Burnett looks like a wise choice for now
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 17, 2009 
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Let’s be honest, you don’t want to like A.J. Burnett.
He has been on the disabled list nine times — nine times! — since 2000. The Marlins threw him off the team at the end of the 2005 season because he was a punk. Burnett once threw a no-hitter and walked nine guys. He has two pitches, or two fewer than you would like a starter to have.
What comes to mind when you think of Burnett? Tattoos and a scowl. He’s only 11 games over .500 in his career. He has never pitched an inning in the playoffs.
I was with you. I thought the Yankees should have invested their money in Derek Lowe. Get the safe, healthy guy with the good sinker.
But I’m starting to come around on Burnett.
In the two games he has pitched in spring training — and, yes, I know it’s spring training — he has been so efficient with his pitches that he had to go to the bullpen to finish up his work. After years of trying to throw the wall through the wall, he has embraced the idea of getting an easy grounder to second.
Burnett also has been a clubhouse ringleader of inclusion, peppering Andy Pettitte with questions, hanging out with CC Sabathia and quickly becoming somebody Joe Girardi listens to.
“I didn’t know him at all before and I heard the same things everybody else did,” Sabathia said. “But we talked all winter and since we’ve gotten here, we’ve become pretty tight.”
Burnett, at 32, has come to realize that he’s at a stage in his career where he will either accomplish something or go down in history as one of those guys with a magic arm and an empty head.
Does that translate into 33 starts, a bunch of wins and a tremendous presence in the middle of the rotation? That is what the Yankees are banking on. But until we get into the season, Burnett remains a question mark.
“I know what people think and I can’t blame them,” he said. “But I think I changed about two years ago.”
As for the two pitches, Burnett really has more. Along with his hard, biting curveball, he throws his fastball anywhere from 92, 93 to 97 and 98. He has learned to spot his heater to both sides of the plate and he saves his energy to really bring it when he needs it in the mid innings. Given their poor defense, a strikeout pitcher is just what the Yankees needed.
“Last year when we faced him, he was still dialing it up in the seventh inning,” Johny Damon said. “He’s a different pitcher than he used to be. He doesn’t get rattled and give up that big inning.”
Joba Chamberlain, who marvels at Burnett’s arm, put it pretty well the other day.
“If A.J. is our No. 3 starter, we’re going to be pretty good,” he said.
If A.J. plays to his potential, it was a great signing. I really hope he is a late-bloomer that dominates the league from age 32-37.
Burnett is not a two-pitch pitcher.
He has a changeup which is somewhere between “above-average” and “plus.” It’s a pitch I believe Yankee fans will be seeing a lot more of during the life of his five year contract because it will help him – a power pitcher – age well as he moves into his mid-30s.
I’ve been in AJ’s corner since the players started talking about it during the season.
I’m happy to say I’m an AJ apologist, and I’m hoping for a happy ending.
I also like to see preconceptions blown up. What Molina thought about the Yankees. What people thought about AJ.
“I really hope he is a late-bloomer that dominates the league from age 32-37.”
I think he might. Hes got the stuff to be great and sandwiched between Pettitte and Wanger he will have a lot of hitters off balance.
The curse of the Bambino is not dead, it just shifted to Toronto.
I can’t wait for the season to actually start!
I was iffy on AJ, but I didn’t know anything about his personality – just his stints on the DL. But I thought the guy was so amazing pitching against the Yankees last season, and I remember when he signed with the Blue Jays that a lot of people thought that signing would push the Blue Jays into serious contention. I remember a lot of people were disappointed the Yankees didn’t get him.
Well, I have to say, the Yankees were lucky they didn’t get him then. It seems that he did the “fixing up” on someone else’s dime and the Yankees may be the benefactors of his new-found maturity (personality and pitching-wise). Not that they got him for nothing, mind you. But they might have gotten the finished product and not the work in progress, and for that, the money is worth it.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he stays within himself and therefore healthy this season.
ha
the big ‘if’, all 5 starters stay healthy and this year could be special
I wasn’t too thrilled with the deal for AJ-but let’s see how it goes. I’ll be rooting for him.
The big knock on Beckett was always that he was fragile (blisters) and that he only had a heater and a curve. Yet look what he’s done. Hopefully A.J. will be the same story.
will he throw his change more this year? as cb (i think, don’t quote me) put it the other day, if he can throw that pitch with confidence, he’s a totally different pitcher.
let’s hope he wants to win more than he wants to throw 100
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....d-baseball
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4.....fId=987324
Oh, the pain…
“The curse of the Bambino is not dead, it just shifted to Toronto.”
I lol’d.
I thought he had four?
If Burnett has the same regular season performance for us that Beckett has had for Boston, we will be very disappointed. Two poor years surrounding just one very good year. However, we will certainly take the ’07 playoff performance level.
Ugh.
“Eleven games over .500.” What in the hell does that mean? You cover the AL East. Have you seen some of those lineups the Jays have trotted out the last few years? How about last year, when they OUTRIGHT RELEASED their best on base and power hitter. Or 2007, when the Murderers’ Row included Zaun, McDonald, Wells, Overbay, Lind, etc?
And he’s made, what, an average of four fewer starts per year than Beckett over the last four years. How about less populist sentiment and more stats-based reportage?
Glad you like him now. That’s immaterial. Should have analyzed him objectively before.
Hearing the Yankee players talk about Burnett last year made it easy to get behind the signing. Injuries were a concern but the upside is big and a team with the Yankees financial resources is best able to survive injuries.
Listening to AJ talk lately about the Florida years, 5 young guys involved in a competition to see who could make the radar gun read highest, further illustrates the importance of having a veteran pitcher, even with “diminished” skills, around to teach the talented kids how to be a pitcher.
