Today in The Journal News
-
- August
- 9
The Yankees were hammered by the Angels but Ian Kennedy wasn’t too upset with how he pitched.
Alex Rodriguez is having a fairly good season. But he wants to improve with runners in scoring position.
Joba Chamberlain says he feels fine. This notebook also has updates on Dan Giese, Pudge Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui.
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on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 3:15 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
To see Ian pitch without speed is just like BP, let alone facing those hitting animals in LAA.
A-rod is only an individual hero, not a team player. We all observe that.
Keep rest Melky.
This club has been faltering this season and few pitchers could be entirely relied on. This is the fault of Cashman who doesn’t boost such a momentum when nevessary. Being lack of decent offense, the starting rotation becomes more shaky.
The clock is tickering.
“Alex Rodriguez is having a fairly good season”
Sure, I agree his numbers with RISP have been bad. But Alex has been much more than just “fairly good” this year. He has the second highest OPS of any player in the AL with a minimum of 300 At-Bats. That is MVP-level good. In other words, he is in the argument for best hitter in the AL this season.
“A-rod is only an individual hero, not a team player. We all observe that.”
If that’s what you are observing, then you need glasses. He is a huge help to any team he plays for.
At least ARod identifies his weakness. Kennedy is living on Cloud 9 saying he pitched well.
For the love of Tino Martinez, deport Ian Kennedy to Scranton before he says something stupid again. Wondering what would make him upset? Apparently 10 base runners in 2 innings is nothing to get down about.
Ian stunk last night, period. There is no question about it.
I think he was trying to sound confident in his post-game interview last night. Instead he came off like an arrogant deluded jerk. Worse yet, he sounded like Kei Igawa.
On the other hand, I don’t think you get totally down on a kid because he doesn’t know how to talk to the media. There are people who should know a lot better, national politicians and the like, who haven’t mastered that skill.
I’m up in the air as to whether he should get his scheduled start against the Twins or not. It depends on whether they have any alternatives that are any better or not.
Who would have expected Wang, Joba, Hughes, and even IPK, all of their 20-something starters, to be out on the DL this year? It’s hard to overcome that, regardless of a team’s payroll. You just can’t keep enough top flight players in the minors to make up that many losses.
IPK had a bad game against a very good team. That doesn’t mean that he’ll never be a good ML pitcher. But if he’s going to get another shot now, Girardi and Cashman need to pull him aside in a hurry and tell him what’s expected and how to talk to the press. He should take a lesson from Jeter: hats off to the other guys, they were better tonight, I look forward to playing again the next time.
I wish this weren’t the situation the Yankees find themselves in, but it is what it is. They have to deal with it, and hopefully they’ll get some better alternatives back soon. I hope Hughes is ready soon both mentally and physically. At this point, I wouldn’t even mind seeing Pavano. They certainly paid the guy enough; there’s no reason not to try to get something out of it if they can. Since it’s the last year of his contract, he might even be motivated enough to make a contract push for next year.
We could really pull a wabbit outta our hat by taking these last 2 games….the offense needs to ( and CAN ) MASH !!!
I’ve said this the first time Kennedy was sent down this season. Yanks should have had him pitched well in the minors, gain confidence and value and then trade him. He doest have the guts ti pitch in NY. He’s a laid back cali dude who doesnrt really like the spotlight on him.
This Ian Kennedy guy reminds me of somebody.
Maybe if I go look in the mirror I’ll remember.
Didn’t Kei Igawa pull this same schtick?
At least Andy gives you the ‘I stunk, I didn’t do my job and next time I’ll do better’
Rasner is a good soldier and even when he gets lit up you feel for him a bit – IPK? not so much.
The results of last nights effort by IPK was predictable. Kennedy flirted with disaster when I watched him at Syracuse two weeks ago and reported here that his effort them was NOT going to be effective in the big leagues.
His non chalnce and smug smiling face during the post game interview was pathetic. You’d have thought we’d won. Matter of fact, I did because I fell asleep and woke up as they were interviewing him.
Send him back for more work on his arm and for a reality check,
Kennedy shows us his immaturity and insecurity each time he is interviewed. He is trying to sell himself to everyone each time he is interviewed.
I wonder if with time he will take a more realistic view of himself and mature mentally as well as learning to pitch on the major league level.
I think that is a real challenge for the Yankees. They not only have to train him to pitch like a major leaguer but also think like one too.
Right now I don’t believe he is doing either.
It seems trisha has now joined the ranks of stalking my every comment. Which is fine as long as you are accurate in what I said.
I said, EVERY professional athlete cares about their performance. I know of very few who don’t care, Kennedy included.
You contended that he doesn’t care about his performance. I disagreed with that statement and still do.
He wasn’t in the Yankees doghouse because he had an “I don’t care” attitude. He was in the doghouse because they felt he had a case of “big league-itis”, and needed to get knocked down a peg or two.
As I have said REPEATEDLY to you trisha, if you want to engage in baseball conversation and have a healthy give and take with me on my opinions, I welcome it. The give and take on baseball issues is what makes the blog fun.
If you are going to stalk me and misrepresent what I say to you, be prepared to be challenged by those comments. If you have a problem with that, don’t misrepresent what I say.
Its a pretty simple request. Don’t you think?
I just heard the post-game interview with him for the first time.
This is a kid who doesn’t have any idea how to act in front of the media. Its one thing to show a bad performance doesn’t get you down. Its another thing to say publicly, “it doesn’t bother you”.
More appropriately, to ACT like it doesn’t bother you. That’s when you lose your manager and teammates.
Part of professional sports, a big part, is dealing with the media. Not just for the fans sake but, for your teammates and management. Plenty of guys have lost career opportunities because of their inability to handle the media. Especially in NY.
You can say, “it doesn’t bother you” in a lot of ways that do not alienate your teammates.
Or, you can say it in a way like Kennedy did last night that buries you with your teammates.
Unfortunately for him, he chose the latter.
Well put SJ 44; however it is evident that Kennedy does not belong with the yankees. He should have/be traded. He will have a much better chance of finding his way with another organization.
You know this.
i’d say go back to rasner on thursday and hope that’s the last time he’ll be needed with joba and phil coming back.
Vrsce,
I agree. After watching and hearing his comments, he probably has buried himself with the Yankees.
I can’t see he and Girardi ever getting on the same page again. Sometimes, you say or do things that just kill you with an organization. Last night may have been the final nail in his coffin in that regard.
The tough part is, he has no trade value. The Yankees just have to hope he tears up AAA next year and somebody decides he has value.
if phil can pitch on tues the 19th and joba on the 23rd, then wednesday should be the last time rasner should have to pitch in the rotation, and today would be geise’s only start, barring any more injuries.
im not too happy with the idea of kennedy and igawa taking up 2/5 of the scranton rotation next year with no trade value and no hope of producing for the big club.
