Burnett named No. 2 starter
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Mar 19, 2011 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Joe Girardi announced today that A.J. Burnett will be the Yankees No. 2 starter and Phil Hughes will be the No. 3.
“That’s what we brought A.J. here to do,” Girardi said. “He struggled last year, but we believe he’s going to be back.”
This was the Yankees plan all along, Girardi said. The two were swapped earlier this spring because of rest issues — Girardi didn’t go into detail, but Hughes was here well before camp opened, and it would make sense that he was slightly ahead — and the Yankees have always planned to have both Burnett and Hughes pitch on Wednesday the 23rd. One will throw in a minor league game, the other in the big league game. After that, Hughes will get an extra day of rest before making his regular-season debut.
• Russell Martin is fine, but Girardi wanted to give him a day off after taking a bit of a beating yesterday.
• Ivan Nova will throw a simulated game tomorrow. He’ll make his next start on the 25th. Girardi said Nova is still in the competition, but that would seem to line him up as the No. 4 starter.
• Dellin Betances has been optioned to Double-A Trenton, and Andrew Brackman cleared out his locker to officially report to minor league camp. “Their innings got kind of eaten up,” Girardi said.
• Speaking of which, Manny Banuelos did not get into today’s game and has been rescheduled to pitch behind Bartolo Colon on Monday.
Cool .
I hope Hughsey isn’t upset by this blow to his pride.
Very disappointed in Betances
and Brackman so far .
Expected more .
A lot more .
Hardly a surprise
I don’t think that has any substantive meanings.
E . R . California March 19th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Very disappointed in Betances
and Brackman so far .
Expected more .
A lot more .
———————-
so did your parents when you dropped out in the birthing stable…
Pretty stupid reason, though… He was brought here to be the 2nd starter, but he pitched like a 6th starter last year.
Considering Hughes was held back in extended spring training last year and had his first start skipped I don’t think it means much to him
Betsy
It’s spin, don’t over think it.
Rich, I’m not overthinking it – and I’m not sure what you mean by spin. Personally I think AJ had the much better spring and probably deserved it; I don’t like this reasoning – it makes no sense.
ticked i didn’t see manny pitch, for selfish reason.
haven’t see manny all spring, couldn’t watch him on espn,or any other game
is it safe to come in here now? i think its about time for some policing of what’s going on in here. say what you want about pete but he would have knocked some heads over the crap that was going on on the last thread.
I really don’t think AJ is a #2 starter – he’s way too inconsistent – but maybe he’ll have a career year.
At least Hughes will get a rest with Burnett catching all of the BS because of last year.
Betsy
All Girardi is saying is that he believes that AJ can pitch well despite how bad he was last season, nothing more.
Betsy,
Didn’t you say it would be a surprise if AJ was named the #2? Or did you mean a surprise to those who assumed Phil was the #2?
So what does this mean, lol:
A.J. Burnett will be the Yankees’ No. 2 starter and Phil Hughes is the No. 3 starter, Joe Girardi confirmed today.
Girardi said that it was their plan all along to have Burnett following CC Sabathia in the rotation, but they wanted to use the spring to evaluate the pair of right-handers.
“It’s what we brought him here to do,” Girardi said of Burnett, who was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA last season for New York.
************
It was their plan, but in case AJ was awful or Phil lights out, things would have changed?
Rich, ok that’s fine, but AJ pitching well means does not mean he’s a #2 type of starter. He’s never been that way in his career.
M, I have said that I thought AJ would be named the #2 based on Joe’s comments and the pitchers’ respective performances. I did say that I think many Yankee fans assumed Phil was going to be the #2 going into ST……
Do you think it is E.R.’s mother’s disappointment that causes this behavior?
Until the playoffs, there is no real difference between the #2 and #3.
“Nova is still in the competition”? What in blazes does that mean?
For all the Jeter naysayers who seem to have died…he’s hitting .347.
–
.351 .385 .432 , showing almost no power and has a 6.6 GO/AO ratio, which is 3 times as big as his previous spring ratios. He is going to be hard pressed to have a better year than last year if he doesn’t get lift on the ball and start hitting some line drives. He has 2 XBH and 1 was a misplayed triple. Despite changing his swing the symptoms of last year are still present. He is still working on his swing, and probably isn’t anywhere near comfortable with it, so lets hope he continues to figure it out.
