yankees have been very aggressive in recent years.
So are the Pirates and Phillies, for example, drafting poorly, or do they not have a good enough system in place to better enable their draft choices to reach their potential?
Are you saying that the Yankees have a good program in place to develop their young pitchers?
I do like that they are amassing talented young players. Not only do you have a less expensive source of talent, but if you hit with a few of them, that translates into a stable pitching staff for several seasons and allows you to use the money you have for so many other purposes. You can further develop the farm system, you can upgrade your entire organization personnel-wise, and explore the foreign markets for position players. It allows you to be choosier in the free agent market, targeting only exactly what you need, and being free to make the best offer to that player that you can because you know you’re not going to be in a position where you need to fill several spots through free agency. You have more freedom and flexibility in the roster, because you don’t have as many long-term, no- or limited-trade contracts, either.
Is there a rule for ambidexterous pitchers? Not sure why they would, but could they change arm sides in a single at bat?
There aren’t a lot of good lefties in this draft.
You draft the best available player when you pick. You never draft for need.
Those that do (like the Tigers this year) are doing it out of desperation.
They drained their farm system last year with the Cabrera/Willis and Renteria trades. Zumaya and Rodney then went down with injuries.
They are barren on the AA and AAA levels for pitching. Especially bullpen guys.
They made the calculated gamble to use this draft to replenish their bullpen this year. Their first 3 picks all may see time with the Tigers this year.
Its a big reason why Cole dropped to the Yankees.
Its the same as for switch hitters. You come up to the plate batting lefty you finish it that way.
I don’t think you want to keep switching for one batter anyway.
Any chance he doesn’t sign again?
The LA market sounds all so “cloak and dagger” — or actually, cut-throat.
Yankees select Jeff Nutt (LOL), C, U of Arkansas Fayetteville in Rd. 25
yay
When the Yankees report for spring training next year, they will have 35 catchers,34 right-handed pitchers a 1 lefty.
Doreen,
In the Pirates case, they do a poor job of drafting. Over the last 6 years, they have drafted 10 pitchers in the early rounds of the draft. All but two have needed arm surgery. Most have never recovered.
The Phillies don’t draft well. Various schools of thought as to why.
They have a lot of scouts. I see them all the time at games. They may not listen to them on draft day but, they aren’t short personnel-wise in the scouting department.
It takes a significant amount of money to hire the right people to develop your talent.
Some teams are paying minor league instructors less than $65,000 a year to develop million dollar arms.
Not exactly smart.
The Red Sox and Yankees have spent a lot of money in the last 4 years on minor league coordinators, scouts and other necessary development personnel.
They have also invested millions of dollars in facilities in Latin America. All to attract the top talent in the region.
To develop talent, it takes a complete organizational commitment.
For all the Yankees money, it wasn’t until the summer of 2005 when they began to make this kind of commitment to their minor league system.
They are playing catch up. Because of their money and the great job Oppenheimer and the scouts have done, they have been able to hit some home runs the past few years.
That speeds up the process toward making your organization whole again.
Brandon,
I’m going to say it again – if the yankees don’t sign Inoa I’m holding you personally responsible!
Especially now that we’ve seen the picks in this draft.
I couldn’t believe it when they lost out on Felix. That was just bad. How could he pick the Mariners over the Yankees?
Oddly, the yankees havne’t had too many star players from the DR. I can’t imagine what Washington Heights would be like if Inoa blossomed into a star in the bronx. That would be great for the city.
“When the Yankees report for spring training next year, they will have 35 catchers,34 right-handed pitchers a 1 and a 1/2 lefty.”
Anyone see the Times today? Real good read on Mark Melancon.
CB if Inoa doesn’t sign I promise you Brian Cashman will be stoned next time by my family’s contacts in D.R.
Just think if they’ve never had to play catch-up!
The Yankees have gone with a couple of pitchers who’ve needed surgery. What is the difference between what they’ve done and what the Pirates have done? Is it the type of surgery (TJ versus shoulder, for instance)? Or is it in not having a good rehab program? Or do the Yankees have better information about the extent of the pre-existing problems?
I’m glad the Yankees are using their money this way. Free agnents used to be very “sexy” but you get burned a couple of times and they’re not all that attractive anymore.
Baseball really is amazing. These organizations are ridiculously large, the infrastructure in place to scout so many players must be immense. One of the things I love about baseball is that there are so many ways to find a great player.
being focused on pitching for the future is great, but what about a pitching problem right now?
wang went into this year as a question mark. his good start erased most doubts.
