Cashman defends Burnett (updated with more from the GM)
Posted by: Brian Heyman - Posted in Misc on Aug 12, 2011 
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Brian Cashman just gave an impassioned defense of A.J. Burnett, saying the public outcry over the quality of his pitching doesn’t match the reality of how he has pitched and that it’s being fueled because of Burnett’s $82.5 million contract.
”We’ve got six guys who are capable of pitching in a rotation in a pennant race,” Cashman said. ”That’s a good thing. Someone is going to have to go and we’re going to make that decision. But this stuff about A.J. Burnett is worthy of being ripped from the rotation is a bunch of crap.”
Cashman said Burnett, who is winless in his last seven starts, can still help as a starter.
“I think he’s being treated differently publicly because he has money attached,” Cashman said. “So forgive him for saying yes to the contract. If you want to blame somebody for his contract, blame me.
“But the man can still pitch. The man is a starter. He can still help us significantly.”
The GM will be in on the rotation decision with Girardi. Does this sound good for Hughes’ chance to stay in the rotation considering how well Ivan Nova has been pitching? We’ll see the outcome of all this soon enough.
LOL an impassioned defense? Seriously – is Cashman a trial lawyer? Does he really think this signing is being questioned because people have nothing better to do? He’s not defending AJ really, he’s defending himself. This started in ST when he chose to slight Soriano by saying that he didn’t want him in the first place.
I don’t think AJ has been bad enough to be removed from the rotation – he’s been mediocre, though – but a bunch of crap? Jeez, this guy needs to calm down. It’s interesting how he doesn’t defend Hughes, who while I am skeptical about, IS still coming back from an injury. What is that about?
Betsy August 12th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Bret, I don’t think they will get anything for him. It would take a long time to get his trade value to the point where you could get something decent, so IMO, they will put him in the pen in the hopes that his two pitches will be sufficient. It has yet to be determined whether he can ever maintain velocity as a starter…….
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I don’t think they will be able to trade him either. My point is only that Phil’s going to AAA regardless of their view of how he fits. If he’s in the long-term plan, he needs innings in AAA. If he’s not in the long term plan, he needs to be advertised as a starter so they can at least attempt to salvage some value on him. I’m not sure which way they will go or if they have made a final decision about where he fits but I think he can convince them to stick with him if he pitches well down there. It will be interesting to see if he survives the winter or if he gets Ian Kennedy’d.
It’s all so simple. They are spinning it. Hughes goes down, in a nice way.
Personally Im convinced AJ has just had bad luck…… come on Cash……nobody is buying that spin.
“It’s interesting how he doesn’t defend Hughes, who while I am skeptical about, IS still coming back from an injury. What is that about?”
I think the fact that he tried to peddle him off to Colorado and portrayed him as a “my problem for yours” type deal speaks to what they think about him currently.
Also, Cash has something invested in AJ because he gave him all that money and Cash doesn’t want to look bad, so he is trying to diffuse AJ’s mediocre performance.
And I want to reiterate another key factor in their decision to put him in AAA is that they feel rotation insurance is far more important than bullpen help. Rafael Soriano has relieved all fears in that department. The rest of those arms are performing big time.
There is absolutely no point in putting Phil in the pen and risking a rotation situation where Colon or Garcia gets injured and Hughes is not stretched out.
So for the good of the team, he’s going to AAA as starter insurance.
If he’s in the long term plan, he’s going to AAA to be stretched as a starter.
If he’s a trade candidate, he’s going to AAA to be advertised as a starter.
Plus they’re not going to bounce him back and forth from the pen to the rotation like they did with Joba.
He’s going to AAA.
Bret, the AAA season is over in 2 or 3 weeks, so while that’s where I think he should go, it’s not like being sent down there is going to help him much.
I don’t think he’s guaranteed anything in 2012 – he might want to come into camp next year in good shape and with another pitch because there will be other youngsters who want that spot
Good for Cashman. And you bet your bottom dollar this is all fueled by the amount of the contract.
I’m down with whatever happens. I’m also big on waiting to see what happens instead of worrying about what may happen. The people running the Yankees get the big bucks to make the decisions. I’m nothing more than a wide-eyed fan pleased to be rooting for my favorite team, win, lose or draw.
GO YANKEES!!!
AJ and Phil will still be pitching against each other for a potential playoff start.
They both might not get it.
As it stands right now it’s CC Nova Colon and Freddy ….
AJ is still in the rotation with a brutal haristyle unless he pitches or dyes himself off it.
EA, absolutely – they were willing to trade him for a pitcher they couldn’t even be certain was healthy. It didn’t surprise me, though, because Cashman had been making public comments about Phil that indicated he’d had enough of him
tomingeorgia, I always feel so uplifted when you’re here and posting.
Nothing like a kindred spirit!
Bret, he’s going to be in the pen come playoff time – and I don’t think he’s even going to AAA now. I don’t even know why the Yankees are bothering to start him tomorrow …….
Didn’t realize how good Kennedy has been this year – 14-3 with a 3.20 ERA and almost 8 Ks per 9. Over 5-1 K/BB ratio.
Also didn’t realize Arizona is in first place.
Cash is doing what’s good for the team in spite of what some conspiracy theorists say.
# Betsy August 12th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Bret, he’s going to be in the pen come playoff time – and I don’t think he’s even going to AAA now. I don’t even know why the Yankees are bothering to start him tomorrow …….