“Generation Trey” has been reduced to “Generation Deuce”. Joba and Phil minus Kennedy.
““Generation Trey†has been reduced to “Generation Deuceâ€. Joba and Phil minus Kennedy.”
true, but if you have 3 solid prospects and 1 of them reaches his potential you’re doing about average, if two turn out good, you’re well ahead of the game and if all 3 turn out good….wait, that never happens….
right now it looks like it’ll come down to phil, if he turns out well, nobody’s gonna rememgber ian whats-his-name and generation trey.
i think everyone is being a little premature on the demise of kennedy. I think the Yankees and many other teams see an ability to pitch on the major league level. I refuse to think all these people have been wrong about him. He needs to mature mentally and learn to use his physical abilities as a major leaguer. This may take a season at AAA.
you send a young, unproven pitcher against the best team in baseball…..the results were predictable.
Kennedy doesn’t realize his limitations. Successful pitchers today need to have a fastball in the range of 92-95 mph with a good breaking pitch and changing speeds. Kennedy shows little of those qualities and he’ll have to get by with strong location, gile, and guts to make it in the big leagues.
He may be best served by studying video of Mussina plus finding a big league demeanor. Until then, he’s dropped himself low on the food chain.
Perhaps we’re making just a tinge too big deal about Ian Kennedy’s comments maybe? Just a tiny bit?
Again, he should have never been brought up. The fact that he’s getting another start really makes me question how the guys in the majors look at our prospects. It seems like the development plan is just fine until you reach that point between AAA and the majors. then it’s “oh, a couple of good outings in AAA! you’re ready!” then, when it turns our you’re not ready, you’re a bum.
I’d rather have Kennedy say what he said than bury his head in the sand. Then again, read what I changed my screenname to.
David Cone and Ken Singleton’s’s analysis last night seems right on the button. They talked about how IPK’s pitches are all on the same plane and that he needs a curveball to change the hitter’s eye angle.
To major league hitters, Kennedy is basically pitching batting practice. He’s allowed 50 hits in only 40 innings. Add in his 26 walks and you have arguably the worst starting pitcher in the major leagues. He cannot be allowed to start another game this season.
I forgot to add that the only possible solution to all this which would not have unleashed the fury of the forum last night was Ian Kennedy going out there and pitching like Bob Gibson. Wasn’t going to happen. He got screwed, and screwed good.
The right handed igawa has arrived…
for those preaching patience, several points:
1) this is MOT kennedy’s 1st stupid telling remark. when demoted earlier this year he said something about finally pitching in an environment where not every single pitch is analyzed… it’s apparent he can’t and won’t and doesn’t want to handle the big stage.
2) besides his character, let’s not forget that his stuff is just awful. flat fastball in the high 80’s, breaking stuff & change he can’t really locate. he was throwing BP last night, it’s no accident his ERA in 8+…
3) the yanks were doing everything possible NOT to promote him again this year, even choosing giese ahead of him until joba’s injury.
let’s look what it took for kennedy to break the rotation:
wang – injured
joba – injured
hughes – injured
rasner – ineffective
ponson – already in the rotation
giese – ditto
patience? forget about it…
“The tough part is, he has no trade value. The Yankees just have to hope he tears up AAA next year and somebody decides he has value.”
I’m sorry, SJ, but either you or CB claimed yesterday that teams were asking for him left and right around the deadline. He suddenly has no value, based on one start?
Damned if he….you get the picture.
Giese against Lackey
Dead-armed Pettitte against Saunders
Can anyone say 4-5 out of the WC by Monday am?
let’s look what it took for kennedy to break the rotation:
“wang – injured
joba – injured
hughes – injured
rasner – ineffective
ponson – already in the rotation
giese – ditto
patience? forget about it…”
actually, he was in the rotation to start the year.
Gil, send me your address so that I can mail you a Rays cap. you can root for a contending team and not have to deal with those pesky growing pains.
i dont know anything about the fury of the forum, but kennedy sucked last night, no way around it. if he had given up 5 runs on 9 hits in SIX innings, i could deal with that, but he managed to do all that damage in only TWO(+) inning! it doesnt matter what he said after the game and it doesnt matter what anyone’s expectations were, that was an abysmal performance no matter how you slice it.
this is a gots-to-go type of situation.
“Giese against Lackey
Dead-armed Pettitte against Saunders
Can anyone say 4-5 out of the WC by Monday am?”
i love repeating talking points over and over. here’s one i must have said five times these past few days: how did Rasner vs. Lackey wind up last week?
I think I’ll be back later on this afternoon when the actual baseball fans are logged on. see ya!
jorge
i’m well aware, and painfully so, that kennedy started the season in the rotation while compiling a stunning 7+ ERA.
i find it ridicolous that for some rooting for a team means adoring evey single player to don the uniforms, AND never being critical of a player.
there’s a big difference between growing pains and dealing with spoiled brats.
by the way, this whole discussion is pointless. by this time next year, as BOTH of us know full well, kennedy will not be a yankee.
“by the way, this whole discussion is pointless. by this time next year, as BOTH of us know full well, kennedy will not be a yankee.”
can i borrow your crystal ball? i’d like to go bowling with it.
can i also borrow the blanket you use to throw over people who don’t share your opinion, since i’d like to know where it is you’re getting that i’m never critical of players? i’m cold.
“Any bad outing is disappointing. It’s the first bad outing I’ve had since the All-Star break, so I’m not going to look too much into it. I felt like I made some good pitches and I competed. I’m not too upset about it.”
there’s a fine line between a healthy overconfidence( jeter and rivera) and a delusional overconfidence.
kennedy has plummeted over the edge into the latter case.
it’s to late to revisit the santana trade ,but looking at the history of it should give the yankees pause in their valuation of prospects vs. veterans.
when the twins did not like the yankee offer, there was a reason . the twins are not 1 1/2 games ahead of the yankees on 1/4 the payroll because they can’t evaluate young players.
kennedy should pitch the next few years at triple a with occasional spot starts to get his value back up to where he can either be traded or be a fifth starter for the yankees.
anything beyond that and the yankees are being as delusional as kennedy.
“A-rod is only an individual hero, not a team player. We all observe that.”
Actually, there has been some phenomenally perceptive commentary over the last few days here about ARod pressing to make up for the lack of run producers elsewhere in the lineup.
I could go into it, but you probably read it and didn’t care. Comments like these are so fundamentally stupid that they don’t deserve an in-depth response anyway. “Individual hero.” What is he supposed to do differently? Do you think he doesn’t want to drive in more runs?
…with occasional spot starts in the majors.
im in an especially grumpy mood today bc i went out last night an programmed my directv to tape the game but got the angels broadcast by mistake. listening to steve physiok (i know i spelled it wrong) and rex the wonder dog was horrible. physiok announces the game like he was speaking to first graders and rex (a very nice man and former yankee) adds a little energy but he’s clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer. and they let mario impemba get away (or did he run screaming!)