ER doesn’t have any parents. He was found under a cabbage leaf. As you can tell by his writing, he didn’t roll very far from the female cabbage.
Glad the AJ announcement was made early…Only leaves 3 questions open…lead-of hitter, Pena or Nunez, and Colon/Garcia/Mitre.
What this means is this:
The Yankees and Burnett have been outspoken that Burnett suffered through some mental malaise last season and his problems were in his head.
Of the two, Burnett might be the pitcher that gets the most from a mental vote-of-confidence/pat-on-the-back/motivational title.
It means the Yankees likely feel Hughes is more secure in of himself.
Nothing more, nothing less.
AND depending on how they handle the off-day, Hughes might open the Boston series. Burnett won’t pitch there however they handle the first if he pitches the 2nd game.
Rich, not true………the #2 has a lot more responsibility than the #3 has. All the #3 has to do is be a solid and reliable starter. The #2 actually has to be very good.
# Betsy March 19th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
I think most assumed that Phil would be the #2 this year, so if it’s AJ, that would come as something of a surprise.
# Betsy March 19th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Hardly a surprise
__________________________________________________________
(sorry ’bout that. I’m in a copy & paste mood today. )
“Nova is still in the competition”? What in blazes does that mean?
Likely that he’s not ready to signal to Garcia/Colon/Mitre which way he’s going.
He is also making a SIMULATED start next outing.
Doesn’t sound like they are looking for anything from him other than getting his rest in.
Betsy
That’s silly.
They both have the responsibility to pitch well.
“Joe Girardi announced today that A.J. Burnett will be the Yankees No. 2 starter and Phil Hughes will be the No. 3.
‘That’s what we brought A.J. here to do,’ Girardi said. ‘He struggled last year, but we believe he’s going to be back.’”
GOOD ON YOU JOE!
AJ has an entirely new delivery, has an ST ERA of 2.77 and the second highest strikeout total this spring! Why WOULDN’T you put him in the second spot! Hell if everybody got slotted based on their last season, there’d be no need to ST.
Thrilled for AJ.
I don’t even think it’s a mental massage.
AJ was signed to pitch behind CC. He had a bad year. He’s having a good spring where he’s made some very real changes to his pitching that have had some marked results.
It’s just a return to the status quo which is AJ was and is our #2.
It really is no slight to Phil Hughes. Who according to some, is still developing as a pitcher so he might not be a true #2 yet.
I said that most people assumed that Phil would be the #2 pitcher….so yes, for them it may come as a surprise. To me, it doesn’t. Early in ST, I would have said that I’d be shocked if AJ was the #2, but if you’ve listened to Joe and you’ve seen the results in ST, it had to be AJ.
Rich, did I say the #3 pitcher doesn’t have to do well? I said the #2 has a greater responsibility – and I think he does.
The Yankees need AJ to be good this year as the race may be tight…this is the right way to start and give him confidence…let him know that his team believes in him. Good call.
I see.
Well, I’m one who has listened to Joe and seen the results, so I’m not surprised at all!
Is that last comment supposed to be directed to me, M? If so, then I don’t know why since I have never mentioned that being the #3 would be a slight to Phil Hughes. I don’t particularly care how either of them feel about it – it’s just what’s the right decision for the team.
mel, good catch on the multiples, if there weren’t any intervening posts about the second person.
I will say that the first time I ever saw either screen name here, they both (“both”?) trashed me for saying something praising the Yankees. I thought it was odd that two people would show up for the first time and decide to take shots at a post praising the Yanks. But what it turned into was the first poster taking a shot and the “second”? showing up conveniently to talk to the first and then to agree with his shot at my post and then there was a little tittering done by both (“both”?)
M, let’s drop it since we’re not even in the same book forget the same page. I just said that based on Joe’s comments and the ST results, it was obvious that AJ was the choice.
“Rich, not true………the #2 has a lot more responsibility than the #3 has. All the #3 has to do is be a solid and reliable starter. The #2 actually has to be very good.”
