Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 13, 2010 
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A spring training tradition like no other: The simulated game. A.J. Burnett threw one on Thursday, and Andy Pettitte threw one on Friday. Simulated innings are occasionally strange to watch, but Pettitte seemed to get his work in and was sweating when the three “innings” were over. That’s the best the Yankees could do in the rain.
Next week, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain will finally split up in their chase for the fifth spot in the rotation. The notebook also has items on Derek Jeter’s health, Francisco Cervelli’s head, Mariano Rivera’s schedule and a few plans for today’s split squad games.
Chad,Jason Hirsh seems to do a great job so far.Do you see him making the team?He seems to have great stuff
clear if not particularly warm weather forcast for bradenton and tampa today, so spring training will resume for both sides of the split squad.
Randy l
“i remember reading dana cavalea’s web site about training bat speed and i believe it’s all wrong. you don’t get more bat speed by training your core as he said. you get it by swinging the bat as fast as you can.
and you don’t swing a heavy bat because that teaches you to go slow. you train with a lighter bat because once your brain can feel faster, it will allow you to throw “faster”.”
Randy, I understand what you’re saying about developing maximum pitching velocity by quite simply practicing throwing harder (wasn’t that more or less what Johnny Sain used to always preach?)
However, I don’t understand how practicing with a lighter bat would help you to swing faster. Stupid question, probably but otherwise, why would batters swing several bats in the on deck circle or use a “doughnut” on their bat? Also, players (especially top base stealers – Ty Cobb, for example) used to wear heavier spikes in the spring so that when the games counted, their feet felt lighter. Wouldn’t the same principle apply to using a heavier or several bats before stepping into the batter’s box?
For all of you early birds out there here is an interesting RT discussion on the 5th starter competition.
http://www.myyesnetwork.com/12.....of_titans#
IMO, good even handed discussion of the relevant issues.
The takeaway for me was that in their opinion the person who gets the 5 slot will be the one who fulfills the mandate they have been given the best.
In the case of Joba, he needs to show incresed FB velocity and command, return of the bite on his slider, efficiency, etc.
In the case of Phil, effective use of the CU is one of his primary tasks.
For me, it was worth the read because it crystalized where we might all focus our attention over the course of the next few weeks leading up to a final decision.
And one other thing I would like to emphasize from that dicussion.
The perspective of a Manager or a pitching coach can be very different than that of a fan.
They are much more focused on specific agenda items than we fans.
And from what I can gather they are much more sanguine about who gets what. There would appear to be no favorites.
Whoever produces the required output will get the job.
Exactly right MTU.
It’s why getting caught in ST stats is a waste of time.
SJ-
I also made me realize that any pessimism I may have had towards either one or the other is premature.
And misguided.