Hughes hangs in, A-Rod hits one out and the X-Man waits to get his pants on
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 17, 2008 
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Phil Hughes threw a lot cut fastballs today, the pitch he was working diligently on in the minors. In retrospect, he said, he should have thrown his curveball more.
“I was throwing strikes but not enough quality strikes,” he said.
The 33-pitch first inning, he admitted, wore him out a bit. But he battled and sort of did his job. Hughes get another start next week then report to Arizona for another 40 innings or so. I realize some people are down on Hughes but it’s way too early to give up a 22-year-old guy who has been injured and was rushed to the majors.
A-Rod said his swing has been out of whack until the home run. That he went to right field is a good sign for him.
This was kind of funny. The assembled media was waiting for Alex near his locker. Then PR dude Jason Zillo suggested we wait in the middle of the clubhouse, where there is a little more room. Then Alex emerged from wherever he was and decided to stand in front of Xavier Nady’s locker. So we all shifted over there and asked our questions.
So who comes out of the shower clad only in a towel? Xavier Nady. (Easy, ladies).
X surveys the scene and says, “Why is A-Rod in front of my locker?”
A-Rod kept chatting, so Xavier went in the players lounge and watched ESPN.
Oh that X is so hot.
Does he realize that the Yankees are creating legions of addicts with X and Coke?
Yanks pull a 7-0 and the Sox pull a 2-5, and they go into Fenway with something to play for lol lets make it happen.
Who will lose to the Sox (Red) in the World Series 2008?
So who comes out of the shower clad only in a towel? Xavier Nady
Hello!
Nady is so yummy
Sportscenter didn’t come on until a few minutes ago. Enquiring minds want to know what the towel clad X was really watching.
Is there a video of this : )
“I realize some people are down on Hughes but it’s way too early to give up a 22-year-old guy who has been injured and was rushed to the majors.”
Not me – He has to crawl before he walks. If we can’t demonstrate some patience with Phil, we might as well just scrap the entire farm system and stick to overpaying the Pavano’s of the world.
ugh.
“Is there a video of this : )”
Sounds like someone else needs a shower!
Mark I was thinking same thing its not impossible either especially depeding on who the blue jays throw at the red sox this upcoming weekend…figure if moose can pick up a half game on them tomorrow night 7.5 back going into the weekend, where anything can happen…of course it all depends on the yankees winning games at home of course
“Is there a video of this : )â€
Sounds like someone else needs a shower!
No, sounds like somebody needs glasses!
Who will return to the DL first, Carl Pavano or Phil Hughes?
X not your type Pepitone?
“X not your type Pepitone?”
Nope, I’m kinda partial to Carmen Elektra.
But, Richard Simmons would do in a pinch.
So what does Phil Coke have to do to get a start? Hmmm?
SoCalYankeeFan
Thanks a lot for that image, Pepitone. I was about to go get some late dinner and now… ugh, I’m not sure if I can eat.
Richard Simmons? Blech!
Now, Nick, he’s kinda cute in that little midriff cut off he always wears, don’t ya think.
HA!
Pete you don’t happen to have any pics of this do you? JK!!! Well kind of…
Nick is more of a Slim Goodbody type of guy.
Pete, don’t try and sugarcoat the Hughes start. That’s not doing his job. It’s not even close to it. I wonder what’s wrong him? Maybe he’s hiding another injury? Rushed? That seems to be the excuse for everyone these days. He was pretty open online and then suddenly just shut down everything. Maybe his head got to big? It could be a mental thing like Kennedy, who knows.
Hughes put up a post just 8 days ago on his blog. He changed to throwing a cutter which can affect how you throw a curve ball. He is young, he is learning, with all the time off he had from injury this is more like coming out after ST.
That isn’t sugar coating it. He didn’t do that bad as the batters he was up against have been playing and hitting ML pitchers while he was in the minors.
He probably won’t start next season, at least not right away.