Betsy, this makes NO sense at all. # whatever don’t “have” to be anything.
Yankees didn’t have a “#3″ all year last year (by these definitions, neither Burnett or Vasquez qualified) and they won 95 games and cruised into the playoffs.
You’re confusing thumbnail descriptions with job qualifications and “responsibilities”.
Get over this…
Betsy
Where’s the evidence to support that view?
They both get about the same amount of starts. The way they lineup v. another team’s rotation can be changed with the first rainout or off day.
The ordinal difference is non-existent.
Stuckey, you’re a windbag and I don’t need you to lecture me.
I don’t think #2 or #3 means much at all practically. It’s more beneficial to AJ psychologically than anything else in my opinion.
Rich, where is the evidence to support your view? The #2 pitcher is looked at as the 2nd best pitcher on the team. He gets more starts than the #3. You make it sound like I just invented this stuff- pitchers have been classified as #1s, 2s, etc…..for a long time. In any case, since I don’t think Phil is a #2 at this point either, I’m perfectly fine with AJ……I just didn’t buy the reasoning.
“It was their plan, but in case AJ was awful or Phil lights out, things would have changed?”
Bets, I absolutely believe so, and certainly hope so. And if AJ was awful, I bet he’d be the first to understand being slotted to number 3 as opposed to 2.
On top of it making sense IMO in terms of ST, I think there’s an added bonus in terms of the confidence booster if gives AJ. I think he’s someone who needs that a lot more than Phil. But again, I think it played out correctly, and I’m believing that a young Phil is thrilled to be in the 3 slot rather than 4 or 5.
JMO
starter, excuse me
Trish, I never said Phil was unhappy or would be unhappy – neither pitcher’s feelings, IMO, should have played any role in the decision. All I said was that if AJ was handed the job based on the contract he signed, then that was a mistake. If they thought he deserved it based on the fact that he’s better or had a better spring, that’s fine.
AJ was the #2 starter behind DOC, IIRC.
Omg
Did you talk about them doing it because AJ was fragile mentally or was it someone else?
I was speaking to someone else. But if you said something about AJ needing to be the #2 so he doesn’t fall apart or something along those lines, then my response would be the same.
Anyway, congrats to AJ, who worked very hard. I still want to see how he does in the regular season, but I’ll take the positive view. When he’s on, he’s very good.
Betsy, I think that what Joe meant was that they signed AJ with the intent of having him be their number 2 starter behind CC, and this spring his emitted results that allow them to do that. I don’t think he meant anything more by that comment.
BoJo says:
March 19, 2011 at 4:55 pm
The Yankees need AJ to be good this year as the race may be tight…this is the right way to start and give him confidence…let him know that his team believes in him. Good call.
——–
Exactly. And that’s ALL it means. Nothing more.
“Anyway, congrats to AJ, who worked very hard. I still want to see how he does in the regular season, but I’ll take the positive view. When he’s on, he’s very good.”
There you go.
OMG, lol?
I didn’t say anything of the sort, M. I think giving AJ the #2 spot based on him possibly falling apart if he didn’t get it would be beyond dumb………but I don’t think that was the case.
The #1 starter gets the most starts , the #2, #3, #4 starters get the same amount of starts. The #5 starter doesn’t.
2-3-4 don’t matter at all, Betsy, what are you going on about?
Betsy
Rich, where is the evidence to support your view? The #2 pitcher is looked at as the 2nd best pitcher on the team.
Really? Life on the line, who do you want to start, Phil or AJ?
“He gets more starts than the #3.”
1 more? Come on.
“You make it sound like I just invented this stuff- pitchers have been classified as #1s, 2s, etc…..for a long time. In any case, since I don’t think Phil is a #2 at this point either, I’m perfectly fine with AJ……I just didn’t buy the reasoning.”
Yes, it’s bs, except in the playoffs.
Jerkface, there’s no point in continuing this. We all just have our different view. The Yankees made their decision based on their on reasoning and that’s that. The only thing to do is hope all our starters have good years.
trisha,
Twice I’ve noticed that one will announce they’re going out for dinner, and the other will appear in the interim.
I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but does twice make a pattern?
Just kidding.
