Yankees postgame: Hughes frustrated
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on Jul 23, 2011 
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Phil Hughes had an easy victory. The Yankees handed him a 14-2 lead after three, and he couldn’t make it through five to get his second win. His fastball command was off and his curve wasn’t biting like last time in Toronto. He threw 98 pitches and left after 4 1/3. He was charged with seven runs, nine hits, four walks and one hit batter.
“I’m not frustrated I didn’t get a win, just frustrated that the outing didn’t go better, because I really felt I was making some good strides,” Hughes said.
Joe Girardi said: “You’ve got to look at it as a blip. You’ve got to move on. He’ll be back out there Wednesday.”
Hughes said it was really hot and he was glad this wasn’t a day game, but he wouldn’t blame the conditions – 100 degrees at first pitch.
“(Hector) Noesi went out there in the same heat and did a great job,” Hughes said. “… I don’t think that was really an issue.”
Noesi allowed two runners he inherited from Hughes to score, but the rookie right-hander was charged with no runs and four hits and no walks over 3 2/3 to move to 2-0.
“I’m really pleased with the progress this kid has made,” Girardi said.
*Mark Teixeira broke a 70 at-bat homerless streak with his third-inning grand slam, when he was hitting left-handed. Teixeira went 1 for 4 with two walks. He’s batting just .240.
“July hasn’t been kind to me,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully this will get me going. … Left-handed I haven’t been feeling good the last month.”
Teixeira was dropped to fourth for just the second time. Brett Gardner led off, followed by Derek Jeter and then Curtis Granderson, who made his first career start in the three hole, moving down from No. 2. Robinson Cano batted fifth. Joe Girardi said this would probably be the order today as well when righty Rich Harden starts for the A’s.
“I like it,” Teixeira said. “I think it makes our lineup deeper. … I love having (Gardner) as the leadoff hitter right now.”
*Brandon Laird was thrilled when he got to pinch hit for Jeter in the seventh — his first major-league plate appearance. Joey Devine’s first pitch went sailing behind the rookie’s back.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Laird said. “I was just standing there and I looked in the dugout, and the guys were like, ‘What’s going on?’ ”
Laird, the brother of Cardinals backup catcher Gerald Laird, ended up working out a walk. He stayed in the game to play third and was even more thrilled in the home eighth when he delivered an RBI single through the middle for that first big-league hit.
“It was awesome,” Laird said. “All the fans were cheering. I looked up at my family all excited. It was amazing.”
*Eric Chavez played seven innings at third Friday night in his fourth rehab game for Single-A Tampa and doubled in four at-bats. It was his second straight start at third.
*The AP reported that Marcus Thames worked out at the minor-league complex in Tampa Friday, and that the 34-year-old outfielder will report this coming week to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
*The Yankees have beaten Oakland 11 straight times and 24 times in the last 27 meetings.
“It’s been a long streak, but I’d hate to think that that gets in your head,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.
*The 17 runs marked the most the Yankees have scored at the new stadium.
Chavez made some really great plays at 3rd too. It was great to see someone who could competently play that base for once.
“Teixeira was dropped to fourth for just the second time. ”
Dropped into the clean-up spot? It’s not exactly a demotion. Or is it dropped in the literal sense? Line-up politics drive me crazy.
None of the lineup moves took any guts by Girardi. Tex moved into A-Rod’s spot, hardly a demotion. Cano is used to hitting 5th. Granderson moved into the middle of the order. And Jeter hit 2nd for years.
People are unhappy when we score 17 runs? Wow, tough crowd….
We’re lucky Tex didn’t pull a Jorge after being dumped into the four-spot.
Hey Tex, you know what really makes our lineup deeper? You getting hits!
Am I right, people??????
I don’t expect the lineup as configured to produce this proficiently. Cahill crapped the bed, and Cervelli was perfect today.
But, the “shakeup” mixed things up a bit. Sometimes little changes help a slumping team.
Still tickled about Laird’s night.
sammie,
Someone’s always unhappy. But they can’t drag all of us down…
Yep. I will take 17 runs, even if was the “lowly” A’s.