Yanks pull a 7-0 and the Sox pull a 2-5, and they go into Fenway with something to play for lol lets make it happen.
Completely unlikely, but boy would that be something. lol
How about they end up tied and there ends up being a one game playoff at the Stadium?
Do the old Yankee Stadium ghosts have enough left in them to pull off that kind of miracle?
Very cool. Maybe this is what Jeter is planning on stealing.
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/.....r-way-out/
“He changed to throwing a cutter which can affect how you throw a curve ball.”
Where did you hear that? It shouldn’t really make any difference whatsoever. A cutter is just a cross between a slider and a fastball. Hughes threw a slider prior to introducing his cutter.
I love the fact that Phil Hughes blogs. But if he’s not posting so often, because working on his pitches, command and his baseball in general, how on earth is that a bad thing? Its how it should be.
If I’ve learned anything about Phil from his blog, its that his head is firmly planted on the ground.
I honestly thought he would pitch well tonight. And in the end..he did. In the first inning though..I got nervous thinking that he would get rocked, but he really battled and did a nice job. I was impressed. He probably could have gone another inning with only 89 pitches thrown.
Phil’s line: 4IP 4H 1R 1ER 2BB 4K
Kevin
nothing wrong with hoping
“Yanks pull a 7-0 and the Sox pull a 2-5, and they go into Fenway with something to play for lol lets make it happen.”
definitely within the realm of possibility that Boston gets swept by Toronto and splits with Cleveland. looks like Halladay, Burnett, and Lee will all pitch against ‘em.
Hopefully the Yankees will put the pressure on.
So, wait. Nady’s still not dressed?
Nick,
Alex was trying to steal some of that Cal Clutchitude.
Phil Hughes should just pretend he’s pitching against the Yankees. He will have his no-hitter.
“I honestly thought he would pitch well tonight. And in the end..he did. In the first inning though..I got nervous thinking that he would get rocked, but he really battled and did a nice job. I was impressed. He probably could have gone another inning with only 89 pitches thrown.
Phil’s line: 4IP 4H 1R 1ER 2BB 4K”
WOW! I wonder what your opinions of Sidney Ponson and Darrel Rasner were like this year. Cy Young candidates?
just got back from the game. awesome game. the crowd was dead until the 7th inning. once i saw the full moon, i told my friend, “it’s the full moon, good things will happen for the yankees” then he said “yeah right”. an inning later, they scored like crazy. I was hoping to see the debut of Sanchez and Miranda. I would understand why Girardi doesn’t want to put Sanchez out there but Miranda?
Do the old Yankee Stadium ghosts have enough left in them to pull off that kind of miracle?
strange things happens in baseball.
“So who comes out of the shower clad only in a towel? Xavier Nady. (Easy, ladies).”
lol. Sounds like a funny scene Pete. Good to hear that Phil is pitching in the fall league. Shouldn’t Joba go there as well he needs to make up for the 6 weeks that he lost.
“Then Alex emerged from wherever he was….”
He was in the players lounge watching Sportscenter and putting his pants on.
“That isn’t sugar coating it. He didn’t do that bad as the batters he was up against have been playing and hitting ML pitchers while he was in the minors. ”
How did he do in the minors facing minor league hitters?
“That’s not doing his job. It’s not even close to it. I wonder what’s wrong him? Maybe he’s hiding another injury? Rushed? That seems to be the excuse for everyone these days. He was pretty open online and then suddenly just shut down everything. Maybe his head got to big? It could be a mental thing like Kennedy, who knows.”
His head got to big?
It’s a mental thing like Kennedy?
He’s injured again?
Calm down.
Phil is a potential 3 if he could work on his curve and locate the fastball. If he had a located fastball, he could work off the cutter and use the curve as an out pitch.
“Al from BK( Joba supporter.)
September 18th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Phil is a potential 3 if he could work on his curve and locate the fastball. If he had a located fastball, he could work off the cutter and use the curve as an out pitch.”