If Ian Kennedy’s future was the same as oil futures, crud would be trading at $ 2 a barrell.
Jeremy
I agree with you on one point anyway. Arod should stop pressing, he is just one player;the best player in the game.
randy l,
It feels like a million years ago, but we saw flashes of brilliance from Kennedy down the stretch last season. He showed in the minors this year that he has the talent to make the rotation.
And he is only 23.
I think we are reading too much into Kennedy’s comments. He doesn’t say “the right things.” So what? If he’s really so full of himself that he’s incapable of making adjustments, then sure, he probably won’t be a successful major leaguer unless he gets psychiatric help. But I doubt he’s “delusional.” I think he’s a young, unpolished pitcher who doesn’t know or care to follow a script after he pitches badly.
If he makes the adjustments necessary to make him a serviceable starter, then Girardi and the rest of the team will forget about any dumb thing Kennedy says this season. I’m sure plenty of players on the Yankees said things when they were Kennedy’s age that they wouldn’t say today.
Jorge –
Rasner vs. Lackey
I remember scoring 10 unearned runs in that game.
I also remember Torii Hunter being out of the lineup.
I’m not being a crybaby here. Just lamenting the current state of our rotation.
Everyone wants our offense to step up. Asking them to score 11 runs (last night) to win a ballgame to too much to ask.
Vrsce,
Absolutely, ARod should stop pressing. The fact that anyone can see the changes in ARod’s approach in close-and-late situations (3-4 pitch at bats, striking out on balls low and away or high and inside) should drive any Yankee fan crazy.
The annoying part is when people say that ARod’s poor approach in such situations is evidence of ARod being selfish or uninterested in the team. Yet if ARod really is selfish, his biggest goal would be to win a championship. Wait a minute, isn’t that Jeter’s biggest goal too? Isn’t that the goal of every baseball player who plays hard?
It’s going to be great when we stop analyzing every ARod slump as if it’s some kind of window into his soul. Anyone who has followed this team since 2004 can see that ARod has had his share of success and failure in clutch situations and the playoffs. There is no deeper meaning to any of it. The guy wants to win just like everyone else.
I hope they don’t run IPK out for the Twins series. Give Hughes the start, even though he ’s on a pitch count.
Maybe I’m the only one. But an athlete’s comments to the media rarely interest me one way or the other.
Rarely are they candid, rarer still are they anything other than banal. Once in a while an authentic personality like Cone or Bernie has something insightful or profound or especially revealing to say. Most players, however, merely, adapt a public persona after a few years from which little emerges beyond platitudes.
The facade shields them from the consistently puerile and vapid questions reporters like Kim Jones ask– that is when YES hasn’t prompted her– like, “how did you feel when you gave up that home run” or “does this loss bother you”?
On the other hand, that public self also prevents them from generating self-defeating bulletin board material that the press can sensationalize to sell papers and that make their lives more difficult. Witness IPK’s interview last night.
(One of the great scenes in Bull Durham, in fact, consists of Crash teaching Meat how to practice his cliches.)
IPK’s only mistake last night was speaking aloud his thoughts, not the thoughts themselves.
Everyone copes with failure differently. And some better than others, but for someone like Kennedy who has never experienced it before, it’s that much more difficult.
If IPK can preserve his confidence and self-esteem by recalling his previous successes in Triple AAA, then let him. What did Yogi say, “90% of the game is 100% mental.”
Only between now and his next start he needs to learn from A-Rod how to be more disingenuous about it.
kennedy has pitched great on all levels except the majors.he probably can’t take the fact that his stuff can not cut it at the mlb level.he had no movement or velocity at all .he looked awful. needs to pitch in aaa or in the nl.
And by the way, Bruney lost the Yankees that game last night, as much if not more than Kennedy.
I tend to agree with SJ. That kid has absolutely no idea how to deal with the media – none. I honestly don’t think he’s as arrogant as he came across – just that he’s clueless about how it sounds to others. There is certainly nothing wrong with admitting that you didnt have your best stuff. I do agree that he came across pretty badly – possibly badly enough that he might have blown his chances unless he makes a 180 degree turnaround – which should make some people very happy.
Honestly, didn’t anyone give him some kind of coaching on how to handle this and what to say and what not to say? Its not like it comes naturally to everyone. Do any of their media relations people deal get involved in doing that?
kill-schill,
your right they are all awful.
.
Oops, sorry. I’m going to post my comments separately, because for some reason they aren’t going through in one piece.
Randy, there’s no point in revisiting the Santana deal for the umpteenth time, at least in regards to Ian, because Ian was never the centerpiece. It was Ian and Phil or Ian and Wang and neither of those options was palatable for the Yankees. They didn’t want to trade Wang OR Hughes. Kennedy by himself, plus some other prospects? A different story.
SJ44, you chalk this up to Ian just being bad with the media. I disagree. Nevermind the media, Ian’s mentality is the problem – even if he never said BOO to the media, but just thought this stuff, it would be a major problem. The kid needs an attitude adjustment and fast, not to mention a talent adjustment. If he needs to be so darn perfect in order to have a good game, he’s not going to be even a decent major leauge pitcher. IMO, he’s a AAAA pitcher for now with a A mentality. It’s sad that Ian may have completely lost his teammates, especially in the blink of an eye that he’s been up here. He lost the clubhouse faster than he moved through the minors, and that’s saying something
Let’s please get off the “flashes of brilliance” Kennedy showed in 3 starts last year.
It was a September callup. We might have been in a pennant race, but a lot of the teams he pitched against were not.
It was also the first time the league had seen him. He had that to his advantage.
Now that scouting reports on him have been filed and there is video of him, he’s become a bat-a-way machine with a poor attitude to boot.
Keep hanging your hat on the small samples sizes of these prospects. You know Kevin Maas and Shane Spencer, a couple of real homegrown guys, hit a lot of home runs once upon a time. How’d the rest of their careers turn out?
I swear, to some of you if you criticize anyone who wears pinstripes, you’re not a real fan.
But all of you who were championing Kennedy the past weeks got a dose of reality last night. He looked exactly the same as earlier this season. He still hasn’t won 1 game this year and his attitude has not changed a bit.
You all had been yelling at people like me that we didn’t see the real IPK and that he’s going to come back better than ever.
I guess making it into the 3rd, although recording no outs, was a step forward for him, so you were right.
And being one of Cashman’s biggest critics here, I don’t fault him for throwing this stooge last night. I know they had no choice.
I just hope he can do what he did at the deadline and find someone to make a few starts down the stretch who is an actual major league pitcher.
If our starter went 5-6 last night and gave up 5 runs (like Weaver did), we might win that game. Giving up the store in 2 innings and forcing the pen in early is the gasoline that started the fire.