Poor outing by Hughes. In his defense, it was hot, there were some long innings with all the scoring by the Yankees, and pitching with a 14-2 lead he went more with his FB. .
The concern is this is a really weak hitting team, and on his first start on normal rest he had horrible command of his FB which was mainly at 91 mph. Makes you wonder if his arm is 100%.
Next up for him is Seattle, and if he struggles against them it is time to hit the panic button.
A rotation of CC, AJ, Colon, and Sanchez for the postseason? Not great, but it will have to do.
????????????????????????????????????????-
Who in the Hell is Sanchez?
_______________________________
Bring me the arm of Anibel Sanchez.
Or Freddy Garcia may have to do.
I don’t expect the lineup as configured to produce this proficiently. Cahill crapped the bed, and Cervelli was perfect today.
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yea definitely a combination of poor pitching in miserable conditions with the innate talent of the yankee lineup, still nice to see but Cashman should not be fooled. They need a bat.
yea definitely a combination of poor pitching in miserable conditions with the innate talent of the yankee lineup, still nice to see but Cashman should not be fooled. They need a bat.
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You don’t think the return of Arod will be enough of a bat?
You don’t think the return of Arod will be enough of a bat?
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A-rod will help when he comes back of course, the team really relies on him, but for the postseason I’d rather not have a below average catcher and DH.
Montero could solve both those issues without the need for a trade.
I would like to get A-rod, Montero, AND another bat.
Is Cervelli going to out hit Martin this year?
We need a bat ? ? Have Cash give Towers a call in AZ. Cody Ransom is batting .330 with 25 HR’s @ AAA. Some pop and a guy to play decent defense at 3B.
Adding him will also make out retread list grow. Thames, Mitre, Ransom…………etc………..
Cody! Cody!
Phil Hughes should now be at the last week of spring training final start mode and with better command of his pitches for his start next Wednesday.
He needs to trust using a changeup to keep hitters guessing and off balance.
I like the lineup last night against RHP for now….it does make the lineup deeper and it gets Garnder at extra AB up at the top. I would probably flip Cano and Tex but its not a huge issue…..Cano crushes LHP so the Lefty /righty thing doesn’t matter with him. Id leave it like that vs righties until Alex gets back and then evaluate how Derek is hitting RHP.
I also think Hughes should make his next start but if he’s not better then at some point they may have to face the reality that he may just not get it back completely this year……and consider going with Nova or Noesi in his place.
Does Hughes even have an option left?
I don’t think they can send him to AAA without a DL stint.
If he doesn’t have an option left, I really hope Cashman is open to trading him. Sell low on Hughes. Buy low on Rasmus. There’s not much else you can do with Hughes if he throws another stinker and you want to start Nova in his place?
Send him to the pen again?
Haven’t we already seen enough of that between Joba and Hughes?
Cut bait.
I’ve said this for awhile but I really like Noesi…..if he pitched with the stuff he’s shown in the big leagues in the minors then Im a little surprised we haven’t heard more about him. He doesn’t have true plus secondary stuff but that can still develop and it is still good enough to change eyelevels and to get guys off his low-mid 90s heater.
I think scouts sometimes get caught up too much in a guys individual pitches instead of the package as a whole and that its possible that thats the case here…..a guy that doesn’t have a truly outstanding pitch but is a good pitcher nonetheless because he knows how to use and play those pitches off one another……he looks like a future #3 starter to me and potentially even better if he could tighten his breaking ball and learn to use his change more. He pounds the zone and.challenges hitters……hang on to this guy.
I like Noesi too but you get the feeling that one of Noesi/Nova will be traded.
The guy they should move is Hughes.
I’d even trade Hughes to the Royals for Melky Cabrera.
Bret,
That’s selling way low for a 4th outfielder…..of those 3 I would much rather trade Nova than the other 2.
Adding him will also make our retread list grow. Thames, Mitre, Ransom, Melky, Betemit…………etc………..how about N.Johnson, Proctor and Gaudin too.
Blake,
How do you figure Melky is a 4th OF?