Mo should help him out with the cutter. Instead of showing it to Halladay and Kazmir at the All-Star game.
anyone have this video for Nady?
Wow, it’s quiet around here.
Who will return to the DL first, Carl Pavano or Phil Hughes?
i don’t think they ever took pavano off the dl,he is a permanent member.
Al, you’re judging Phil as a potential #3 based on a few bad starts this year? I respect your opinion, but IMO, it’s way too early to label him that sort of pitcher. He was projected to be a stud (for some reason, fans think that only pitchers like Joba who throw 98 MPH can be aces) and I think we need to give him time to grow into that. Maybe he won’t be, but we just have not seen him completely healthy since Texas.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....tml?page=1
I normally do not read Bill Madden (not this year, anyway), but I had to read this as it pertained to Phil.
It’s a pretty good piece and spot on in most of it, although I had real problems with these two statements:
But until he can demonstrate he can pitch that way over a sustained period, he remains just another overhyped Yankee prospect of whom it has been said: “The closer they get to the big leagues, the less you like them.”
**Of course Phil needs to stay healthy and just pitch, that’s a given. However, the last part of that is ridiculous. Phil has, at times, pitched very well in the majors and he’s no different than every young pitcher that has ever seen an inning of big league time – he’s had his struggles and, as Joe said, he’s been through a lot. To state that there is less to like about him because of these struggles is pretty inane and the GMs that were clamoring for Phil at the trading deadline would obviously beg to differ.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen over the winter,” said Girardi. “There’s not a whole lot of guarantees, especially in the starting rotation, and a whole lot of people here may not be back.”
That could include Hughes as well. For, after all that has gone wrong this season, all the expectations that were never realized, Cashman – assuming he is back as GM – doesn’t figure to have the same support from ownership in making Hughes an untouchable.
**All Joe said about Phil was that he was not guaranteed a spot in the rotation. His comment about many players possibly not being back at all references the Giambis and Abreus of the world. Also, Hank has never liked Phil, but Hal does and I see no indication from him that he has given up on him.
Overall, a respectable piece, though.
I like the way Hughes pitched last night. So they fouled off about a hundred pitches. He didn’t give in, didn’t give up much and improved inning after inning.
Pete—- You disappoint me. Only in the oft-insane world of sports blogs is a 9th inning HR in a 3-run game a useless stat-padding unclutch selfish act. Did I miss the part when the Chisox submitted a written guarantee not to score more than 2 runs in the 9th? A guy accomplishes something no player had ever done before and all it warrants is a snide brainless insult? That’s weak.
A-Rod should be MVP (well, maybe Sizemore).
“Value” stats say so and if anyone brings up “hes not clutch” just stop talking.
pat -
Again, thanks for the link to that story about Cocuzza and the door. What an incredible memento. It gives me chills thinking about it. Maybe it will end up in the Hall of Fame one day so we all can see it.
A table would be a great idea – covered in plexi-glass, of course.
I wish we could at least see a picture of it.
Nady in a towel, hmmm…
WOOHOO x-man in only a towel.
Doreen the museum would be a great place for it! Put it behind glass. Or the managers door, they would have to lacker it to protect the sigs.
jennifer -
The museum at the new Stadium? That would be a good place for it.
Arod is so obtuse. Pete, did Alex even notice Nady coming in or was the towel-clad X-man invisible to him??
Why is Alex standing in front of Nadys locker? Why can’t he stand in front of his own? Little things like this, not attending Murcer’s funeral, leaving the All Star Game early, etc. are reasons why Alex needs to learn from Jeter.
No problem doreen.
The door really is a time capsule of a year in the life and should be displayed in the new Stadium where everyone could enjoy it. Very cool.
Hughes: not terribly good, not terribly bad — just what it’s reasonable to expect from a kid on his first outing back in the bigs after months in rehab and the minors. I’m sure the pitches they were fouling off at the Stadium are the same ones he’s been throwing with greater effect down there.