I’m over it. But if people want to claim stuff, they need to cover their tracks better.
Truth be told, I thought AJ would be #3 only because it seemed like Karma that he would end up facing Burnett as Boston’s #3 later in season…but someone posted the RS rotation and apparently it is different at start of season…
Whichever way the rotation turns out, I am honestly liking this rotation much better than any other in AL…I think Oakland and RS are a little behind…
BryanHoch Bryan Hoch
Dante Girardi just belted a homer off the right field party area. (OK, so he’s hitting off Dad from shallow RF. Still.)
“Really? Life on the line, who do you want to start, Phil or AJ?”
I know you didn’t ask me this but if you don’t mind me answering, right now I say AJ.
Hopefully that doesn’t change, if you know what I mean. I am not devaluing Phil or meaning to by saying that, just saying AJ is appearing to be the pitcher we signed for.
“Stuckey, you’re a windbag and I don’t need you to lecture me.”
You have like 5 different people lecturing you at the moment. You’d have many more if it wasn’t Saturday afternoon.
Do you really have as little understanding of that as you imply?
trisha
It’s your life…
Let’s actually just hope AJ can start to pitch well against the Sox; he’s been pretty bad against them, esp. in Fenway.
Rich, yes, and believe me, I value it.
Betsy,
That’s two days in a row you asked me if a comment I made was to you.
And neither one was. I don’t know how you read either one as being directed towards you.
Today’s one was for stuckey. I really should address my comments towards the person I’m responding to, but I’m LAZY.
What the hell difference does it make? Absolutely NONE.
One guy doesn’t have anymore responsibilities as the #2 guy than the #3.
They both need to get hitters out and give their team a chance to win every time they take the mound.
This might be the stupidest debate since the beginning of camp.
“Let’s actually just hope AJ can start to pitch well against the Sox; he’s been pretty bad against them, esp. in Fenway.”
Of course that’s going to be a test. But if you remember, he pitched 5 shutout innings against them in a playoff game (hopefully I have my facts straight, maybe it was a regular season game?) and then coughed it up. Maybe the new AJ doesn’t have lapses of confidence. We’ve seen things from him this ST we haven’t seen before – or at least I haven’t seen before. No falling apart with runners on base, no walking the bases loaded.
THANK YOU ST. LAWRENCE (Rothschild).
We have a church in town named St. Lawrence. Oops. We did.
(closed down last year.) Well okay, now my only St. Lawrence will be in the Bronx.
Aceves line:
3inn 3 hits, 2 Runs, 1 HR,
But the big news is that his back feels great.
Beckett’s line today:
4 2/3 innings pitched; 7 hits allowed; 5 runs allowed. ERA now just north of 5.
GF – I don’t think it’s a debate. I think people are voicing their opinions on what difference, if any, they see between 2 and 3.
I myself see a difference, but nothing earthshaking. I think it’s an honor in the pecking order, and I agree with this pecking order. No biggie. I value every pitcher 1-5.
I can’t fault them on Aceves.
Trish, in 2009 he blew a huge lead in Fenway – and also had another brutal game. I believe he was bad again last year as well, but then he was bad in most places. It’s a new season, so hopefully things will turn out differently
Rhapsody, maybe you will talk to me about my disquietude. Nobody else seems to want to, and E. Ruby California, the only one who would agree with me, is nowhere in sight.
THREE GAMES IN A ROW THE SUX HAVE LOST! Crawford batting 206, Gonzalez batting 222, Gonzalez making two errors in yesterday’s game, Okijima giving up a homer, Chuckholz losing yesterday’s game and looking like the windmill in the Man of La Mancha, Beckett dropped to the 4th spot in the rotation! This was the great white hope, the team that was going to lead us to the promised land.
WTH!!!
Sabathia has started 34 times for the Yankees the last 2 seasons. That leaves 32 starts a piece for 2-5. 5 is going to get skipped, so we’re looking at 33 for 2-4.
It literally does not matter. There is no added responsibility to pitching 2nd. By the time rainouts and off days happen, they won’t even end up in the same order. Literally the only time rotation order matters is in the postseason because there are only so many days off and starts up for grabs that the 1 and 2 guys end up pitching the most.