He’s 8th in the AL in Total Bases, only 2 TB’s behind Robinson Cano.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/b.....order/true
To put that in perspective. Our starting LF is 57th on that list.
Melky is FOURTH in the AL in Total Hits. You’re going to have a tough time convincing me that a player who ranks 4th in total hits in the AL is a bench player on ANY team.
Melky is hitting .298 and he’s on pace for 20 HR’s, 93 RBI’s.
You could easily start Melky in RF and DH Swisher.
Melky is a clear upgrade over Posada.
Bret,
Because he was so bad last year he barely found a job…..I agree with what you said about it probably being an upgrade over what they have if it means Swisher moves to DH…..but thy aren’t giving Melky away and Im not sure it would be worth what they’d ask and certainly nit worth Hughes.
But forget about Melky for a second and think about this scenario. Hughes throws another stinker with the same junk he’s been trotting out there. AAA changeup, low 90′s fastball with little movement and a curve ball that floats more than Dolly Parton in a swimming pool…
Let’s say Nova’s start against the Orioles is a good one.
What do you do with Phil Hughes?
You can’t send him to AAA because he’s out of options.
You already DL’d him to get him time in the minors only to rush him back.
You’ve already bounced him between the rotation and the pen and back again.
I think you have to trade him. I think you have to sell at a loss. Otherwise, how are you going to promote arms like Nova and Noesi who truly deserve the opportunity.
You could also start Montero over Posada and upgrade the position offensively wihout trading anyone. If they could get Melky cheaply then id be all for it……but Im not giving up much for him.
Bret,
Is Hughes out of options? Im not sure about that…..I don’t know what they do with him but you don’t trade a 25 year old with his talent at the rock bottom point of their value……those are the type of deals that come back to haunt you. (See Masterson and many others……Scherzer , Dan Haren, etc….)
Blake,
I’m pretty sure he’s out of options which is why the Yankees DL’d him earlier in the year instead of optioning him to Scranton.
Hughes doesn’t have Masterson’s stuff. He doesn’t have Haren’s stuff either.
Hughes has great stuff when he’s right…..the Sox gave up on Masterson and the Dbacks dealt low on Haren as well…..that’s the point.
Also, Hughes may be out of options …..im really not sure but they would have out him oj the DL anyway even if he wasn’t to.avoid burning one. You just aren’t going to see Hughes get dealt for Melky Cabrera…..
Bret,
He has one option left I believe according to an article in the Post from April…..Im onnmy phone so can’t link it
And Axisa said in a RAB article from July 5 that he counted that he had 2 options left.
There is legit concern about Hughes, but trading him now makes zero sense. He’s too good to dump at the lowest point in his young career. Let’s remember he just turned 25 a month ago.
I do think we may be looking at a Papelbon situation here where a guy is just physically better suited to pitch shorter stints out of the pen. Papelbon came up through the system as a starter but some physical issues led the Sawx to conclude he would hold up better as a reliever.
As for another bat… Chavez next week and Alex in may 2 weeks will liven up the offense. Swisher is having his best stretch of the season and that helps too. Jorge, unfortunately seems to be completely spent…. 8-for his last-50 (.160), 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI
From a July 5th Mike Axisa RAB’s article:
Hughes has two minor league options left by my count, but one would not be burned in this situation because he won’t remain in the minors for the 20 days needed to use an option.
86,
It really pains me to say it but I also think Jorge’s gas tank light is on…..I really wish he could still catch and assume a Varitek like role….but he just hasn’t hit all year aside from that little hot stretch after Posadagate. DH is by far the easiest spot from them to upgrade at and they probably need to do either internally or via trade…….then have a huge Jorge Posada appreciation day towards the end of the season where fans can show their gratitude for his career.
Nobody is trading Phil Hughes.
There were some mitigating factors last night. Even if he doesn’t make it all the way “back” this year, he’ll not be traded, & certainly not during the 2011 season. Nova & Noesi’s presence is really quite the life jacket. We’re fortunate we’ve got this kind of depth. I wouldn’t mind in the least seeing DJ Mitchell get a chance, although that’s remote. The best scenario is that Hughes progresses some more and Nova gets healthy soon.
