Postgame notes: What’s next for A.J. Burnett?
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Sep 28, 2010 
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There are only so many ways to ask the same question, but nearly every writer in Joe Girardi’s office tonight seemed to be searching for new combinations of words that would get to the same point.
How much do the Yankees trust A.J. Burnett right now? Enough to start him in the postseason?
“I’m not going to talk about that now because we’re not in,” Girardi said. “We have to get in first before we can start making decisions.”
Girardi kept coming up with different ways of saying exactly that.
“Yeah I would expect to start in the postseason,” Burnett said. “I just want the ball. Whatever Joe decides, it’s Joe’s decision.”
Tonight, Burnett was bad, and it wasn’t just one or two batters or a couple of missed locations. “It was everything,” he said. There were fastballs down the middle. There was curveballs that “weren’t even close.” Burnett said he threw two good changeups to left-handers, but his changeups to righties were hit.
“You have to get caught up in it,” Burnett said. “It’s a big game, a big night, but the way my season’s been, I’m not going to let it affect me. I’ve been through way worse than tonight.”
Burnett is 4-13 with a 6.67 ERA since the end of May. He’s won one game since the end of July, and tonight was his shortest healthy outing of the season. The only one shorter was the game when he cut his hand in a moment of frustration.
Girardi committed to one thing with Burnett: He will make another regular-season start. He’ll get the ball this weekend in Boston, possibly with Jorge Posada as his catcher.
“He got hit hard tonight, there’s no doubt about it,” Girardi said. “You just have to keep working hard at it. There’s no other way to approach it.”
Here’s Girardi
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• The Yankees did not clinch tonight, which means CC Sabathia gets the start tomorrow. “He sure does,” Girardi said.
• Best-case scenario seemed to be pushing Sabathia back to Friday so that he would be on normal rest for Game 1 of the Division Series. “It is what it is and you have to deal with it,” Girardi said.
• The Yankees bullpen tonight: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
• Before the game, Girardi said Curtis Granderson has been too hot to sit him even against lefties. In the fifth inning, Granderson hit his 24th homer of the year, continuing his impressive pace since those mechanical adjustments in Texas.
• Mark Teixeira has looked much better the past few days, including a home run tonight. It was a three-run shot in the seventh that made this thing a game and gave the Yankees a chance. “It made it a game,” Teixeira said. “But their eighth and ninth inning guys are pretty good and they locked it down when they had to.”
• Speaking of Blue Jays pitchers, Marc Rzepczynski was outstanding, including six straight strikeouts to tie a Blue Jays franchise record. Girardi said players were coming back to the dugout talking about pitches that looked like knuckleballs. “His ball was moving everywhere,” Teixeira said. “We’ve faced him a few times this year and we’ve never seen him that good. It’s like swinging at a ghost out there. You didn’t know what it was going to go do.”
• Burnett against the Blue Jays this season: 0-3 with a 9.61 ERA in four starts.
• The Yankees have now lost the past eight games against left-handed starters… Nine of their past 13 losses have been by three runs or less… They are 11-14 in September, assured of a losing record in the month.
Associated Press photos of Burnett and Jeter with Teixeira
What’s next? A start in Boston and probably the 2nd or 3rd starter in the ALDS
If aj was just a .500 pitcher we would have already locked up hfa lol.
I am rooting for him under any and all circumstances. But, is he okay…?
@Betsy CB trying to stir something up with you is pathetic. The difference between you and Tyler Kepner is you are a fan of the Yankees and Kepner is not. You criticize out of fandom; Kepner does not.
Repost
SAS
Glad you had a good trip. In the words of Homer,” MMMMMM……Thanksgiving” I can’t wait for all the good food and good times( family time, not the TV show). What kind of dog do you have? And, as far as the weather, we finally had temps in the mid 70s today (sorry wasn’t trying to rub it in).
Betsy,
Give me a break. “Pick” on you? You’ve literally made this same point hundreds of times. You’ve been Hughes’s biggest critic on this entire blog.
So yes it is strange to see you calling someone an “airhead” for saying something you yourself have vociferously argued.
We’re all entitled to make mistakes. But it’s a bit much to insult a good writer like Kepner for making the same argument that was perfectly valid only a few days ago.
It’s a little over the top to call the guy an “airhead.”
CB
Thanks for answering in the last thread. I was curious to what others were thinking, because I’ve heard once the PS starts, the reg. season doesn’t matter.
On a positive note from tonights game, Teixeira’s swing has looked better and better over the past few games.
With him it’s hard to know how much of this is his health vs. him being in one of those streaks where his swing isn’t right.
But the past couple of games he’s looked like he often does when he’s coming out of a cold streak.
Getting his bat back would be a huge plus. When he gets on one of those extended hot streaks the offense is completely changed.