I agree with Jorge and kill-schill. I think we’re making WAY too much out of this kid’s comments. Give him a break! He was only thrust into a position last night that no one in the organization had planned for, all because of injuries. And the rest of the team didn’t exactly play stellar defense behind him. I say give him another shot before throwing him overboard. Yikes!
(Actually, some of the people on this blog who are much older than IPK don’t know how to speak in public very well!)
Hell hath no fury like a Manny scorned? I’m intrigued.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08092008/sports/yankees/mannys_revenge__eyes_bx__123658.htm
i wouldnt take manny if he signed for free. he flat-out quit on his team. i may take some enjoyment from that b/c its the red sox, but its a black mark on manny more than anything.
no way i want him in pinstripes.
Just signed on to Lohud to find a blog entry titled Kennedy:”Not too upset” about his performance. Is this a joke?
Last night I was one of the people defending IPK, not because I thought he did an okay job, but not ready to give up on him like we all did with Igawa. Yet, he clearly is not learning nor building off of his opportunities to get some experience under his belt.
This kid’s comments absolutely amaze me. At this point I am not sure what the organization should do. I still do not want to give up on him but his head is clearly not in the right place.
The Yankees brought him up knowing full well he wasn’t anywhere near ready. So even though they did so because they had no choice, they can hardly be surprised at the train wreck that ensued. If they send him out again – then possibly they might have bigger issues with being in denial about something than Ian Kennedy does. I don’t see anything changing if he does go out there again.
I honestly dont get this whole thing where athletes are supposed to “drown themselves” after a failure or throw around water coolers to *show they care as much as the fans*. I dont think he handled his interview in a manner that was going to win him any fans. But I find it really hard to tear him to shreds for it, when I didnt think he should have been brought up to start with.
There is absolutely no joy in any of this for me.
Kennedy is just like Igawa, who thought that he was never bad, just unlucky. Great – so, if Ian doesn’t think he’s got anything to work on, he’s not going to work on it.
On NYYFans, someone asked why Phil didn’t/doesn’t get the treatment from fans that Ian does. Well, first of all, Phil never gave off a sense of entitlement (even though he was a star as a little leaguer). Secondly, although he’s very confident in himself, he’s not cocky and arrogant in the clubhouse or to the media. He takes responsibility for his performance – as he should. The pitcher has the ball in his hands – he may lose 1-0 or be unlucky with dribblers, but his performance (though not the game results) are completely in his control.
I dont want him anywhere near this team, pat.
The kind of shennanigans he pulled on the Sox, I want no potential part of. There is no trade-off worth the possibility of dealing with that. Its not just a one-off situation either – he’s a serial character trait with him.
pat,
If the Yankees sign Manny as a free agent. Just a word of advice…..they probably should double the size of the clubhouse even in the stadium to make room for all Manny’s baggage.
Yes, Angel, the Yankees do teach ‘media relations’ in the minors and again in ST.
Not sure why everyone is acting indignant and surprised, the kid has shown exactly the same attitude at all stages.
Appalled, yes — not because he looks like a jerk but because if he can’t face the fact that he’s got it wrong he doesn’t have much chance of learning to get it right.
isn’t a-stats buddies with manny .
“I honestly dont get this whole thing where athletes are supposed to “drown themselves†after a failure or throw around water coolers to *show they care as much as the fans*.”
I agree that there is no reason to throw a water cooler or go nuts in the dugout, but Kennedy makes no indication that he realizes he needs better control and a better handle on pitching all together.
I would assume his latest line was a byproduct of knowing he is only a stop gap until reinforcements arrive and that management didn’t want him here in the first place. However, he said these types of things during the first part of the season when he was in the rotation so it is not clear to me what his thinking is.
Pete
In you article, “A-Rod hoping to catch fire,” the hitting coach, Kevin Long, was quoted as saying, “You never know what guys are thinking.”
Isn’t it the hitting coaches job to be their teacher, psychologist and momma to find out what’s going on with them that’s affecting their hitting?
Granted the team has had long term injuries to players who contributed mightely last year such as Posada and Matsui, but the teams approach to hitting and the results are probably the worst we’ve had in more than a dozen years, and I’m sorry I don’t have the statistics to back up that statement.
It seems like Kevin Long’s plan is to go after the first pitch, which a large percentage of the time is a strike. When the team falls behind, like we have done recently in about 9/10 games, instead of chipping away at the score, looking for a timely hit, we’re trying for the 3 run homer, which was Orioles manager Earl Weaver’s approach to baseball.
Pete, I’d like your candid thoughts about what the root cause is to our hitting failures this year.
Great – so, if Ian doesn’t think he’s got anything to work on, he’s not going to work on it.
I dont see why thats such a bad thing. IF, he does indeed hold that attitude – then there is no way the Yankees will bring him up again or have any use for him at all.
If he’s not teachable at this early point in his career (which i don’t necessarily think is the case for all the false bravado of his comments last night) and doesn’t think he has anything to learn, then he’s never going to be a successful Major League pitcher no matter what he does.
I hear what you all say yet I’m still somewhat intrigued.
I know Manny is a different animal but the Yankees seem to have good success with players who were in need of attitude adjustment elsewhere.
Manny taking pressure off of A-Rod so he could care less and A-Rod and an incentive laden contract to the point of overpaying for a lesser number of years pushing Manny so he might care more could be an interesting combo.
IPK–back to the minors, now. Bring someone else up (Hughes on a pitch count?).
Enough already of 7-8 ERA kids who need a bit more seasoning in the minors.
I wonder what Chase Wright said after the Boston game last year?
“I agree that there is no reason to throw a water cooler or go nuts in the dugout, but Kennedy makes no indication that he realizes he needs better control and a better handle on pitching all together.
I would assume his latest line was a byproduct of knowing he is only a stop gap until reinforcements arrive and that management didn’t want him here in the first place. However, he said these types of things during the first part of the season when he was in the rotation so it is not clear to me what his thinking is.”
I guess I need to make it clear that I dont think it was handled well at all last night. Misguided false bravado knowing that they really didnt want him up there in the first place and they were proven right by his performance? Yeah, I guess thats a possibility.
I’m with you in that the end result is that I’m not really sure what his thinking is, because as you pointed out – he said the same things last time he had a bad outing. But I’m not going to pretend to extrapolate that I know exactly what he’s thinking either based on what he said.
Well its Manny I definitely understand the intrigue. He’s definitely a different animal.
I think of him as a Velociraptor, pretty cool when you look at it as a fossil in the context of history, but extremely dangerous and unpredictable when he’s alive and breathing on your side of the fence.
Ray
I think the new Yankee club house already is about double the original size.
Manny as a Yankee is intriging, but I would have a clause in his contract that deducts a proportionate amount of salary for ‘faked injuries and conduct detrimental to team chemistry.” LOL
Many people were cheering when Manny left the Red Sox for the NL, knowing they wouldn’t have to pitch to him.