Hughes is simply not the power pitcher he was previously. His fastball is 90-91, and if it is near the middle of the plate it gets hammered. This is a pitcher that lives off his fastball.
I am surely no expert, but I have worked with kid pitchers, and Hughes fastball looks like the fastball of one who is opening up too soon. That causes the pitch to sail and lose velocity. I sure hope it is mechanical because Hughes will not succeed unless he can get his fastball above league average. Right now it is at or below it.
Hughes can live at 92-94 when he has life on the ball and his curveball is on…..he really can’t pitch at 90-91 with his current arsenal. If he can’t beat guys with the heater then he has problems. He may never get all the way back this year……but that doesn’t mean you trade him when his stock is way down. Pitchers can turn things around …..and sometimes can do so quickly
The start Hughes makes next Wednesday is his last before the trading deadline. Not saying he goes in a deal but he being pushed by Nova & Noesi.
Teams are going to start asking for Noesi soon in deals if they haven’t already…..and Id tell them no unless its a really good player coming back.
interested to see how Warren does in his mlb debut a week from now.
Ravael Santana continues to amaze in GCL
Loved Noesi last night. I’m starting to believe the few of you who have been saying for awhile that he has starter stuff. His ball has some great movement.
Obviously, didn’t love Hughes last night. Really don’t want to waste words other than let’s see what he does next week. The fact that Nova got demoted and then gets a freak injury at AAA is really starting to tick me off more than it did before. But the organization is committed to Hughes. One step forward. Two steps back.
It was about the time the offense showed up like that and against a good pitcher. I just hope that isn’t the requisite double digit output game and then they go back into the black hole they were in.
I actually do think that now they are home they are going to hit better. I also loved Girardi’s lineup construction last night. Jeter seemed to fit better in the old 2 spot and Grandy and Tex felt like they were also in the right places. Maybe Tex doesn’t like hitting 3? I think Joe should give him a long stint in the cleanup spot and see how he fares.
Still can’t say enough about Noesi and how he impressed me. To some of my prospect huggers “pals” on here I’ll give you the props you deserve for trumpeting Nova and Noesi over the years. These guys are major league pitchers with serious talent who deserve to be here.
I think the Yankees problem isn’t developing pitchers. It’s developing pitchers with high expectations. The low expectation guys seem to come up here and develop and get better while the high expectation guys flounder. Robertsen wasn’t a high expectation guy. Melancon was. If you think about it, the hype seems to be the kiss of death here. I hope that ends.
Blake, totally agree on Jorge. One of the five greatest catchers in Yankees history (Dickey, Berra, Howard, Munson) but it’s sad to watch this.
I would definitely move Hughes to the pen before dealing him. If he can find his best stuff for 20-30 pitches at a time he can be a force out there as he once was before.
If Hughes pitches anything like yesterday in his next start, it will be his last until and unless he regain velocity. Their will be no choice.
I haven’t seen Koroda pitch much. Can he help? He certainly isn’t overpowering, but good location can certainly succeed.
Dante Jr has been killing the ball lately…..maybe the Yanks did know what thy were doing with that pick after all. It is the GCL but still impressive.
Hughes next start is against the Mariners and King Felix on Wednesday, a day game. The Mariners are last in AL in BA, OB%, RBI’s. Their offense is worse than the A’s who are also at the bottom.
If Hughes has another rough outing I hope he’s sent down. Nova when he comes off the DL will likely be up to pitch Saturday in one of the Oriole DH games, 1 day before the trading deadline.
Banuelos had a rough outing last night.
So based on what they saw from Hughes last night, does Cashman soon trade for another starter, or wait till the last minute?
Banuelos hasn’t pitched well for awhile now. I heard his blister recurred, but I don’t know if that is a factor. His timetable has slowed until he can stop walking too many.
Developing pitchers on the MLB level is all about patience. Some come in and excel right away, but most need time to develop and the Yankees never seem to have that time, especially with starters.
Coming into the season I wanted the Yanks to sign Garcia (had no clue about Colon) and let Nova have a spot in the rotation. It now seems that Hughes issues are physical and starting may not be his long term role. Garrison out, Hughes to the pen and Nova to the rotation makes the pitching staff better, does it not?