Ok, well now that you got that out of the way……………
I think if he performs well in Boston he may get a shot in game 2 of the ALCS which would be the 1st time they need a 4th starter. (Provided they do go with CC in a possible game 4 of the ALDS on short rest)
Then again if they play like they’ve been playing recently they probably won’t need him at all.
By the way AJ is really bad in Fenway. (At least as a Yankee)
Betsy
Did you go and see the horses as part of your day before dinner, or just watched it on TV?
KPB, actually the race was being run in England; I listened to it on the internet, in the morning! I do love going to the racetrack though and Belmont Park is not far from my house.
What’s next, hmmm……………………………………..lets see ?
** An OD of pills ?
** Slit wrists, no…………. (too messy)
** Jump out odf a plane without a parachute.
** Goes on the DL with ‘mental issues’.
** Gets committed to a facility that has rubber walls and no windows.
** Goes crazy and jumps off the roof of a downtowm highrise.
** Self inflicted gun shot wound. (too messy)
** Sits in his car to contemplate his future with the exhaust pumping into the interior.
** Tells Girardi and Cashman he’s through and goes on safari in Africa.
A .500 Pitcher his whole career with a 4-13 record and a 6.67 ERA since the end of May. ‘ONE’ win since the end of July. (courtesy of Chad)
He ain’t got it, will never get it and the Yanks can’t afford to give anymore games away that he starts.
Game 2 of the ALCS may shape up as a real problem. They can’t afford to throw AJ in that game because that would set him up to be one of the pitchers who could throw multiple games in the ALCS, IIRC.
The Yanks just don’t have much leeway with the setting up the staff for the post season. They really have to try to do everything possible to get CC, Andy and Hughes to throw as many innings as possible, including throwing on 3 days rest, and then hoping to close out the ALDS quickly.
It’s a fairly narrow corridor for success but it’s a chance they’ll probably need to take. If throwing Andy or Hughes on short rest doesn’t work you just have to live with it.
We have a chocolate c o c k e r spaniel.
JPB,
the word was bleeped
Throwing Phil on short rest should not be an option.
Aww, SAS – what’s his name?
Alright I got some questions:
1. What the hell has happened to this guy? 2 years ago he would dominate us when he was a Jay. Even last year he was above average pitcher I would say. What the hell happened?
2. Are there really statistics out there that show that CC does poorly if he has an extended period of time between starts? I can’t imagine there being any because I can’t imagine him starting many games after an extended period of rest. We all know he does pretty well on short rest.
thats it just those two for now. thanks.
Alright let’s not get too crazy over AJ Burnett.
It’s not like his checks are being drawn against any of our accounts.
Personally, I don’t see the Yankees making it to the WS with the pitching staff having such only 3 good, very good starters. They absolutely need a 4th starter and his name can’t be Burnett or Vazquez which is the problem.
I would be very surprised if they pitch AJ in the 1st round. If they advance and he has to make one start fine but otherwise they can’t pitch him. Not only is he a head case but his stuff isn’t even close to what it was last year. Throwing pie’s can only get you so far…
Oh one more. I see the Rays are throwing Price tomorrow. So does that mean that he goes also on an extended period of rest for them next Wednesday. aka Game 1 of ALDS.
I mean it is well known, that Maddon values the division more than Girardi does. So that is why Price is going tomorrow. CC not so sure why.
Betsy,
Her name is Bootsie because she had big tan paws as a puppy which have all but disappeared with age. She will be 12 soon. She is the sweetest dog ever.
I don’t see how they’d go with a 3 man rotation in the ALDS. If CC pitches game 4 and Andy game 5 (if needed), who’s going in game 1 of the ALCS? Phil? That means CC wouldn’t pitch until game 2 or game 3 (we’re getting way ahead of ourselves; the way this team is playing, they may get swept in the ALDS)
If the Yankees are out of the playoffs early, I see Girardi leaving to be manager of the Cubs. I think he is finding the pressure to stressful. JMO.
CB…..Think rainouts along the way, otherwise AJ Burnett will take the hill in the ALCS
*too
SAS, aww…………she sounds adorable.
Pat M.
Is the Nova/Moseley suggestion that bad an idea?
Pat M, I think so. No way the Yankees pitch Phil on 3 days rest – even once. And Andy? Just recovering from his groin injury? Nope.
Funny but the Seinfeld “calzone” episode is on……
Man I’m not even thinking about past game 2 of the ALCS.
Not my problem.
“Burnett is 4-13 with a 6.67 ERA since the end of May. He’s won one game since the end of July.”
I’d rather start Vazquez in the playoffs.
The way they are playing right now and a lefty waiting for them in game 1 they would be lucky to advance to the 2nd round. One thing that is certain is AJ has to be the #4 starter so he makes the least amount of starts as possible. The pitching is definitely shaky with CC not lined up for 5 days, Andy only having 3 starts before the play offs and AJ being awful but whatever happens happens. If they are playing golf early then so be it.