In Jason Bay the Red Sox haven’t missed a beat, and I truly believe that had they kept Manny, the distraction and team chemistry might have been so overwhelming to prevent the team from attaining a playoff position. Manny would have either been suspended or sat down with a “sore leg,” whatever it took to not contribute to his teams success, like he did when he didn’t swing once at 3 straight strikes from Mariano Rivera.
I believe MLB should investigate this to the fullest extent. What’s the difference, in a player betting money on his team to lose, and not hustling or taking 3 straight pitches to purposefully strike out?
i couldnt care what he said, he sucked!
send him packing back to scranton, give rasner the start wednesday, and then hughes and joba will take over the rotation the rest of the way. if joba’s not ready by the 23rd, go to the next guy, but no more kennedy this season.
so you think the yankees can get manny and boras to sign off on a contract thats enforceable against fake injuries?
this from a team who uses fake injuries to manipulate the roster, knowing that it cant be proven?
Therapy Time
By nature I’m rather optimistic. I usually don’t worry too much about this team and am generally wiling to just let each game play out one day at a time. But last night was the first time this season where I felt really discouraged.
Logically, if you’re going to lose a game, it’s better to lose on a day when Boston and/or Tampa lose. But instead of that softening the blow, for some reason it gets to me more. I know that doesn’t make sense.
Kennedy can’t pitch again. Something else has to be tried. I’m desperate. I’m ready to try anything.
I’m…I’m ready for…
Carl Pavano.
Manny in a Yankee uniform adds one more to the mix of competition for the DH spot.
Competition for DH in 2009:
1. Manny and some 20+M contract
2. Matsui and his 13M contract
3. Damon and his 13M contract
4. Posada and his 13.1M contract
5. Giambi[ if the Yankees sign him to a one year deal-let's hope not] and his ???10+M plus the 5M opt out clause contract
The point as you have guessed is now we have an aging team of players that don’t play their positions well vying for the coveted overpaid job of DH!!!
Young pitchers should be taught when in A ball how to gather themselves after a loss. Evidently Kennedy hasn’t grasped the correct way to move on and prepare himself for his next start.
Somehow, Kennedy flew under the radar in spring training and in the process fooled Girardi and himself into being handed a rotation spot with barely enough major league stuff to succeed.
“they probably should double the size of the clubhouse even in the stadium to make room for all Manny’s baggage.”
Yeah, like the two World Series rings. However would we fit them on Jeter’s hand?
Angel
Velociraptor is a good description of Manny.
I think of Manny looking like “Predator.” If he joined the Yankees, I bet they make a movie.
In fact the title of the next movie could be Predator vs. Alien Part III, starring Manny Ramirez as the Predator and the Yankees as the Aliens!!!
I thought the Yankees made it a point to coach the youngsters on how to deal with the media… no???
I could have sworn they have a “mock media day” of some sort, either down in Tampa, or up in New York, where these kids are actually given the basics of how to deal with reporters. Maybe Ian called in sick that day? Even some elementary training would help this kid out right now.
angel’
too funny.vlad can co-star
Moose needs to grab IPK by the ear and drag him into the trainer’s room and read him the f’ing riot act- I didn’t think I pitched bad? What the hell game was he watching? Was he on acid when he pitched?
Kennedy’s interview really bothered me – not only what he said but he was standing there smiling. If you had just turned on his interview not knowing the score you would have thought he pitched a great game. It’s not to say that he should be standing there crying, but show that you get that you were AWFUL.
Kennedy may become a good major league pitcher someday, but I don’t think that he has the mentality and disposition to make it in NY. I think that the Yanks should trade him when they get the opportunity.
Trader ;
You can count on the Yankees being more flexible than what’s been seen in recent years.
Along with the contracts coming off the books will be dead one-dimensional players clogging up the roster.
We can expect a very active offseason with personnel moves.
It is interesting how every one is dumping on IPK.
He is a novice in dealing with the media, he wanted to show he did not lose his confidence after the shelling, but he did not use proper words to say so. I rather see he is still confident rather than scared. So, give him a pass on this.
I felt all laong he was set up to fail with this start. Too much pressure. Every one was saying he has to throw stirkes. He did and got hit. Unfortunately for him yesterday, as cone said, all his pitches were in the same plane. This must be due to jitters as he was not like that in his previous starts though he was nibbling.
Regarding his comments, Girardi may not like them, but still will appreciate the fact that he was not nibbling.
Girardi will talk to him in private how to deal with the media and what to say and what not to say. Girardi resurrected so many guys this season and he will do his best with IPK as well, given IPK is following Girardi’s wish to throw strikes.
He will get his next start against Twins. I sincerely believe he will do better. If not he will be sent back as Hughes will be ready by then.
So, show some patience and give the kid a chance.
IPK was not upset with a gawdawful performance last night.
Kei Igawa has been fine in the past with his gawdawful pitching.
It would be interesting to see if Kennedy, like Igawa, could clear waivers. Is there any way to DFA the guy? I mean, just to sate our curiosity.
As much as many people hate Pavano, it is shaping up such that he will be a key guy in a couple of weeks. And, he may surprise all of us. If he is healthy, he much better than many Yanks are trying in the rotation.
RustyJohn
Agreed someone needs to pull him by the ear and give it to him.
R.I.P Bernie Mac
2IP Kennedy= modest command of modest stuff wrapped up in self-absorption.
Does this guy have any clue whatsoever about just how poorly he pitched?
man the comments section is starting to become unreadable with some of the rediculous stuff that is said. Some people aparently missed their calling in life and believe they should have cashman’s job.
bbfan,
you are right.the kid is probably losing it inside himself.he’s trying to show he is not thin skinned.we know diffrently. the problem is there is no time for on the job training with the rest of the staff not producing or injured.we are only 3 out in the wild card thanks to the sox sinking,but they will get hot.will we with giese,ras,pon,kenn.
“IPK was not upset with a gawdawful performance last night.
Kei Igawa has been fine in the past with his gawdawful pitching.
It would be interesting to see if Kennedy, like Igawa, could clear waivers. Is there any way to DFA the guy? I mean, just to sate our curiosity.”
He’d be claimed in a New York minute. I’d assume the Mariners would win the waiver claim.
To say you pitched poorly, but you will work your tail off to correct your mistakes for your next start isn’t showing you are thin skinned. It is showing you know what mistakes you made!
The reporters kept trying to lead him down that path, but he didn’t want to follow it. Kim Jones said to him you lasted 2 innings, he’s like what were they a couple of ground balls?
Concerning Manny Ramierz….I don’t know how many times and in how many languages you can say it but the answer is spelled N-O in English! That’s a capital N and a capital O followed by a period.
Kinda funny I mispelled Ramirez lol
Hours later and I’m still bothered by what Ian said.
I realize he is young and maybe doesn’t know how to handle things properly. But good grief.