Noesi has been marvelous. Gives the Yanks a very deep pen the way he, Ayala and Wade have performed. One of them would likely have to be part of any significant trade package. I just don’t see the Yanks making a major move since they are trying to hold on to all the best trade chips — Banuelos, Betances, Romine, Montero, Nova and Noesi chief among them.
Nova when he comes off the DL will likely be up to pitch Saturday in one of the Oriole DH games, 1 day before the trading deadline.
***********
Looks like it might be Adam Warren instead.
I haven’t seen Koroda pitch much. Can he help? He certainly isn’t overpowering, but good location can certainly succeed.
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I haven’t either. He gets terrible run support from the Dodgers, <3runs/game.
You can look at his last 10 games pitched:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/.....oki-kuroda
Rumors per MLBTR are that he doesn't want to come east and might invoke his NTC. Will $$$ change his mind. He is a FA. Did hear that the Tigers are in trade discussions for him.
To get a significant starter the Yanks would probably have to part with a package that includes a catcher (Montero/Romine), an MLB reliever (Noesi/Wade), a AAA starter (Warren/Nova) and a AA starter (Betances/Banuelos).
I don’t see Kuroda as much of an upgrade and he does not want to pitch in the East. Is that package enough/not enough/too much for Ubaldo Jimenez? I’d be really torn about it, but I probably make that deal.
86w183 July 23rd, 2011 at 8:56 am
I would definitely move Hughes to the pen before dealing him. If he can find his best stuff for 20-30 pitches at a time he can be a force out there as he once was before.
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The big question is will Hughes regain the 4-5 mph[94-95] to allow him to regularly strike out the batter on the high heater, a pitch that made him one of the 2 best set-up relievers[Thornton the other] in the AL in 2009??
We have to remember than Banuelos is 20 years old…..a little struggle period will be a learning experience for him…..the blister is likely contributing to the contol issues.
I don’t see Kuroda as much of an upgrade — especially if they have to bribe him to come.
Dunno is Hughes can get back to top gas out of the pen, but they can’t keep sending him out there with the results he’s getting and the stuff he has/doesn’t have.
Last night was really depressing because Oakland is one of the worst hitting teams in the American League.
One of Hughes biggest issues coukd have been the fact that he never struggled much in the minors…..he blew right through and was never forced to adapt or develop some of the things that coukd help him in the bigs…..just a guess.
No thanks on Kuroda…..he wants to stay on the west coast…..I.don’t want any reluctant or unhappy campers in a pennant race. Get a 1a ace to go with CC or nothing at all and work on the offense.
No rumors on Jimenez lately. Do the Yankees still need a #2 or is Colon that guy? If they don’t and are still interested in a starter, then a #4 at this point would be a possible upgrade to Hughes.
I think if you make a decision to take Hughes out of the rotation you have to send him down to SWB…..maybe even lower and start from scratch building him as a starting pitcher. Identity the problems areas and take the time to fix them the right way……no.more bandaids or quick fixes. They can’t keep shuttling guys back and forth between the rotation and bullpen……so unless they decide to.make him a reliever that’s what thy need to do IMO if they lot to remove him from the rotation at some point.
Yes, the Yankees need a no. 2 type starter, but I do not see it happening. After looking at his stats, he is pretty good, but I question he is a significant upgrade.
I find myself agreeing with Blake this morning on most of his points including getting a bat if no quality starter is available.
Now, I need to reflect whether Blake has gotten smarter or I have.
Trader,
I think that unless they can get a frontline guy that they should stand pat on the pitching front and look to upgrade other areas. They have depth in #3-5 type starters so I don’t see the point in making a trade for another one.
Austinmac,
If you’re agreeing with me then its possible you have gotten dumber
I would at least call the Dodgers about Matt Kemp……he’s only got one.more year on his deal and they are going nowhere…..the ownership thing is an issue though and MLB may not want to decrease their value by trading off assets.
“July hasn’t been kind to me,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully this will get me going. … Left-handed I haven’t been feeling good the last month.”