Joe is really a jerk to the writers. On the one hand, he repeatedly refuses to say that AJ will or will not pitch in the playoffs, because the team hasn’t yet made the playoffs. On the other hand, he readily admits that CC will start in the playoffs.
What a lying, hypocritical toad he is.
Betsy,
Whoever pitches game 4 of the ALDS can pitch game 1 of the ALCS on normal rest.
Game 3 ALDS starter pitches game 2 ALCS
Game 5 starter can pitch game 3 ALCS
Actually it wouldn’t be until game 4 of the ALCS that they need AJ/Nova provided CC pitches game 4 ALDS on short rest.
This can be done with limited exposure to whoever is the shortest straw.
“Pat M, I think so. No way the Yankees pitch Phil on 3 days rest – even once. And Andy? Just recovering from his groin injury? Nope.”
_______________________________________
I don’t think so Betsy.
The Yankees would almost definitely start Pettitte at 85 percent on three days rest over Burnett or Vazquez in a game five.
And don’t be shocked if Phil goes on three days rest once or twice.
This is the playoffs. Its winning games that matters. If pitching once on three days rest ruins Phil’s arm then he probably wasn’t going to hold up long term to begin with.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....print=true
–And another one: How about this? The Rangers are going to get $150 million annually for 20 years as part of their new TV contract. Wow. If they’re really willing to go all out to retain Cliff Lee, they might just outbid the Yankees, after all.
********
Scary thought
I think all of you guys are giving AJ too much of a chance to be in the post season rotation.
The guy has melted down completely as a starting pitcher.
Tonight was it.
This team will not risk a series on him.
He had a chance to pitch them into the playoffs and he choked. Hard.
I think Nova possibly gets the start with the cavalry ready at the first sign of struggle.
He’s strung together more quality innings against better hitting teams than Javy or AJ.
AJ will implode in Fenway this weekend anyway.
There is no way Girardi and Cashman allow him to take the hill in the post season unless there’s an injury.
They have a healthy alternative in Nova who while he isn’t lights out, he keeps the team in the game better than any of the three remaining starters.
AJ may not even make the post season roster at this point.
Betsy
How did you ever come across a horse running in England, or is it from here just racing over there? Belmont Stakes is part of the yearly tradition I have with my mom. She loves it and hopes to see another Triple Crown winner.
SAS…Piggy backing Nova & Mosley could work…However here’s the rub……Although Mosely did pitch a postseason game a few years ago , you’re asking 2 rook starters and a rehab bounceback type guy ( Mosley ) to play a big role in October….Tough assignment, not exactly Jim Beattie …..Like it or not, with 3 rounds of playoffs and less days off, AJ and even Javy are going to play a role somewhere along the line
SAS
She sounds like a wonderful dog. Give her a scratch behind the ears for me. And be sure to keep her cool.
Jeers, thanks!
G-C, if you have to start Andy once or twice (pushing it, IMO) on 3 days rest, that’s fine…………..but I absolutely wouldn’t do it with Phil. He’ s never done it before – you never try something out for the first time in a big spot (like not making some complicated dish for the first time on the evening of a dinner party). Plus, its coming at the end of a long, tiring season. The Yankees all along have said that his health and future comes first. Pushing him just to possibly win right now is not thinking of his future.
“It’s a big game, a big night, but the way my season’s been, I’m not going to let it affect me. I’ve been through way worse than tonight.”
Yeah, we know AJ. That’s the problem.
OK folks,
I am tired. Have a good night.
KPB, I try to follow my favorite horses and some of them run in Europe. I’m able to track offspring of certain sires (those I root for) and thanks to the internet, it’s easy to do even when they aren’t running in the US.
I’ve never gone to a Belmont Stakes -and don’t really have any desire to (not a fan of crowds). It’s a beautiful track
If AJ pitches in the PS season I hope Joe has a short leash and has someone shadowing him in the pen. Tonight was short at 48 pitches, but I’d like to see him pulled before 6 runs score.
NIght, SAS!
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....-1.2319987
Assuming the Yankees don’t actually keep the Red Sox relevant into the weekend – remember, the Yankees need just one win or one Boston loss to secure their ticket to the postseason – then tonight’s starter CC Sabathia will start ALDS Game 1 next Wednesday. Either Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes will start Game 2 the next day, and the other Game 3 on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Who starts Game 4, if necessary? If the Yankees are trailing, two games to one, they’re not going to put the season in Burnett’s hands. They’ll simply turn to Sabathia on three days’ rest.
And if the Yankees are leading, 2-1? I’d still go with Sabathia. The travel day between Games 4 and 5 means they can throw their Game 2 starter on four days’ rest for Game 5.
In the American League Championship Series, should the Yankees make it that far, they’re going to have to use four starters. They went with three last year, but Major League Baseball eliminated the off day between Games 4 and 5, which means you’d be asking three starters to go on short rest for both the ALCS and the World Series. Not gonna happen.