I’m trying to keep an open mind with him, but a part of me just wants to slap him upside the head.
So Manny wants to be a Yankee? That’s just precious.
Some good nice news.
Mike Mussina won the Pepsi Clutch performer of the game for July. Congrats Mike.
this team would be dead without you.
Cannot send him out there against Minnesota.
Wright deserves another shot.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08082008/sports/yankees/pavano_solid_in_trenton_start_123519.htm
Pavano in September ? It could be an interesting sub-plot if he could pitch his way on the postseason roster and in the process, win 2-3 games.
In a world where anything goes, everything can.
Forgive me for sounding a bit ignorant. Is Ian kennedy what they call a “doucheb@g?”
Foreigner-that would be correct
For all the Kennedy supporters, let’s just please call a spade, a spade. When you’re called up to replace someone in rotation, you’re suppose to do two things – give innings and put the team in a position to win the game. He did neither. He was given a lead on the 3rd inning in which he reciprocating by giving up the lead, without even getting an out. He stunk. He should be sent down because he’s still ineffective.
His postgame comments are but just icing on the cake. Mr. Kennedy should realize that the reason he was called up last year was because a certain borderline-future-HOF was also getting shelled and if I remember correctly, Moose graciously accepted demotion because he realized he was not helping the team. It was the same case with Rasner.
The thing that is most annoying about Kennedy’s comments is that he seems to be oblivious about how bad his outings were. And that makes you suspect that this kid is not really teachable. It’s one thing for a well-established pitcher to have a short memory, it’s another for a rookie to just seem to think he’s doing everything right when in reality, he’s been stinking up the joint.
I’m not ready to throw the towel on IPK, but by golly this kid has to show some humility and accept that he still has a lot to learn.
Generation Trey is going to turn out just like Generation K.
It would be one thing if this was the first time that IPK put his foot in his mouth, but it’s not. This kid doesn’t belong in the majors and he most certainly doesn’t belong in pinstripes. Send him down to the minors where he can pitch well and maybe up his trade value. Right now, we couldn’t trade him for a bag of balls.
this team needs a major make over in the offseason.i like giambi.but can u really stand dealing with a couple more years of the shift when he is up.or melky and his 290obp.bobby’s a tough call but stinks in the field, and can’t dh because all we have are dh type players.can we really take a chance on both andy and moose.
I have to agree with SJ and others here that this kid just has no idea how to act in front of the media. Seems like he’s trying to jump into “keep it all in perspective/it’s a long season” like Jeter. As someone mentioned he should start with the Crash Davis school of media relations and then try to build himself up to the Derek Jeter graduate program.
“Alfred E. Neuman August 9th, 2008 at 6:58 am
This Ian Kennedy guy reminds me of somebody.
Maybe if I go look in the mirror I’ll remember.”
Very funny – and spot on. I think I’ll be calling him Alfred from now on. thanks.
“The thing that is most annoying about Kennedy’s comments is that he seems to be oblivious about how bad his outings were.”
Plus that stupid smile he had on his face. Even Kim Jones, who won’t win any awards for broadcasting, was caught off guard by his comments. I hope that someone shows that interview to Girardi because he really needs to see where this kid’s head is act.
What IPK said was less than fixed in reality but hold off on the public execution at dawn. Many seem more bothered by what he said than what he did. That’s the easier of the 2 things to fix.
He may not be ready for primetime right now; either on the mound or in front of a TV camera; but let’s not write him off until we know for sure what he is and isn’t capable of.
“The thing that is most annoying about Kennedy’s comments is that he seems to be oblivious about how bad his outings were. And that makes you suspect that this kid is not really teachable.”
I think that’s the key. Can he learn from his mistakes or is he oblivious to his need for improvement?
I still think he can figure it out. And if he does, no one is going to care what he says to the media. If he doesn’t, well, again, no one will care what he says to the media.
He is either a workable major league pitcher or he isn’t. Since he’s only 23 with about 58 innings under his belt, none of us knows whether he’s ML-caliber or not yet.
The amateur scouts/psychologists tearing him up because he sounded like an imbecile in his comments overlook the fact that he’s a 23-year old under tremendous pressure who just got his rear handed to him by the Angels. Stress makes people say strange things. The only relevant question is whether he can pitch under stress. His postgame comments don’t answer that question. At best they suggest a possible reason for his struggles.
how come this guy cant learn how to pitch like mussina. why cant they teach him the 2-seamer or a lil cutter bc those flat fastballs he was throwing lastnight it was just sad.
Maybe we’ve just been spoiled by watching Phil Hughes and Joba speak to the press after they haven’t done what they’ve wanted to. I can’t give Kennedy a pass because it would mean that I believe he has never watched any other Yankee pitcher talk to the press after he has had a bad outing – and if that is the case, that scares me even more. Sometimes what you see really is what you get.
SJ44, when I spoke of my upset with Kennedy and the way he always handled his postgame interviews (and thinking the Yankees couldn’t be impressed by what they were hearing), well last night was typical of all those other times. So you can imagine to see that 7 times in a row, (I think it was 7), when he was stinking out the joint just about every time, was absolutely maddening. I said last night that if he had shown the least bit of remorse for not getting the job done, I would be okay about him taking the mound Wednesday seeing we seem to be out of options.
But since I have heard his postgame interviews and then seen what happens on the mound each time after, I have no faith in what he’s about.
I think I am at the point of agreeing that even if he can get his act together in the minors, I don’t think he is cut out to be a Yankee, with all that entails.
I am not sure what he is made of and how his mind really works.
Hindsight is beautiful but I was among those that wanted to see free agent Aaron Rowand in CF for the Yankees until A-Jax was ready at which time Rowand could be moved over as a corner OF. For whatever reason the Yankees made no serious overtures to sign him.
Torii Hunter is a nice player but Rowand is 2 years younger and plays equally as well.
Unless Melky turns things around in a hurry, he’s destined to be no more than a 4th outfielder.
If the team decides to part ways with Melky this winter, there’s no quality CF’s available except through trade.
Kennedy’s comments are an issue in so far as achieving the respect he needs from his teammates, manager and coaches in the locker room.
Believe me, those comments don’t get him there with this team. That just adds to his problems right now.
Usually, post-game comments are an in one ear, out the other kind of thing. His comments and demeanor last night just weren’t kosher. Whether its naiviate, inexperience or just plain stupid, it definitely wasn’t the attitude he needed to project after the game.
He was an emergency starter for a reason. They had nobody else to make the start. It wasn’t because he was so good in AAA, the Yankees couldn’t wait to use him again. In that regard, he was setup for failure.
If Alfredo Aceves had not gotten hurt, and been slow to regain his pre-injury form, he would have been next in line for a callup. Not Kennedy.
He’s in a tough spot now. His future? Too early in his career to write him off. Not too early not to write him into the lineup for the rest of the way.