Now the first question is (still) whether he has what it takes to make this step up. That was the question in ’07, that was the question in ’08, and that will still be the question in ’09. I have a feeling that he will still get ‘honorary rookie’ treatment in ’09 and even if the answer to this question is ‘sort of’ he’ll still be considered reasonably promising for a mid-rotation slot. He’s young.
The second question is whether he can stay healthy for a season. The answer to that was no in ’07 and no again in ’08. I have a feeling that if the answer to this one isn’t a resounding yes in ’09 then the future for Phil is going to look much different than we hoped.
One pitcher whose name I haven’t heard mention for next year is Jon Garland. Its no lock that he returns to the Angels, especially if they go after Sabathia, and have to resign KRod and Tex. He has usually been a workhorse and has stayed relatively healthy. He and Burnett would be good additions to the staff for 09. Sheets left the game last night after 3 innings with forearm tightness. A bad sign. Stay away from him. Thoughts?
I saw A-frauds interview last night, and all it did was remind me about why he is the ULTIMATE ROUTESSERIE LEAGUE PLAYER (Particularly mentioning Babe Ruth,and his “Luck About Staying Healthy”). I do not care about 12 years of 35 homers and 100 RBI & runs scored. Winning championships is what matters. He will NEVER be Babe Ruth, or Mickey Mantle (Who he passed in all-time home runs), or Derek Jeter (He is not even Paul O’Neill (I want to see number 21 who had the heart of a lion, have his number retired long before UNLUCKY THIRTEEN, who thinks the word “CLUTCH” refers to a part of his Mercedes-Benz)).
Unless he gets a ring, he can hit 800 homers and shatter Bonds “Record”, because without it, the only thing seperating him from Bonds are STEROIDS.
David Brown— Are you nuts? No player’s accomplishments matter unless they win a championship? This coming from the same person who stated he could wait until 2012 to get back to the post-season?!!?
I guess Ernie Banks, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Don Mattingly, John Stockton and Dan Marino are all stat accumulating frauds? Amazing.
David Brown
Maybe your on to something. Paul O’Neill might be the key. Derek Jeter never won anything without him and hasn’t won anything since he left even before A-Rod got to NY.
But Babe and Mickey did so maybe it wasn’t Paul O’Neill.
Hmmm. Let’s think then. What did all the winning teams have in common then?
Could it be….pitching?
At the risk of offending some, chicks may dig the long ball but pitching and defense wins championships.
Patrick Ewing won a National Championship at Georgetown, so he does not deserve to be on that list (Stockton and Marino (And a number of others such as Bonds, played in a championship, despite their team losing)). A-frauds case is different. He has NEVER played in a World Series, and his playoff productivity speaks for itself (Bonds excelled in the World Series against Oakland).
When you grade a player, his post-season numbers have to be included in the equation. That is why Derek Jeter grades out HIGHER than Alex Rodriguez (MOST Yankee fans agree with me on this point, which is a PRIME REASON why he constantly gets booed). That is why the 17 WORLD SERIES HOME RUNS by Mickey Mantle stand out. That is why Reggie Jackson stands out (FIVE RINGS, 3 consecutive home runs etc). All of these men ARE or WILl BE IN COOPERSTOWN, but Rodriguez must be knocked down for NOT winning. Let me give you a quote by Elvin Hayes (Also known as “The Big-E”) “The Ring Validates Your Career”. Hayes was exactly right.
I don’t know…Hughes is pitching better than… Kershaw, or Bailey or Bucholz…2.25 ERA for his first start back was pretty good and Joba had a similar first start. Nerves and too many pitches early but his pitch total per Inning shrunk each Inning after the last which was a good sign of adjustment for him. The White Sox are a good hitting team.