Following his terrible start, a soft-spoken Burnett displayed some defiance. “You saw what I did last year in the postseason [last year],” he said. “Everybody says the season doesn’t matter here, the postseason does. So there you go. But he [Girardi] makes the decisions. I want the ball whenever he gives it to me.”
Betsy
I’ve never been either. I meant that we watch it on TV, along with the other two. Listening to it on the radio reminds me of an old program. They were listing each horse as it went into it’s gate, and said one horse was having problems and dancing around. It said the same thing about another, three horses later. The master of ceremonies said “Two horses dancing…. that’s strange.” Then the announcer said “It takes two to tango.”
G. Love….You make some very valid points about one Mr. AJ Burnett……I can see him not making the ALDS roster…..Tonight’s performance was painful to watch…..
LOL KPB- I’ve never listened to a race on the radio. I don’t even bet much when I go to the track; I just love the sport…………and I’ve loved horses since I was a kid.
I don’t want Lee to come here because he would get the most money. If the Yankees want him, they will make him a very good offer. If that along with being a Yankee isn’t enough, who cares?
Panicking about not signing cliff lee in the offseason when the regular season hasn’t even finished yet??????? Really??
Betsy
I haven’t heard one on the radio either. I was talking about a radio program from the early 30s- the mid 50s. It’s very funny and has a lot of odd jokes like that one.
Rich, that’s how it is with FAs………….and I don’t have a problem with that. They’ll go where the $$ is. I think we need Lee badly, so yes – I don’t love that Texas has all that $$. I guess we’ll see.
KPB, oh, lol. The only time I listen to the radio is for sports talk
Well it’s been a long day, so goodnight folks. Tomorrow we clinch a playoff spot.
Betsy
Pitchers are fragile, especially those in their 30s who didn’t find themselves until their late 20s.
The Yankees will be fine no matter what Lee does.
The bigger issues have to do with the age of core players.
Pat M.,
I just don’t know how Cash or Girardi justifies giving AJ a start in the post season to the owners, the media, the fans and the team.
The Girardi blind faith thing only works when it’s Tex going through his annual slump to start the season.
What we’re seeing here with AJ is the worst starting pitcher in baseball for the majority of the season.
Jack Curry said on YES tonight that if any other starter in the league had the season AJ has, they would have been pulled from the rotation.
And AJ can see the handwriting on the wall. His post game comments about how the Yankees claim the post season is a new season is him basically telling them to put their money where their mouth is.
I can’t imagine Cashman and Girardi will take too kindly to a failed starter daring them to start him.
I think his season ends in Boston with another gutless performance this weekend.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess what the next move is with him.
I think Cash would have to trade for another team’s problem financially to be able to deal him without swallowing the contract to get him out of town.
I honestly believe this is his last season as a Yankee.
If he somehow comes back next year, I expect Cashman to go into camp with 6 starters and AJ penciled in at 6.
This isn’t just a tough season for the guy. It’s all time bad season for a starting pitcher.
If it’s personal problems at home then the best thing the Yankees can do for this guy is not put him on the post season roster and send him home to work out whatever is wrong.
I can’t imagine a scenario, short of him pitching a shutout in Boston to Posada this weekend, that gets him a post season start.
I mean, later on today. GN
Rich, the staff without Lee is sorely lacking………
AJ’s comments (I read them in the Newsday article, didn’t see the post-game show) are ridiculous. Who is he to be talking like that??
He wasn’t removed from the rotation because there was no one to replace him.
Plus, you had to give him the chance to work things out
Betsy,
I think everything we need to read into the situation with AJ is encapsulated in those comments.
He knows he’s blown his chance to help the team in the post season and he’s trying to bully them into giving him his start based on their comments that the post season is a new season.
It’s pretty vile if you ask me.
There’s a hundred different ways he could have answered that question that would have made him look classy and humble about his struggles.
I think they are sitting down this evening discussing the reality of using Ivan Nova as a 4th starter in the playoffs.
The one thing Girardi keeps saying about him is he has “poise” on the mound.
AJ’s shown none of that and Javy doesn’t have the stuff to get major league hitters out anymore.
If we need a 4th starter, I think the fog is clearing as to who it will be.
I can’t think of another team in MLB that would take AJ’s contract unless Selig authorized a significant subsidization by the Yankees.
The Yankees have to stop trading young starters until the rotation becomes more clarified.
Granderson is playing like the Yankees hoped, and I don’t regret the trade, but the Yankees could really use IPK right now.
“Yeah I would expect to start in the postseason”
Is he really this clueless?
If you were paid $16m a year for five years despite being basically a league average pitcher for your career, you might be clueless too.
“Alright let’s not get too crazy over AJ Burnett.