The interview stuff? That’s a seperate issue to the more important issue. Which is, how can they get him to pitch better at the major league level?
Manny wants to be a Yankee? Ok, Manny, here’s what you do:
1. Cut the dreads. Not AFTER you sign. BEFORE you even talk to the Yankees. That’s one indication you are serious.
2. Lose Boras. Stay with Boras, forget signing with the Yankees. The Yankees aren’t spending this off-season being jerked around by Scott Boras. Get rid of him, and lose the dreads, you are 2/3 of the way there.
3. Agree to a 2 year 16 million per contract with a club option for a third year, with incentives. Essentially, you replace Abreu’s contract on the ledger. The incentives can bring the contract’s AAV to over 20 million. The incentives have to include effort, behavior and production clauses.
If you say, “no” to any of the above, you have no shot at playing for the Yankees.
If you say “yes”, sign him, make him your fulltime DH, put him behind Arod and ahead of Cano in the order, and give Girardi a lifetime supply of Tums.
Manny is muy loco. He’s also a beast with a bat his hands.
If he isn’t BS’ing anybody, or trying to use the Yankees to drive up his price, and REALLY wants to stick it to the Red Sox, he should have no problem agreeing to the above conditions.
Would be interesting if Brandon is hearing the same chatter re: Manny than George King is.
Nady and Pudge must feel right at home like they did in PIT/DET.
“The Seattle Times reports that team sources have indicated that Jarrod Washburn has cleared waivers.
The wording of the report is a little vague, but we’d expect this to be the case anyway. No teams figured to touch Washburn’s $9.375M salary for next season without getting at least some portion of the deal covered by the Mariners. The club will try to trade Washburn over the next three weeks. It’d be best if they ate a larger portion of the salary and received a decent prospect, but they’re more likely to simply dump the contract for roster filler.” From RotoWorld.
Washburn is schedule to pitch against the Angels on Tuesday.
Don’t be surprise if pitches against the Twins on Wednesday instead.
melky might be a 5th outfielder.doesn’t run that good and is overated in the field other than his arm.
melky had 2 god months last year.other than that he was awful.
KS,
I hope the ship has sailed on Washburn.
I don’t want to assume his contract for next year and I certainly don’t want to give the Mariners anybody for him.
At the deadline? That’s one thing.
Now? Screw Seattle. They did too much whining about this transaction, and the Yankees dealings with them, to give them another bite of the salary dump apple.
Let them choke on the deal and move onto other options.
If Hughes’ pitch count is up to 85, he can make a start at the major league level. If not, use Rasner one more time (in Kennedy’s place), then go to Hughes for the next start.
Even though the team needed Kennedy for this start, he could have made it a defining moment against a tough team like the Angels opposed to babying him against a lesser team.
Regardless, all it proved is that the guy still lacks the mental necessities to compete at the big league level along with his less than average array of pitches.
If he gets another start against the Twins and fails again then Cashman has no recourse but to send him down for the remainder of the year. The Stadium will be no place for him to flop again.
RUDY JARAMILLO!
SJ – did you watch the hughes start?
There is now one poster in particular who seems to need to mention my posts and her/his shock/dismay/disdain with what I say, and to do so on a rather continual basis. And I don’t mean SJ44 either. I’m not the only poster who gets “dressed down” by this person, and I’m impressed to see that the other posters tend to ignore the one-sided war.
So I’ve decided to do the same. I mention this only to let you know that I haven’t missed your barbs but won’t be indulging them.
Onward and upward. GO YANKEES!
If Carl Pavano can give us anything, I would welcome him back with open arms. Yes, desperate people do desperate things.
The way Kennedy is performing and his comments have to make the Yanks think harder about signing CC. He’s tearing up the NL. Then again, it is the NL (AAAA). But he is crazy better than the options the Yanks have beyond Joba and Wang for next year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/sports/olympics/10beijing.html?hp
Sometimes there just aren’t words.
“Lose Boras. Stay with Boras, forget signing with the Yankees.”
Why? All the anti-Boras stuff is crazy to me. Boras is who he is because he is good at what he does. It is up to the Yankees to raise their game in negotiating rather than shy away from an agent.
If the Yanks make a negotiation plan, stick to it and are willing to publicly walk away if things veer off that plan, there is no one they shouldn’t be willing to negotiate with.
If anyone hasn’t read RAB today, I think they’ve got the perfect write-up on Ian Kennedy. I consider it a must-read for everyone here.
I have nothing more to say on this one. I’ve made more than clear how I feel about all this.
“A Chinese man wielding a knife attacked two American tourists related to an American Olympic volleyball coach on Saturday, killing one of them and wounding the other and their Chinese guide atop an ancient tower in central Beijing.”
The link to this wouldn’t post.
Sometimes there just aren’t the words…
SJ, supposedly, Rasner is suffering from a skin problem on the fingers of his throwing hand and can’t pitch a full game. They didn’t relegate him to the bullpen simply because he was ineffective. Evidently, after three innings his skins blisters and he can’t throw one or more of his pitches– you’d know which better than I.
I’d still favor the trade, my animus for the Mariner’s GM as well notwithstanding. (Every time I hear someone from the Western part of the country complain about the New York media, I wince. There’s a code word in there the grumbler may or may not have intended.)
Provided the Yankees don’t have to yield more than what they intended to surrender in the first place, some low-level B or C prospect, I’d endorse the trade, contract notwithstanding.
There’s isn’t only Giese, Rasner and Kennedy to consider replacing. Pettitte, too, evidently, is suffering from a tired arm, though no one, including him, would ever admit to it. Another proven starter, who can give them innings, might allow them to skip him once or afford him an extra day’s rest.
As for Washburn’s contract and next year? Well, sure I’d rather re-allocate the money to a Sabathia offer. But the Yankees can’t count on either Pettitte or Mussina, first of all, returning to play and secondly, agreeing to one-year contracts. Having Washburn gives them some insurance.
Remember, the Yankees are going to have problems with innings caps for the Big 3 next year also. And worst comes to worst, the Yankees could offer to pay half Washburn’s salary for 2009 and trade him somewhere. I can’t imagine some small-market team wouldn’t take him for $5 or 6 million a year.
Melky sucks with a baseball bat in his hand. Right or Left side of the plate he cann’t hit. I’m sure he is great in AAA just like everyone else on this team. Maybe the Yankees should play in Scranton?
Doesn’t look as though IPK can help the yankees this year at the big league level. The only way he can help them is at the MiL level is by padding his stats and increasing his value to somewhere between last Fall (all-time high) and now (all time low).
If IPK can build up his value, the Yankees could conceivably package him, Melky and a solid positional prospect like Brad Suttle and go after an OF who is a playmaker, Shane Victorino.