… but now, one more bad start and he’s a certified problem.
i still think it’s a mistake to having him throw so many sliders. if he can’t get hitters out with the dominant sinker he’s not going to be the 19 game winner he was before.
when wang throws mostly sinkers, he’ll old reliable.
when he adds too many other pitches he can be really good or really bad. i think he has constant changing mechanical problems by trying to do too much.
this is a pitching philosophy question.
i’m of the keep it simple school of thought. guidry and eiland have been of the keep it complicated school of thought to keep hitters guessing.
his original pitching coach is somewhere in the middle. he says wang can throw the slider from the same arm slot so it shouldn’t be a problem.
but the results ever since wang has started throwing more sliders has been erratic from really good to really bad. i think as long as he stays with trying to throw a lot of other pitches he’s going to be erratic.
i would rather he stick to refining a devastating sinker that can’t be hit hard even when they know it’s coming.
Randy l -
On the upside, he’s striking out more people, isn’t he?
(That’s a sarcastic remark. I prefer the sure ground balls and a solid performance to a 7-10 strikeout game FROM WANG any day.)
In 2 years the Yankees have drafted 3 lefthanders. Andy Pettitte must be smiling.
blahblahblah,
“3 games? So does that mean Lester’s gonna get 14 days for yesterday, right? Oh wait, I forgot. He’s white, had cancer and is a Red Sox. No reason any of his two brush backs and two HBP AFTER the brawl intentional.”
Don’t try and make this a race issue. That claim is completely unfounded. Beyond that, don’t think that Lester being a red sox and being diagnosed with cancer will have any effect on the decision.
Jeesh, how closed-minded are you to think that MLB would really take these things into consideration? You’re really undermining their respect for the game, here.
“The Yankees have gone with a couple of pitchers who’ve needed surgery. What is the difference between what they’ve done and what the Pirates have done?”
What do you guys see as the chances that Melancon plays for the Yankees this season?
Stop the presses! A lefty!
“The Yankees have gone with a couple of pitchers who’ve needed surgery. What is the difference between what they’ve done and what the Pirates have done?”
Doreen,
Here’s the really big difference. The yankees have consciously chosen to take risks on pitchers who are very talented but have a known injury/ injury risk when acquired.
Once those pitchers have entered the system and rehabbed the yankees are actually developing a terrific success rate with bringing them back – Horne, Cox, Melancon, Garcia. All doing well.
The big problem for the pirates – they’re drafting talented guys year after year – guys with few known health problems – and then those guys are getting hurt an having their careers ruined after they enter the pirates system.
That’s why they have a structural problem with their pitcher development – the players keep getting hurt inside the pirates system
It’s sort of the opposite from the yankees situation.
Yanks take Blake Monar, LHP, South Spencer HS in Rd. 26
wait a minute a lefty ?
Thanks, CB. Makes sense.
I would think also that the Yankees have the luxury of taking a pitcher they know needs TJ surgery and can wait it out wherreas a team like the Pirates dont have the same luxary as they cant afford to go after free agents or make blockbuster trades.
I’m hoping a friend of mine gets picked today.. though he’s going to school either way (FSU)… he is a lefty pitcher though!!
Odd Stat:
17 of the Top 20 hitters by OPS are in the National League. The three exceptions, Josh Hamilton, Carlos Quinten and Milton Bradley, played in the National League last year.
Randy,
The problem with Wang is strictly mechanical. He knows what it is and they know what it is.
He has to take his bullpen and side sessions out to the mound.
Pitchers always have periods when they lose their arm slot.
That will get worked out.
Ironically, if Melky catches that ball, its a sure DP and its 2-2 after 5.
Would that have calmed him down and gotten him back to his arm slot? We will never know.
As long as he is healthy, the mechanical stuff can get worked out.
I know I’m late but — woooo hooooo on the hawkins suspension. it think he deserves a week off.
Yankees select Garrison Lassiter, SS, West Forsyth HS in Rd. 27
SJ;
He’s basically allowed an earned run an inning his last 4-5 times out. How long does it take to recitify it???
Seems much easier stated than done.
hey Buster Posey hit one out today
“Odd Stat:
17 of the Top 20 hitters by OPS are in the National League.”
You know what’s particularly strange about that – it’s really the slugging percentage that’s the difference, I believe. It’s the power part of the OPS, I think, that’s the biggest difference.
Last time I checked only one player in the AL was slugging over .600 – that was Josh Hamilton and he was barely above .600.
Hard to believe the year Lance Berkman is having. He’s slugging close to .750.
Youkilis getting SMACKE by manny:
http://www.outincenterfield.co....._card.html
Could you imagine the outcry if this happened on the Yankees?
You can’t even find this story on ESPN. Holy crap.
he got smackeD too!
Whats his name?
that’s what you call a b… slap
Fredo,
Just like a hitter leaking on his front side, opening up too soon and missing pitches he usually hits, pitchers have slumps that are mechanics related.
He looked great in the first couple of innings yesterday.
Posada immediately picked up on it opening up and was right on top of it. Its why he went to the mound so much and was putting his arm on his shoulder. A sign to Wang to close the front side. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the adjustment on the mound yesterday.
Pitching is like every other sport. You get your mechanics out of sort, you have trouble.