It’s not like his checks are being drawn against any of our accounts.”
If we don’t get to 96 wins, my account will have a few words for AJ.
AJ made it sound like he’s EARNED a post-season start; for pete’s sake, it’s all about the team at this point.
Rich, the Yankees have a ton of young pitching talent. They traded Viz for a guy who SHOULD have been a decent #4 and IPK for Granderson, who looks to be an important part of our future. They are not making a point of just trading youngsters just because.
I would be very disappointed if they try to ride Phil like a horse in the post-season; they will regret it in the future if they do
GLove, I don’t know…………..Nova’s the best of a bad lot, let’s be honest.
I think its time to see what Vazquez has left in the tank.
For some reason I still have some amount of faith that he can gut and guile his way through 5-6 innings on his off speed stuff.
Seeing what he can do against Boston this weekend would be a good benchmark. As long as they clinch sometime in the next two days, I’d make it a priority to let him start a game this weekend.
AJ is prolly listening to this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-n1Ro456nA
Javy = NO FLY ZONE.
# Betsy September 28th, 2010 at 12:55 am
http://www.newsday.com/sports/…..print=true
–And another one: How about this? The Rangers are going to get $150 million annually for 20 years as part of their new TV contract. Wow. If they’re really willing to go all out to retain Cliff Lee, they might just outbid the Yankees, after all.
********
Scary thought
———————————————————
Not so scary. Cliff Lee does not, and has not ever, WANTED to pitch in Texas. He’s doing it now because he doesn’t have a choice. That’s where he was traded, he’s going to pitch for them. He was visibly disappointed when he didn’t end up in New York. After this season (and the likelihood that we won’t repeat), there’s no way Cashman gets outbid on Lee. No way at all.
Choke, I hope not………….and then we have to hope Andy comes back.
chad yo uare wrong. no one asks girardi the question.. the question is simple how can anyone start a guy in the playoffs with those #’s under any circimstance? that is the question and you inform him of the ugly #’s. Again it is suicide to start aj and you guys letting him get away with his garbage after the game is laughable.
he has had the worst 1 year performance for a yankee starter in over 20 years. it is that bad. we whitson, hideki irabu and others were better. regardless of how hard he throws or how much money he makes he should not be on the postseason roster and if that insults him to friggin bad………..
WAKE UP FOOLS……………
During and just after the game, I was disgusted with AJ’s performance. I didn’t even watch it, but it was bad! After yesterday’s win, this was such a letdown. Good of the offense to get off the mat and get to the bullpen, but AJ gave up too many.
I’ve cooled down a bit, amazing what a little homework time with the kids can do.
Hopefully, they do it tomorrow. Can only play the schedule the way they make it. Yes, let’s put Yankees on Sunday night baseball on a night they fly out.
1. C Sabathia
NYY 20 7 3.26 33 33 2 0 0 0 229.1 206 91 83 19 7 72 189
2. A Burnett
NYY 10 15 5.33 32 32 1 0 0 0 180.2 198 114 107 24 17 76 140
aj has 17 hit batters.. throw in how he holds runners, his walks his whip is almost 2…..
javier vazquez is better then aj, that is scary……………nova is a better option in the 2nd round then aj…
Well, Sunday Night Baseball is almost always getaway night for one or both of the teams involved, isn’t it?
Furthermore, the hated Redsocks also flew out after last night’s game — how’d they do tonight?
AJ was already in Toronto, right? Maybe letting him fly there at all was the flaw in the itinerary.
nICK IN sf….A few weeks ago I thought all five of my major plays ( Yanks, Twins, Giants, / overs / Boston & Houston unders ) were locks….Suddenly it’s down to the final few games……
Jorge Broke AJ! it was back on June 16th against the Phillies.
Hi 1st loss of the season his era3.86 before and never to return below 4. That must be why Joe G never pitches them together. Since Cervelli and AJ work so beautifully together.
In 1st 4 gms of the yr he pitched to Posada and Yanks went 3-1
Twins and Giants overs already hit, Boston under is a lock… Yanks are very very close but I still believe.
Houston is a loser. Booooooo. That was CB’s big play!
If the Yankees trust AJ Burnett to pitch a game in the post-season they are making a serious mistake. There should be no question about that. None. Zero. It’s in his head.
The ALDS isn’t hard to figure out:
Game One – Sabathia
Game Two – Pettitte
Game Three – Hughes
Game Four – Sabathia
Game Five – Pettitte
A. J. Weaver
Don’t be too sure about the Yankees being the high bidder for Lee’s services. Texas just signed a new television deal in which they will receive 150M each year for the next 20 years. Lee will receive a maximum offer from the Rangers and Texas doesn’t have a state income tax while New York has one of the highest. The difference for a 20+M a year contract could be 2M or more per year.