His clubhouse personality is more important to the media and the other 24 guys in there than it is to me as long as he gives the team a chance to win every 5 days.
He has to start throwing his change-up more if he wants to fulfill his potential.
As Pete said, he can’t just be a two pitch pitcher. Especially as he gets older and the curve doesn’t have the bite it once did.
The incorporation of his changeup into his arsenal and using it more often will dictate how successful he will be on the mound and how well he ages. That and of course, staying healthy.
I’m a believer as well. I’ve read a lot of articles about AJ since the signing, in particular in the last week or so, and I’ve come away very impressed. It’s not just that he considers himself a different pitcher, but a different person as well. He’s very thoughtful and introspective on his younger days (even his early Blue Jay days), acknowledging the problems he’s had with the fans and media. There will always be concern about anyone coming to NY for the first time because it’s unlike anything most players have dealt with before (in terms of fan and media expectations), but AJ seems sure that his time in Toronto has prepared him for this and I think he’s ready for the big time. One thing that is very encouraging is that he has spent time picking Andy’s brain for his pitching knowledge AND for his advice on what to expect in NY……he’s not going into this unprepared, that’s for sure.
Please listen to the interview AJ did with Colin Cowherd on 1050 ESPN radio a couple of days ago..Just go to http://www.1050espnradio.com and click on The Herd……it will take you to the link. AJ has a good sense of humor and it was apparent in the interview – he also sounded relaxed and confident. He’s “all-in” – just listen to it in context and you’ll be as giddy as I am.
AJ’s rep has preceded him, but he still has several good friends on the Jays, so that tells me something about him. He has a real chance now to remake his career – he’s blessed with such an incredible arm that it would be a shame if all he had to show at the end of his career was regret for what might have been. I think this could be the right place, right time for him. He’s fit in seamlessly and he WANTS to be here – he seems very happy, to boot. AJ seems driven to win and eager to pitch in the big time – I think he’ll thrive in NY.
By the by, Mr. Glass Arm has averaged 189 2/3 IP over the past 4 seasons.
Burnett has always been a mediocre regular season pitcher.
Even in his ‘career year; this year, he had an ERA over 4.
His career ERA is 3.81.
His stuff indicates “ace” but he has not pitched up to it at all.
m, there were only a few of us that went on the record in wanting Burnett over Lowe, Sheets & company…I’ve been a fan of his arm since the very early days in Florida….He came a pitcher last season, and as CB pointed out last November that just maybe AJ has turned the corner as Schilling did when he to became a pitcher rather than a thrower….He has the best arm in baseball….
Here’s how I read it. In 2005, the Marlins knew they couldn’t afford to retain Burnett. He was 1 IP away from an incentive bonus, and 1 K from a 200 K season. He mouthed off after the bullpen blew a beautiful pitching performance and they had their reason to let him go a week early. The bias might make the story, but it doesn’t make it honest.
Don’t know what world you’re living in, Danny, but 3.81 makes him a pretty good pitcher. This isn’t 1968. His career ERA+ is 111. Not dominant. But surprisingly close to Pettitte’s 117. Especially when you cut out that aberrant season in Houston when Pettitte only took HGH once. Or was it twice?
Nice Ferris Bueller reference, Pete!
I’ve heard a couple Toronto fans say that AJ has the best stuff in baseball. Pretty strong words coming from people that also watch Roy Halladay pitch every 5th day!
this is a great piece, Pete. You captured exactly how I and how I think most Yankee fans feel about AJ. Starting to get really excited about his stuff in spite of myself…
The one thing that I do hope Burnett figures out this year (maybe Andy and CC can help him) that he doesnt seem to have gotten quite yet, is how to get up for the bad teams. Games against them are important too. In fact, you could say that in 07 when we won the wildcard, the Baltimore Orioles were the difference between the wildcard and AL East title.
(I know AJ has great numbers within the division though, that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to.)
Prediction:
Sabathia 21-11
Wang 18-12
Burnett 16-9
Pettitte 16-14
Joba 14-8
I hope for the best with someone like Burnett, but prepare for the worst.
The money, I thought, would have been better spent on Derek Lowe – more of workhouse and more durable.
Obviously, Lowe doesn’t have the talent that Burnett does, but A.J. hasn’t been able to stay on the field up to this point.
I thought 5 years and $80 million is too much to give a 32-year old with a significant injury history. I’m not confident at all this will end well, but I would ever love to be wrong.
AJ’s FIP last year was about 3.45, a great deal lower than his 4.07 ERA, meaning he was likely the victim of some bad luck and defense.
great pic..but i just saw that AROD post and i didnt read any comments but Pete you get worse and worse with this AROD hatred every day. The guy isnt kissing himself in the mirror and thats pretty obvious. Just because that is what you do in your spare time but any way it just looks like he is about to go toe to toe with himself. Just like what boxers do at weigh-ins or in the ring before they fight..no kissing..just staring. Get a Life and stop dissing this guy
It is only spring training, so it’s much too early to really know what we have with Burnett. However, the talent is certainly there and, if he’s really matured as a pitcher, (and as a person)then the Yanks may have a very special pitched for awhile.
“Poor defense” ??
The Yankees had the 2nd fewest errors last leason (83) behind only the Astros. Explain how that equates to poor defense…..
“Prediction:
Sabathia 21-11
Wang 18-12
Burnett 16-9
Pettitte 16-14
Joba 14-8″
So basically you expect the Yankees to win 110-120 games.
Jinxed.
But Wang isn’t a Deuce!