It got really bad after Melky dropped the ball. At that point, I think he lost his composure a bit and the mechanical flaw really took hold.
I agree with Randy that his next time out, they should try and just pump the strikezone with sinkers the first time around the order. That could get his mechanics back rather than throwing sliders and changeups which require his arm slot to be in a different place for those pitches.
This was the first time Posada has caught him in over a month.
“when wang throws mostly sinkers, he’ll old reliable.”
Um…except in the 2007 post-season. The problem with throwing the sinker and only the sinker is that teams recognize it and lay off…because it’s not going to be a strike. And when he needs to start elevating it so it’ll be in the zone, then even after it breaks downwards they know where it’ll be and they can put good swings on it. The whole thing about pitching to contact is you need to make them swing at YOUR pitches. Not the pitches they want to swing at.
He needs other pitches to throw to keep guys honest. I didn’t hear people complaining when he was commanding ALL his pitches in April.
Yanks select Chad Gross, RF, Cuesta College in Rd.27
“Could you imagine the outcry if this happened on the Yankees?
You can’t even find this story on ESPN. Holy crap.”
Olney had a little on it on his blog, but he thinks it’s small potatoes. Stuff like that happens when you’re around the same people all the time for months at a time (plus both of those guys were together at that Arizona sports conditioning camp with Little Dust Mite ). I agree with Olney, this is nothing.
Injury issues are cropping up up there, but this little tiff last night will be meaningless before 7:05 tonite.
My post cut off. Posada catching him again will help Wang.
He knows how to work with him and I think we will see less secondary pitches in his next start.
you know, if A-Rod slaps Cano in the dugout it would’ve been ALLLLL over ESPN – PTI, around the horn, sportscenter, etc. etc. It would be one of the top stories, and the poll on the side for “sports nation” (interesting name) would be something negative about the Yankees and the clubhouse turmoil.
If Abreu smacked Giambi on YES (not to mention of ARod was somehow involved, that would literally break the internet)- you can be sure the front page of ESPN would be: YANKEES IN TURMOIL, GIRARDI OVERMATCHED? VETS REVOLTING AGAINST JOBA TO BULLPEN.
joba to rotation
“He needs other pitches to throw to keep guys honest. I didn’t hear people complaining when he was commanding ALL his pitches in April.”
Good point. Take that game he pitched in Fenway early this year. He was brilliant and really did not employ the sinker that much at all as both his K’s and flyballs outnumbered his groundouts.
I was just watching the Boston Rays fight..anyone think Gomes needs anger management? That dude is a maniac. This will be the second time he is suspended already this year. Does MLB take any further action if a player is suspended a certain amount of times in a year for fighting?
“I agree with Olney, this is nothing.”
That doesn’t mean that, if it happened in the Bronx, we wouldn’t be hearing about it for weeks and months.
whozat – and WHEN they win this year there would be flashbacks of how bad it was when the team was fighting in the dugout and everyone thought it was over
espn is not even close to unbiased anymore
Yankees select Michael Jones, OF, Arizona St. in Rd.28
The Youk and Manny stuff is no big deal.
It is funny though how ESPN has buried it.
I have no doubt if Arod and Jeter got into it in the Yankee dugout, ESPN would shut down programming for the day to have running commentary on it.
Even both Boston papers downplayed the incident.
Damon had one comment on the Joba stuff and the Daily News went nuts.
Manny and Youk get into it and nary a word from both Boston newspapers and the Boys in Bristol.
Its not going to have any long term effect on the Sox because stuff like this happens with players.
Francona is also great at diffusing this stuff.
Its just the way it was covered by ESPN makes you chuckle a bit because you know the coverage would be decidedly different if it involved Yankee players.
Yanks select Ben McMahon, C,Bishop Moore School FL in Rd.29
“The problem with Wang is strictly mechanical. He knows what it is and they know what it is.”
sj
wang is a very unique situation.
he was just another pitcher until he got the sinker.
he can’t throw the sinker well unless he shortens his stride. the four seam fastball and slider both do not depend on the short stride. he could throw a faster and better four seam fastball if he lengthened his stride which is what he tends to do.
the problem is that his mechanics are twitchy with all the changes. sure they know what he’s doing but it doesn’t stop him from over striding.
when he gets everything in sync he does have a higher upside when he has it all going like he had in april, but his downsides are lower like we are seeing now. i’m convinced they need to dial it back a notch and throw mostly sinkers with some foue seamers and some sliders. keep the slider in hitter’s heads, but don’t show it as much.
neil allen who taught wang how to throw the sinker tells wang repeatedly that the pitch that is essential to throwing his sinker is the up and in four seamer that keeps hitters off the plate.
so he has to throw the four seamer. add an occasional slider and he’d be fine.
i’m convinced the yankees are making it too complicated.
Thank God I wish Hawkins were out for 50 games