In the minors, he was dominant in his 2 playoff games (8 Innings 0 runs, 4hits,11 Ks Red Sox/5 Innings 1 run 12 K’s Tampa) so this is 3 games that he has something to build on…bend but do not break.
Pat, I know you need other players, but the truly special players are the ones that can carry the team on their back and win Championships. The greatest I saw in New York in my lifetime was Mark Messier (He won in Edmonton and with the Rangers WITHOUT Gretsky (Gretsky could NOT win without him). I am DIE-HARD ISLANDER FAN so I say this with no bias for the Rangers. This is what Montana did in his career, Reggie did against the Dodgers, and Eli did in the Super Bowl. This is what A-Fraud has failed to do (In fact he has not come close).
David— ARod won high school state titles in multiple sports, does that count?
The first 23 games his playoff career his numbers are actually outstanding (.352 6 16)… the last 16 he’s been absolutelyt brutal (.143 1 1). No one can argue that.
Your “qualifications on the others are just self serving. You’ve had a great career if you’ve played in a championship final but you’re crap if you’ve only made it to a conference final or LCS? That’s just plain stupid.
Jeter is more loved than ARod because of rings and being a career Yankee more than anything else. I doubt there are more than a dozen people who consider Jeter to be the superior player.
and Mickey hit 18 World Series HR!!!
David—-
One more thing… Reggie Jackson is a career .278 hitter in the postseason. ARod is a .279 hitter…
In his two postseasons Reggie went 7-for-44 with 2 HR
In his last 3 postseasons ARod is 7-for-44 with 1 HR
Selective statistical manipulation works both ways Clyde.
Reggie’s LAST TWO postseasons…
Pat, Thank you for the Mantle Correction. I agree with you STATISTICALLY SPEAKING Rodriguez’s numbers are better than Jeter’s (As was for Example: Wilt Chamberlain over Bill Russell). However, it is NOT MEERLY what you do, but when you do it. Which is why when you measure Hall of Famers, there is a certain “Cream Of The Crop”, and this is where you find the Messier’s, Jordan’s, Mantle’s, and Brady’s of the world. Statistically speaking, Dave Winfield had a better career than Reggie Jackson, but we know who went 1-23 in the 1981 World Series, and who hit home runs on 3 consecutive pitches in the 1978 World Series. This is where the excelling at the highest stage comes into play. This is a major knock I have against Alex Rodriguez (Along with his constant drama).
David Brown
Bonds did excel in a WS but you are ignoring the fact that he played 16 years and had 5 failed postseason performances before he got his WS moment.
During the Yankees 96-2000 run, no one player carried the team on their back. Different games, different years, different heroes. And more times than not, the role players came through more than the stars. Where I differ from you is I don’t believe one guy can carry a team. Whether it be Messier, Montana or Manning. They need everyone around them contributing to give them their moment to shine but without those contributions there would never be that moment.
You’re knowledge of sports prior to 2000 leads me to believe you are probably over the age of 21. Since I don’t know you, I’ll assume you have achieved great success in your life. However, referring to a future HOFer as A-Fraud detracts from any legitimate points you may offer because it makes you sound in need of a playground monitor during recess.
David Brown
The Mantle correction wasn’t mine. I always give credit where credit is due.
David ..
Most likely you will be the first on the Arod bandwagon if he puts up numbers like he did in 2007 and leads us to the playoffs in 2009. It’s pitiful how so called Yankee fans turn on their own players particularly Alex. As I have said before ..these same fans booed Mo & Jeter at times too. They booed a 21 year old …Hughes…after his final start before being sent down. Nice encouragement by the hometown crowd for a VERY young player. Does anyone think booing is a good thing for their own team?? It just tends to put more pressure on the player to do better to gain acceptance by the fans especially Alex. It seems that unless he hits 50 hrs, 140 rbi and bats .350 and wins an MVP he isn’t considered a team player. Well I think any player in baseball will take the stats he’s put up. I guess if the Yankees are winning 5-0 or better he should NEVER hit a homerun because he will be accused of padding his stats. Sometimes the thought process of fans makes one truly wonder. I’ll take a run in a game anytime, anyway because you never know what can happen till the final out of the game. (Remember the Texas/Red Sox slugfest earlier this year??)