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That homerun would likely have been a double off the wall in any other park. Your overall BA was worse in June-.213. It’s currently .221 against righties and the shift. 17 of your 26 homers were hit in YS. It’s all or nothing batting from the left side. Are you told to just stick to being a pull hitter?
From inquiring minds!
Hughes looked good in his last outing, not good this time out. But it’s all about “what have you done for me lately” right?
It takes time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get his velocity back this year. Might just have to wait until next year for the next step..
Now, I need to reflect whether Blake has gotten smarter or I have.
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It looks like dumb, dumber and dumbest[me] are the only ones left this morning. Are we “talking to the four walls/”
The problem is Hughes’ stuff is so poor – both last night and in Cleveland, he had zero swing and miss stuff. That’s almost imossible to conceive -60 FB and not one swing and miss. Forget velocity – there’s no life on his pitches. At this point, I’m concerned enough to send him back down to the minors. His curveball is obviously a work in progress-the frustrating thing is that, like with his curve all the time, it’s so inconsistent……it’s not a reliable pitch.
Can’t see MLB letting the Dodgers do anything meaningful, but it can’t hurt to ask now can it?
Would love to get a top flight starter, but keep in mind the price tag is almost certainly going to be Nova, Noesi, Banuelos/Betances and Montero/Romine. Not sure Ubaldo is worth all that, but if they would take Nova, Romine, Warren and Laird I’d do it
“It looks like dumb, dumber and dumbest[me] are the only ones left this morning. Are we “talking to the four walls/”
Which one is MTU then though…..he’s not even here
Blake, Phil Hughes doesn’t compare at all to Scherzer and Haren……….at some point (not yet, but I think that will arrive sometime next year), the Yankees have to wonder how good he is, how talented he really is. At some point – not necessarily now. It’s not so much about selling low on him it’s that: who wants him? He has absolutely no trade value. If the Yankees ever shop him, I’m guessing it would almost make Hughes less desirable because other teams would have to start wondering why the Yankees would be getting rid of him. That is to say, if the Yankees were giving up on him, other teams must wonder why they should take a chance on him……
Betsy-
Good morning. He got a couple of strikeouts on the curveball, which at times looked good. His lack of velocity, command and movement on the fastball was a killer, especially against the 2nd worst offense in AL, Seattle, his next opponent, being the worst.
Betsy,
You’re looking how.how those guys are pitching now and not when they were dealt……the point was to not sell low on guys.
86, I’ve thought for awhile that Hughes is perhaps better suited for the pen, but that was mostly because he’s been unable to develop any kind of repertoire. Physically, though, I think he may also be suited. Despite being 6’5, he’s not particularly durable and his velocity generally diminshes after just a few innings. I think it’s too early, though – the only time I see the Yankees putting him in the pen is when they make the decision that he is not going to be part of their future. At that point, they might do the pen thing to just get something out of him. A lot depends on how the younger pitchers are coming along.
YT,
I prefer to describe our discussion as think tank. Of course, no one else would.
On the other hand, Cashman may have learned he needs to acquire a great pitcher and/or hitter without giving up much.
Blake, those guys always had tremendous talent. Whatever Phil was in the minors, that was a long time ago. I don’t see this tremendous talent that you do, admittedly. I see a guy that, when right, could be a decent reliable starter…….but even then, getting to that point would take an awful lot of work.
Any comments on my earlier post. Does the resurgence of the offense last night, make Cashman less reluctant to pull the trigger for a bat?
“July hasn’t been kind to me,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully this will get me going. … Left-handed I haven’t been feeling good the last month.”
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That homerun would likely have been a double off the wall in any other park. Your overall BA was worse in June-.213. It’s currently .221 against righties and the shift. 17 of your 26 homers were hit in YS. It’s all or nothing batting from the left side. Are you told to just stick to being a pull hitter?
From inquiring minds!
Blake, even the pen thing – even if they did that this year, I’m not sure his stuff is good enough so that he’d be close to what he was for most (not all) of his pen stint in 2009. No life is no life………..whether as a starter or reliever.