The Texas ownership group with Nolan Ryan are very aggressive so I wouldn’t count on Lee being in a Yankee uniform in 2011 quite yet.
http://content.usatoday.com/co.....-tv-deal/1
could they get swept here,have Bos sweep W Sox and go into Boston needing to win one to avoid a playoff….the way this team is playing I can see it
CC clinches tonight and the Mariners push the Rays a 1/2 game back of us for the AL East and Minny keeps losing……..PRICELESS !!!
love the enthusiasm Don…you do know the Rays are playing the Os, right?
Another melt down by AJ makes Phil’s game all the more important…no way should AJ pitch over Phil. Actaully I would be happy if AJ didn’t pitch at all. It is hard to dig out of a 7-0 hole during the regular season.
They’re playing the O’s not the M’s.
There’s been scuttle but on the Yankees releasing or trading AJ in the offseason. I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen. I say this because of one reason only – PAVANO. If the Yanks didn’t release his sorry (and injured) butt, they’re not going to do it to someone who at least shows up to the games and actually pitches (if you can call it that). Eiland will have his work cut out for him in the offseason. I think part of it is mechanical and the other is mental. Both can be worked on in the winter. AJ needs a major attitude adjustment and that’s why I was hoping the Halladay trade would’ve gone through a last year. Halladay was good for AJ. I don’t know why, but he needs something… Halladay or not, AJ needs a major intervention.
ps – he’ll pitch in the post season – if it’s as a starter, it’ll be as a 4th starter.
I’m hoping the Yanks decide to let CC pitch tonite.
This thing needs to be put away. Now.
Worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
Someone other than Burnett should get a tuneup start in Boston.
AJ has had all the chances he should get at this point for this season.
He cannot be trusted with the ball.
It’s too bad they can’t trade the guy. If it were posssible I would like to see him disappear.
as would, I’m sure, just about every Yankee fan out there – myself included.
Guy’s like Burnett prove that there is a lot more to pitching than just having good stuff.
When a guy like last night’s Toronto pitcher outpitches a guy with Burnett’s stuff you know thats true.
Yes, Sunny I am afraid you are correct. I also think AJ will be the 4th starter. What I meant to say earlier was…its hard enough to come back from a 7 run deficit during the regular season, it will be almost impossible to do so during the post season.
AJ needs to come out of the pen. As a starter he is of no help right now.
Wood and Joba are two similar pitchers who are helping this team win. If he can gain 2 or 3 mph on his FB coming out of the pen(we have seen it before) he could dominate for an inning. Limit his game exposure, narrow his focus and let him “air out” his FB. Just my 2 cents.
Kate-
IMO, if the Yankees trust Burnett with the baseball this PS they are severely misguided.
There is absolutely no objective reason to think he would suceed.
What he does from start to start is unpredictable.
And this shouldn’t be Religion where everything is based on faith.
Put someone on the mound who is more likely to suceed.
And that would be almost anyone else.
Sorry to be so harsh but AJ has forced the issue IMO.
“The Texas ownership group with Nolan Ryan are very aggressive so I wouldn’t count on Lee being in a Yankee uniform in 2011 quite yet.”
This at least makes it a competitive situation, which could translate to overpayment. The Yankees will win a bidding war, but it may be at the expense of giving more years than they’d want and more money. This for a guy who turns 33 next year and hasn’t exactly been Koufax down the stretch (3-5 with a 5.16 ERA over 10 starts – Rangers are 3-7 in those games).
“AJ needs to come out of the pen. As a starter he is of no help right now”
What reason is there to think he’d enjoy any success out of the bullpen?
Bill-
With his stellar control. Cmon. Get with it.
oh MTU, I agree w/ what you are saying…but I still see AJ starting in the 2nd series. Who else would it be? Not Javy, and I can’t see it being Nova, altho I think he would do a better job as long as he was on a short leash.
MTU:
Sorry, man. Sometimes I simply fail to grasp the obvious.
Kate-
“Who else would it be?”
I pair up Nova with a shadow. Either Moseley or Javy.
At this point Nova is more likely to suceed than AJ.
And it should be about increasing your chances. Not on the size of a guy’s contract, or some vague hope that he pulls it together at just the right time.
Maybe, whatever is wrong, can be fixed in the off season but this ain’t the time.
That’s just my take. Let’s see what the Yanks decide.
I got a feeling they are going to try AJ 1 more time in beantown.
For me, even if he pitches well up there, I would not go with him.
Too much inconsistency.
kate – I agree. Next to impossible probably, considering all teams do in the playoffs is put their best pitchers out there. If AJ puts up this kind of crap effort, that’s a big hole to climb out of and a big strain on the offense that it doesn’t need.
Kate-
AJ doesn’t need a short leash. He needs to be confined to the doghouse.
We need a fire in the PS and Burnett is a wet match.
“I’m not going to let it affect me. I’ve been through way worse than tonight.”