I just think it’s a disgrace for anyone to turn on their own team…even Pavano. As long as he’s wearing a Yankee uniform he’s on the team. The childish name calling on here …like “A-fraud” and “Crashman” just proves the intelligence of the person writing the post. The way everyone thinks they know just what the Yankees need is comical in itself. It’s easy to say let’s do this and that on a blog (some of the ideas are absolutely off the charts tho’) but when it comes down to reality and the decisions that have to be made there is a heck of a lot more to running a monster organization like the Yankees. I guess people don’t think the organization knows they need pitching, a first baseman, a better bench…of course they do but you just don’t go out and get every player you would like …sometimes the player does want to go elsewhere believe it or not.
I was at the game last night, I’ll be there tonight and I’ll be there the final game on Sunday. I cringe when the boos start and I just hope the final game …win or lose …isn’t spoiled by ignorance. It’s going to be so emotional ..at least for me since I’ve been going to games for over 40 years. I love this team win or lose and know in my heart that even if we didn’t do it this year ..next year we will be there as always. We are lucky fans that our organization does try to improve when things go wrong and the “spoiled” fans who think we are suppose to win every year should appreciate that fact. Also those same fans should let the other 29 teams in on their reasoning since everyone of those teams thinks they should be the winner not the Yankees.
Go Yankees !!!
Pat—- Great points across the board.
I’ve been as disappointed in ARod this season (w/RISP) as anyone… ditto his last three post-seasons. I just cannot stand it when people who ordinarily make sense sieze upon a particularly small sample size to mislabel someone.
ARod is a career .304 hitter with RISP. He’s a .310 hitter with men on base, .347 with the bases loaded.
Not bad for a guy who NEVER hits in the clutch.
Pat, there is no question that you need an entire team to get you to the Championship. In addition, I am VERY aware of Bonds’s playoff failures in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are my second favorite team (After the Yankees), and I personally can’t stand Bonds, But the point is he still came through for the Giants. I think of Petitte’s 1-0 game over John Smoltz in game 5 of the 1996 World Series (His overall ERA does NOT look good, (Getting hammered in game 1 is why). But he pitched the game of his life, against a FIRST BALLOT HALL OF FAMER in a game that Smoltz said “Was The Greatest Game I Ever Pitched”. That is what I mean. He took the Yankees on his back and came through.
David Brown
Great choice of games to make my point. A double by Cecil Fielder scored Charlie Hayes (who reached on an error) and that was the lone run. Williams, Martinez, Jeter, O’Neill and Strawberry didn’t even have a hit in that game yet they won. No offensive heroics necessary. It was all about pitching and defense.
That Coke was really good last night. He should be prosecuted for throwin’ balls around like that.
Pat, we are not in disagreement over pitching and defense’s importance. I look back at Jack Morris’s performance in Game 7 of the World Series for example (A prime reason I consider Morris a Hall Of Famer, who should be in DESPITE a high regular season ERA). The thing that makes certain people great is the fact they HATE to lose. Jordan hated to lose, Rivera and Jeter HATE to lose, Veritek HATES to lose. So these guys are at their best in big situations. Remember Jeter’s cutoff throw out of Jeremy Giambi against Oakland? Or Jeter’s running into the Stands against Boston? Or O’Neill playing hobbled against Atlanta? DiMaggio won NINE RINGS and regretted until his dying day, not beating the Cardinals for # 10. This is NOT ALEX RODRIGUEZ. I am not saying he is Ian Kennedy (With his rotten attitude), but he should be very angry about not making the playoffs, and I don’t see it (Like I do with Rivera).