Trisha,
I really don’t understand the difference. Maybe if they were playing “King of the Mountain” – this decision might be a big deal.
But both pitchers have something to prove from last season. Burnett has to shake off almost the entire season and Hughes needs to make adjustments from his second half struggles.
In reality, they are both out there to do the same thing – help this team win ballgames the day they take the mound.
“Trish, in 2009 he blew a huge lead in Fenway – and also had another brutal game. I believe he was bad again last year as well, but then he was bad in most places. It’s a new season, so hopefully things will turn out differently”
Betsy I guess that’s the game I’m thinking about, the one in 2009. He had the lead and was pitching a shutout into the 5th and then just destructed.
I agree that Suxville will be a good test for him. Even though some pitchers pitch much better at home than on the road, you want to see them be at least competitive on the road.
AJ is a guy who has his teammates backs, and is obviously a guy that Girardi feels thrives off the team having his back. Saying he is the #2 because that is what they are counting on is positive reinforcement. Even if Burnett were WORSE than Hughes, he’d still be the #2 because the Yankees are expecting Hughes to go deep into games and pitch well, so having Burnett 2 and Hughes 3 means they are separating their 2 best pitchers who should not need the bullpen picking them up all the time.
Hughes is unflappable, he didn’t even care when he got some saves in relief.
GF, I’m happy for AJ Burnett the person as well as AJ Burnett the player. I think he has earned the spot with his ST and I totally understand what Girardi said when he said AJ was signed to pitch in the second spot.
I also agree it’s not a real big deal when all the dust settles. But why not be happy for the guy instead of minimizing it? Girardi obviously sees a difference in 2 and 3 or he wouldn’t have said AJ was signed to be the 2nd starter behind CC. I AGREE IT’S NOT A HUGE DEAL. But for whatever difference Girardi sees in it, AJ’s spring has earned him that spot.
Phil Coke on the other hand was practically crying about how scary it was to try and collect a save.
Pitchers are all different, and the Yankees see what Burnett responds to, and since rotation order outside of 1 and 5 don’t matter they went with the move that had the most net benefit to Hughes and Burnett.
If Burnett bounces back, then its easier for Girardi to leave him #2 for the playoffs, and give Hughes the ‘so important pettitte-swing game spot’ as the #3 starter.
All of that said, I don’t personally care who is slotted where. I value every pitcher in our rotation the same. I am rooting for them to win all of their starts and believe that they have what it takes to win all their starts. The rest is up to the fortunes of the day.
Jerkface
The Yankees will have traded for Felix by the playoffs; CC will be the #2. So the issue at that time will be is AJ or Hughes be the #3 or #4.
Trisha,
Not trying to minimize anything. I just don’t believe in over-analyzing what this “big” decision means.
I don’t see why people care so much about something so meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
The MLB.TV archive for the Yankees contains 1 hour of the New York Marathon show hosted by that b-wordy lady on YES.
I’m glad they made Phil #3. To go from the #5 to the #2 in less than a year might have gone to his head.
j/k
The Yankees will have traded for Felix by the playoffs; CC will be the #2. So the issue at that time will be is AJ or Hughes be the #3 or #4.
–
No way is Girardi starting Felix #1 in the playoffs. CC and Felix will be the 1-5 in the playoffs. Hughes will be in the bullpen and AJ Burnett will be at home.
“Not trying to minimize anything. I just don’t believe in over-analyzing what this “big” decision means.
I don’t see why people care so much about something so meaningless in the grand scheme of things.”
I hear you. I have a personal interest in the psyches of players.
“Did you talk about them doing it because AJ was fragile mentally or was it someone else?”
No, I listened to them when they went on TV and said Burnett struggled mentally last year.
“I was speaking to someone else. But if you said something about AJ needing to be the #2 so he doesn’t fall apart or something along those lines, then my response would be the same.”
I didn’t say anyone “needed” to be #2.
If said it matter very little which is #2 and #3, but someone HAS to pitch the 2nd game of the year, so if it means a LITTLE more to Burnett than it does to Hughes, then there is little to know reason NOT to throw him that bone.
Perspective M.. perspective.