We’re one week past the deadline. If Washburn made sense then, he makes just about as much sense now. I’d like to have him, but it can’t be for anyone higher up the food chain than Marquez or Kroenke. He’s good enough and young enough to be a solid # 4 guy in ‘09 when he will make less than Pavano did this year.
The Yankees are sick of dealing with Scott Boras.
There are a lot of good agents in the game who don’t play the game Scott plays.
Its not a question of having a good negotiating plan. Its the lunacy of how he does business.
At some point, you just get sick of it.
Its why Hank went public with his “bye bye” to Arod when the World Series stuff went down.
Now, Scott is so ticked off about it, he is using Gerrit Cole as his “revenge”. His contract talks are in the ridiculous stage.
The Yankees have dealt with Boras for years. Bernie, Andrew Brackman, Arod, Kennedy, they have always done business with him and eventually worked things out.
Now, the tension (mainly because of the Arod stuff) is affecting the way they do business. Especially with Cole.
Even if Cole signs, the BS they would have had to go through to do the deal makes it tougher and tougher to deal with Scott.
Its childish and foolish but, that’s how its playing out.
I don’t envision an off-season scenario where the Yankees will put themselves in a position to have to deal with Scott Boras on high profile free agents. They certainly aren’t going to be a pawn to him or his “mystery team” (a favorite Boras ploy) in his free agent dealings.
Even if they don’t make the playoffs, they can go in a different direction to re-tool the team than dealing with Boras.
William,
I did not see him live. I did get a DVD of his performance and watched it this morning. Its the best I’ve seen him throw the ball since his near no hitter in Texas.
Much juice to the fastball. Better depth on the curve, and his cutter has the chance to be a nice swing and miss pitch for him.
I was pleasently surprised to see how good he looked, given the time he has missed.
I was at the park last night and witnessed a tired ball team being outplayed by a very focused Angel Team….They had Weaver on the ropes, however he managed to escape….This Houdini act was partly on the Yankees and partly on Weaver’s ability to suck it up and pitch his way out of harms way…..As for Ian, there were times when he looked good…But the Angels seemed to have a game plan to sit back and work the counts and waited on their pitch….Yankee defense didn’t help at all, but clearly he’s not the same pitcher that came up last September….Lots of deep breathing on the mound last night….The Yankees have lost confidence in him, but more importantly he’s lost confidence in himself….His post game comments are clearly an attempt to disguise his his inner concerns….He was not and is not ready for the bright lights of Yankee Stadium…Whtat is confusing to me, was his showing in last September’s callup…..He needs more tme down on the farm, and on many fronts…..There is a bright future for this kid I still believe, but there’s still much work remaining..Keep away from the press for now…
SJ44,
I like your proposal for a contract with Manny and agree that behaviour incentives must be included; otherwise his talent isn’t worth the risk.
Unreal he has the talent to turn it on and off the way he does…
Pat M,
Here is what I don’t understand about Kennedy.
What happened to his curveball, slider and changeup? He used to have a sick curve, great depth on the slider and a killer change up. Those 3 pitches allowed him to get guys off his fastball.
What happened to his command?
You just have to watch the game he pitched in Toronto last year to see all three pitches on display.
What happened to those pitches? Every pitch he throws now is on the same plane. Its almost as if the kid has forgotten how to pitch.
What’s worse is, the stuff he has right now can get AAA hitters out. Its not good enough to be in the majors. So, unless he goes down there and completely abandons what he is doing, how does he get back to last year’s form?
I honestly don’t know, which is why I am asking you.
You don’t just “lose it” at 23 years old with no injury problems. Something happened to this kid. Who knows what it is though.
OH FFS, Trisha. If you’re going to respond to me with one of your “you know who I”m talking about” without saying my name, then spare me and get it all out. At least I addressed my question about you by name and didn’t hide behind a veiled inference or anything that. I really think its a valid question.
It’s not said in disdain, Trisha. Amazement, yeah that’s about it. Because I honestly can’t believe you spend a lot of time on here denigrating others for not having as much faith in the certain players you’ve chosen to be supportive of as you do. Especially you take the exact same stance you get irate at with others, with Ian Kennedy. If you don’t like him, that’s fine, most people have players they’re not fond of. But if you don’t have any faith in Ian Kennedy and aren’t enamored of him, then you surely should be able to understand how others can arrive at the same conclusions about players you happen to get behind? Your whole attitude sounded like schadenfreude, like you were happy for him to fail so you could be proven right. But you don’t like it when others dish that out to you. That’s what I was questioning.
no one is expecing Ian to be Edward R. Murrow, but it is not asking too much for him to be accountable. He’s 23, not 13. Blaming his bad performances on bad luck is immature and irresponsible and it’s affecting how his teammates think about him.
And really don’t ever speak to me of “dressing down” others, you’re the freaking 20,000 sq. ft. Walk-In-Closet version of dressing others down.
Disappointing game all around. Mystifying comments by Kennedy afterwards. Just plane stupid in many ways.
Agree that they came out of massive naivete and immaturity on how to deal with the media. He pitched horribly and has no confidence – and he’s trying to lie about it in order to believe in the veneer he’s trying to create.
Unfortunately, those comments are going to cause him lingering harm – both inside the clubhouse and outside. The players in the locker room must have been shaking their heads when they hear that. I’d guess Kennedy has already exhausted a lot of the good will his teammates may have been willing to show to him. Same for the media and the fan base. Just awful on the field and off.
As far as his pitching – he’s just not a major league pitcher right now and shouldn’t get another start.
He looks like an entirely different pitcher. The quality of his pitches is no where near what it was last year in September. It’s as if he’s become a completely different player.
In those few starts he made last year he could pretty much put the ball exactly where he wanted it. He rarely missed his spots. This year – he just seems to have lost all of that ability. Perplexing. It really is.
“As far as his pitching – he’s just not a major league pitcher right now and shouldn’t get another start.”
CB, I agree. But do you think that’s going to happen? Do you think the Yankees will do something between now and Wednesday to insure that will happen? Any ideas on what it could be?
“The Yankees were hammered by the Angels but Ian Kennedy wasn’t too upset with how he pitched.”
But fans are very upset.
Yep.
SJ, CB….I had seats slightly off the plate last night, so I had a good read on his pitches, location and movement…By my count he threw aeveral real good changeups, and only twice did he snap off a beautiful curve….But yes, just about every pitch came down the same slot, a very easy read…..He better to back to the video room and to some homework if he plans on making pitching at the Major League level his career…..I’m guilty, for I had high expectations for him this season, unfairly it now appears….
It’s too bad, because I don’t think Ian is a bad kid at heart….Still, you can only go by someone’s actions and words and Ian’s actions and words are those of an arrogant punk. In the end, although he’ll hurt the Yankees, that will be rather temporary. What Ian is doing is hurting himself – his reputation has taken a huge hit with the fans, but most importantly with the organization and his teammates. It’s his career – you’d think he’d take better care of it.