Way worse?? What does that mean?? I guess it means Game 5 of the 2009 ALCS and Game 5 of the 2009 World Series??
This guy is dilusional.
Clinch a spot tonight, throw CC for an inning in relief on Friday to keep him on schedule, and go from there.
It’s now more likely CC will have to pitch Game 4 of the ALDS (if there is one) on 3 days rest.
That would set up Andy on full rest for a possible Game 5.
Is it the best situation? No but, it doesn’t always work out the way you plan. You just have to make due.
AJ? Personally, I wouldn’t have him on the ALDS roster because it’s the waste of a spot. I don’t get a vote.
To that end, have him in the bullpen to pitch in a mop up outing.
All you can do with him right now.
Pairing up Nova with anyone else would be a major tax on the bullpen in a short series. Nova is a rookie who has demonstrated a lack of ability to handle pitching with men on base. He gets unnerved and starts nibbling and loses the strike zone or leaves pitches up in the zone. If he lasts his average 4 innings, the bullpen would be blown out by the next game.
This is where losing a guy like Aceves is just a huge deal. If he were still healthy, there would be a lot less questions and nerves about losing a starter early in the game. Because now – we got Gaudin (a junkball pitcher), Mitre (who hasn’t pitched since 1834), and Moseley (who is extremely hittable).
AJ out of the pen is not a good idea solely because he’s got the slowest delivery known to man. Even the Russian post office is faster than AJ. If AJ comes in with men on base, they’d be running all over him. And I’m not even going to touch his awesome control issues.
AJ often gets described as “unpredictable” or “inconsistent”, and while that used to be true, I don’t think it really applies at this point. For almost 5 months now AJ has been consistently and predictably awful. Obviously, pitching is inherently unpredictable to some degree. However, using these terms to describe AJ just masks what a complete and utter failure his performance has been this season. AJ’s low pitching IQ, inability to repeat his mechanics, and his age make me wonder if he’ll be able to provide any considerable value to the Yankees going forward.
SJ
who would you have as your 4th starter for the ALCS?
and who do you think the Yankees will have?
Is this blog working?
This is perhaps a gift in disguise. AJ will have to pitch in the playoffs and I believe Posada will catch him. Cervelli is no longer considered a good luck charm for AJ.
SJ may be right about the ALDS where AJ may not be needed, but the ALCS & WS he would be. I imagine a pitching coach is going to have his hands full over the next several days with AJ!
Usually after a game like last night, by the next morning I can bring a different perspective to it.
This one is different because this wasn’t a one-time thing from AJ and because there’s no time left, really.
For a while I kept telling myself (and others who would listen
) that AJ had several games where he pitched well and got no run support. In actuality, that didn’t happen often enough to use it as a positive for AJ. A majority of the losses, he took his team out early. I’m actually going through box scores and through 8/15 there were only 2 games that he pitched well enough to win the game; one he lost, one he got a ND. Only 2 games after that which the Yankees ended up losing, but AJ started and was rain delayed – AJ pitching well to that point.
Time after time, he would put the Yankees in a hole, big or small, and the Yankees would fight back and AJ would give up more. And more times than not it was early that he got them down. There is no sugar coating AJ’s season. No way to do it.
AJ has pitched poorly most of the time, so I think it is fair to say he was unable to help this team. If he himself had won just 2 or 3 more games, the Yankees would be in first place with the best record, would be in a position to win the division and have HFA until the WS.
If he was supposed to be a #4 or #5 starter in the rotation, I would not feel the same way. But he was hired to be a #2 or #3 guy – a guy who you rely on to win games, important games, for your club. So I do not feel it’s overstating it to place a large portion of the responsibility for losing those games on AJ. Unless we find he has been pitching through a minor injury or major discomfort, he simply failed.
And the way I see it, what I see on the mound, is a guy who, once he “fails” – whether it’s via a walk, HBP or HR – he doesn’t rear back and challenge; rather, he seems to say “here we go again, another night where I don’t have it.” That’s what his body language seems to say to me, his post-game comments notwithstanding. I am not able to see mechanical issues – I’m not that versed and I don’t know what to look for – but even if there are mechanical issues, there is a mental component that’s not clicking. He gets down on himself too easily, it seems.
He had a good start to his season and July was a good month for him. But since then, he really has not been able to “find it.” I don’t really see how he can be expected to find it now. Perhaps the rain delays sabotaged a turn around for him, but it doesn’t matter – the end result is the same – there’s no reason to believe that he will pitch any differently from this point on than he has for most of the season. Which is to say, he is not able to protect a lead when he has one, and often gets the team into a hole from the get go so that the offense is always on the “defensive.”
SJ,
Just throwing this out there…when would it make sense to eat salary to ship AJ elsewhere? Even if they have to absorb half or more, at what point does that become better than paying all of his contract?