Betsy,
What you’re seeing out there now and at the end of last year isn’t representative of Hughes’s talent level……he’s very talented but being very talented doesn’t make you a good big league pitcher…..we still.have to wait and see.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
Hughes isn’t the only guy on there to regress this year.
YT, good morning!
I agree with Blake that if the Yankees do remove Phil from the rotation, it should be permanent as to this year – he should be sent to the minors to be reworked. That’s assuming they are truly committed to him………..
Well it sure looks like he wont start in the post-season and his career numbers can’t be ignored.
63 starts — 26-19, 5.04 1.386 WHIP, 7.1 K/9
46 relief —- 6-1, 1.35, .0825 WHIP, 11.5 K/9
He averages just over 5 1/3 innings per start…. i
I his last 19 starts he’s pitcher a total of 92 innings which is less than 4 innings per start.
Blake, I don’t agree with most of that, but I do agree that being talented doesn’t equate to being good.
blake July 23rd, 2011 at 9:53 am
Betsy,
What you’re seeing out there now and at the end of last year isn’t representative of Hughes’s talent level……he’s very talented but being very talented doesn’t make you a good big league pitcher…..we still.have to wait and see.
———
Phil dominated the Twins in the playoffs. But never mind that.
Should the Phillies have given up on Hamels in 2009 after he regressed? Thrown him in the pen, dumped him in AAA, or traded him?
I’m not going to jump ship on Hughes…..he may never develop into what I think he could be but at 25 he still has a chance to and that’s what I’m going to hold on to.
In those 19 starts (final 13 last year, 6 this) his ERA is 6.65
Radio Kev, he was brutal against the Rangers, but never mind that.
Gotta go. If you comment on my Teixeira post, I’ll pick it up later. Last night’s game hopefully will not preclude Cashman getting another bat. It doesn’t have to be a homerun hitter. I’d be happy with someone who could start a rally, and win games by hitting with RISP. I’d also like to see Montero catching 3x/week for an evertiring and beat-up Martin and DH’ing the rest of the time. HOF players have retired during the season!!
Everyone was brutal against the Rangers…..
Blake, I don’t see how that’s relevant at all…..
Hughes was great against the Twins, but it was three weeks after his last start.
It reinforces my growing belief that he may not be physically up to the rigors of being a starter.
Last year his first 16 starts he averaged 6.75 innings with a 3.42 ERA
In his last 13 starts he averaged 5.1 innings with a 5.56 ERA
Post season, great with lots of rest vs Minnesota, awful with less than a week vs Texas
Trader,
I really don’t know…..I think they should add a bat but without knowing the prices that teams are asking its hard to say if they should actually pull the trigger or not.
Unless Tex changes some things mechanically this is.going to likely be what he is…..a very streaky hitter with power that will slump badly from time to time. That’s not a terrible thing as he can still provide a lot of value……he just shouldn’t be the focal point of a good lineup vs RHP. He’s an elite level hitter from the right side.
Cano is DHing today and Nunez is at 2nd.
Betsy,
Its relevant because Texas got crazy hot in that series….it just wasn’t meant to be.
Brett Gardner, 7
Derek Jeter, 6
Curtis Granderson, 8,
Mark Teixeira, 3
Robinson Cano, DH
Nick Swisher, 9
Russell Martin, 2
Eduardo Nunez, 4
Brandon Laird, 5
That’s interesting GB
Go laird
Our friend MTU says Hughes should spend the winter at a fitness facility. I agree. I do recall the titters over his physique in the spring.
If he can regain his velocity, he will again be very effective. If he does not regain it, he must reinvent himself. A 90 mph straight fastball cannot be the centerpiece of one’s pitching arsenal.
blake July 23rd, 2011 at 10:06 am
Everyone was brutal against the Rangers…..
——-
Yup, Hughes was the least of their problem in that series. Also the rotation hand a longer layover than the Rangers did.
Harden should be an interesting pitcher to watch. Really a pity because at one time, he had as much talent as any pitcher in baseball. Injuries killed his career.
Cut bait with Hughes. Move him to pen n salvage his season
There you go. Let’s score some runs here, Grandy man!