You’re right. It doesn’t mean diddly squat, nor does the idea of Felix pitching for the Yanks this year, or any time before his free agency year.
I just feel they asked themselves, “How does AJ look?”
They liked what they saw and named him the #2. Which also just happens to be the path of least resistance. And he was signed to be the #2. And he is a veteran. And he makes #2 money (some would say #3 money)
Bottom line is that AJ did not hurt his cause this spring. So there was no reason to give serious thought to switching him and Phil.
As for perspective? I don’t know what you’re trying to say. I was just giving my opinion.
“…nor does the idea of Felix pitching for the Yanks this year, or any time before his free agency year.”
That would be a bingo!
I wonder if the RS will sign Mitre if he is let go and put him and Aceves in rotation ahead of DiceK and Wakefield (5 and 6)…
OMG!!! Chad, please please start a new thread!!!!!!!!!!
AJ needs to step it up this year and earn that 16.5 million. He is getting paid like an ace. I hope he has a great year, but for his career he is only 10 games over .500
Never won more than 13 games except 18 in his walk year.
Everything that mel said.
Mel, by the way, sometimes it’s easier to just cut and paste and quote than to say something and have the wrong person think it was meant for her or him.
Oops. Some would say AJ makes #1 money.
“OMG!!! Chad, please please start a new thread!!!!!!!!!!”
I’m leaving in a little while so you won’t have Trisha Nixon to kick around anymore!
Tricky Trish?
“Never won more than 13 games except 18 in his walk year.”
There’s a first time for everything. The journey of a million miles begins with a single step. Uh, the grass is always greener on the other side. He who hesitates is lost. Uh, look before you leap.
Well, that’s about it!
“Tricky Trish?”
GOOD CATCH BETS!
The primary reason AJ is the nominal #2 is seniority, but again it’s bs.
For real now I leave. As always, I will arrive late. You know how it is with society…
(And also with people who just happen to cut it close all the time.)
“Oops. Some would say AJ makes #1 money”
But last years results were number 2.
“The primary reason AJ is the nominal #2 is seniority, but again it’s bs.”
So says you, buster!
Ding ding ding!
Bye now.
The primary reason AJ is the nominal #2 is seniority, but again it’s bs.
–
This would be annoying if being #2 meant anything. But it doesn’t
Later, Tricky!
Trisha you overlooked mentioning Papelbon’s last meltdown.
Whenever, however the Sox lose it’s a beautiful thing.
From Peter Abraham’s blog :
————————————————-
2011WorldChampionRedSox wrote:
Whos cares about J*sh B*ck*tt .
The R*d S*x have 2011 Cy Young winners in L*st*r and C . B .
The greatest dynamic duo in the history of sports .
Not to mention that we also have *dr**n G*nz*l*z — 2011 A . L . M . V . P .
2011 World Trophy is already in the bag .
No ?
————————————————-
L . o . l .
Gary Sanchez went deep 2 times today.
Oh yes.
however they put together the rotation is fine with me, it makes no difference in the outcome of the season since both pitchers have to make the same number of starts. Much ado about noting.
I don’t have a dog in the fight so if it helps the Yankee cause…….Go Kentucky!
cgrand14 http://plixi.com/p/85307081 with Coach Cal. He’s a big @Yankees fan!
TylerKepner @cgrand14 He should be. The last six times Kentucky’s won the title(’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98), the Yankees have won the World Series.
What sense would it make to name AJ the #3 starter? If it’s a ploy, fine.
Really 2 or 3 at this point is not an issue.
But it would be stupid to name him #3 when it’s meaningless today, 2 or 3.
If it helps him to be #3, psychologically then do it, it’s a nobrainer.
If he sucks later then you deal with it.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me present the most ridicululous post of the spring!!! I’m sure Betsy won’t let us down and follow this up with another winner.
“Rich, not true………the #2 has a lot more responsibility than the #3 has. All the #3 has to do is be a solid and reliable starter. The #2 actually has to be very good.”
if AJ is off he can ruin the Yanks entire week of games by continually over taxing the bullpen. AJ is by far the single most important element of the whole rotation. Here is a break down of the first month of the season and why AJ is more WAY important than CC.
http://yankeesgameday.blogspot.....arter.html