I think you have to go 3 man in the ALDS and at this point I’d much prefer Vasquez to AJ if someone other than those 3 are needed…..at least I know he’s going to compete out there. I’d go Vasquez with Nova backing up or vice versa….
well put, as usual Doreen. I am not one to give up on a player, but watching AJ pitch any more is beyond frustrating. I am sure the players feel the same way. AJ has 15 losses, and as you point out, he is supposed to be the #2 pitcher.
Blake-
No team should have to cross their fingers when one of their pitchers takes the mound.
That is not a way to run an Airline.
And it’s not the way to run a baseball team especially in the PS.
The alternative. I stated it above. Any combo of Nova, Vasquez, or Moseley.
I wouldn’t waste another start on AJ.
Tune up someome else.
With AJ it is almost all mental. Perhaps he is trying to change too much too quickly and is out of kilt. He has talent! His fastball 2 or 4 seam is awesome at times, but has found too much of the plate lately.
I think he must be tipping his off speed pitches with his delivery. Namely the changeup ro RH hitters. That could be deadly by itself. Quite often a pitcher’s delivery is slightly different to a RH vs LH batter. So it may be with AJ.
If a batter can sit dead red or know an off speed pitch is coming it is a big advantage. And it can be little things that teams have picked up on film or historical knowledge like Toronto may have.
I remember one year Yogi kept getting thrown out for trying to steal 2nd base via a pitchout. The Yanks figured it out that Yogi would talk when he wasn’t going and be silent when he was. Small things have big consequences and may even make us adjust in ways that are detrimental trying to fix something else that isn’t the problem.
There is no one else to tune up. We have CC, Pettitte and Hughes. The rest is either untested or unreliable. And even Hughes and Pettitte have had starts where they struggled a bit recently. Nova? He collapses once someone gets on base. Javy and his 88 mph meatball? No thanks. AJ? Even worse than Javy. Moseley? Gaudin? Mitre? Those guys would be 5th starters on a NL team – if that.
I am really hoping that AJ finds himself in the “new season”/post season because the alternatives aren’t really palatable.
AJ Airlines?
We’re definitely taking off but where we land no one knows!
Re: Burnett
In the offseason, would anybody deal Burnett to the Cubs for Carlos Zambrano assuming his anger issues have been straightened out ? A change of scenery would do both pitchers some good. It would be nearly a salary wash with some contract issues to be resolved (no trade clauses waived). Zambrano has said he would waive his no-trade clause.
Zambrano is 3 1/2 years younger than Burnett. To sweeten the pot for the Cubs, add players with seemingly no future with the Yankees such as Juan Miranda and Kevin Russo.
Zambrano :
5 years/$91.5M (2008-12), plus 2013 vesting option
signed extension with Cubs 8/17/07
$5M signing bonus
08:$15M, 09:$17.75M, 10:$17.875M, 11:$17.875M, 12:$18M, 13:$19.25M vesting player option
full no-trade clause
I think whether you use AJ or not in the playoffs depends on the situation.
In the ALDS, no way! Start with CC, then Hughes, then Andy (or maybe reverse Hughes & Andy). CC on 3 days rest for Game 4, and then the Game 2 starter on a full 4 days rest for Game 5.
I think you start the ALCS with the same 3 pitchers. The question then is what you do for Game 4.
If you’re up 3-0, I think you start AJ. At that point, the Yanks are in the driver’s seat, and they can take the chance. He probably still has more raw talent than any of the other alternatives, even if his velocity has diminished a little bit this year.
Who else? Vazquez? The guy they pulled out of the rotation twice this year? The guy whose last playoff experience with the Yankees was Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS? The guy who hit 3 men in a row just the other day?
Nova? The guy who was in AAA just a couple of months ago? He’s shown flashes of talent, but he blew up early against the Red Sox in a fairly big game (not as big as a playoff game!) just a couple of days ago. His outings against the Rays also blew up fairly early (4th or 5th inning). He may be a middle or back of the rotation starter for the Yankees in the future, but this year?
Mosely? Mitre? Gaudin? Career journeymen. Not what you want to see a championship team roll out in a big game.
A long shot … Joba? Hasn’t started all year, and isn’t stretched out, but has starting experience. Probably has more talent than anyone in this group other than AJ. If you could get 4 or 5 innings, might be worth it.
If you’re down 3-0, you go with CC. You have no other choice.
Up or down 2-1, you pick from one of the above. There are no good choices. I’d probably do AJ or Joba.
108 Stitches -
I don’t know enough about Zambrano. I had thought he wasn’t pitching well for a while. And then the anger issues – which preceded what?
I’d take the AJ from last season, though.
Good morning MTU – How was your trip?
So much for Girardi’s planning and over managing. Look where it got this team, having to pitch Sabathia when that’s the last thing in the world they wanted to do. I can remember so vividly all those games in July and August when Girardi threw a AAA lineup out there; now we are paying the price.
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