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Now your hair is on fire!
Nothing wrong with what Cashman said. I don’t think he’s the one that needs to calm down.
Betsy August 12th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Bret, the AAA season is over in 2 or 3 weeks, so while that’s where I think he should go, it’s not like being sent down there is going to help him much.
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In 3 weeks he could see 5 starts. That should be 40 innings that he needs before September callups.
And I agree he’s going to have to fight for a rotation spot in 2012…IF he manages to survive the winter. They could sell low on him like they did with Ian Kennedy. Kennedy was a complimentary piece to the Granderson deal. Austin Jackson was the gem of that deal. So Hughes could be a complimentary piece in a trade. But they will probably stick with him because the pitching market is so thin. There’s always a chance Hughes could rebound and that 2010 second half and 2011 was just a dead arm period due to his use in the pen in 2009.
“I don’t even know why the Yankees are bothering to start him tomorrow …….”
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Because if he comes out throwing bb’s and fires seven shutout innings, you can bet they’ll find room for him.
Does anyone actually think if Hughes looks like he did in his last start that he’s going to be sent to the pen or AAA?
No way.
As far as I’m concerned there’s still a very good chance that Nova goes back to AAA over the weekend.
This talk about him shaping up as the number two playoff starter is absolute nonsense.
Until he shows he can miss bats and not walk guys with any kind of consistency, he’s still a back end prospect.
Furthermore, they know he’s capable of going down, keeping stretched out, and staying focused.
There’s no reason why they wouldn’t or shouldn’t do it again.
If Hughes starts to look like crap again or Burnett really falters, he’s one call away from being back in New York.
trisha,
Nice to see you again, and I agree. Parsing every at-bat, every inning, thinking of “what ifs”, tires me out. I hope Phil is lights out tomorrow, but I actually have a contest to watch tonight, Go Yankees!
2 weeks left in the AAA season, hmmmmm….sounds like ol Phil will be back in Sept., yathink?
Sorry about the repost.
“Cash is doing what’s good for the team in spite of what some conspiracy theorists say.”
Always. But for some people taking the most direct root is apparently boring!
“Didn’t realize how good Kennedy has been this year – 14-3 with a 3.20 ERA and almost 8 Ks per 9. Over 5-1 K/BB ratio.”
You wonder whether the pace in Arizona is such that Kennedy was able to realize his potential, where the pressure in NY can get to the best of them. No way to know the answer, of course, but there is no question that some players thrive out of the limelight while others seem to crave it!
Betsy August 12th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Bret, he’s going to be in the pen come playoff time – and I don’t think he’s even going to AAA now. I don’t even know why the Yankees are bothering to start him tomorrow …….
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He is going to AAA because
1)The Yankees need insurance for the rotation above pen help
2)Hughes needs innings for his development
3)Assuming they’re not going to develop him, Hughes needs to be advertised as a starter
AAA written all over him.
tomingeorgia, happy to read it again! Positive reinforcement.
Bret, I hope they send him down, but I doubt it.’
G-C, something is completely wrong if Nova is sent down – and I don’t think he will be.
m is right again…
G-C August 12th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
As far as I’m concerned there’s still a very good chance that Nova goes back to AAA over the weekend.
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I’d say there’s a better chance Nova is the Game 2 starter than that scenario.
He shouldn’t start game 2, but he’s pitching at a high level. I’d rather have him not miss bats and get the job done then occasionally miss bats and not get the job done. Nova isn’t going anywhere – he’ll likely be the 4th starter in the playoffs.
Cashman is just sticking up for his player. What do you expect him to say? (Well, okay, given some of Cashman’s rather bizarre public comments over the past year, this question may not be so easily answered — but still…)
Even if you forget AJ’s horrendous 2010 (10-15, 5.26), he has been pretty bad this year, overall. A 4.60 era is an improvement over last year, but what wouldn’t be? He gives up too many home runs, is way too wild, and is completely untrustworthy with any kind of lead.
As for Cashman trying to use the contract as a shield for Burnett, saying that’s the reason people are so fed up with AJ, it’s funny, because if it weren’t for the contract, AJ would have been gone a long time ago, just based on his performance.
Ian Kennedy is one of the best pitchers in baseball.
There’s not five or six pitchers in the NL I’d take over him long term.
You never, never look back on a deal in which you can get a generational talent like Curtis Granderson, but Kennedy is a case study in caution for this organization when it comes to eschewing its best pitching prospects.
now nova might get sent down betcy take your meds…
“I’d say there’s a better chance Nova is the Game 2 starter than that scenario.”
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Then as far as I’m concerned this organization doesn’t have a clue what its doing.
G-C, what exactly has Phil done to make you so confident that right now he is better than Nova?
he’ll likely be the 4th starter in the playoffs.
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that’s your opinion and you are entitled but i don’t think you should ever put money on most of the things you say
“As far as I’m concerned there’s still a very good chance that Nova goes back to AAA over the weekend.”
Girardi already confirmed Nova’s spot.
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/.....um=twitter
# G-C August 12th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
“I’d say there’s a better chance Nova is the Game 2 starter than that scenario.”
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Then as far as I’m concerned this organization doesn’t have a clue what its doing.
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Just be glad betty isn’t running it…
Burnett will also be in the pen come playoff time because he is not getting a start unless the yankees have no choice.
I just hope they send hughes to aaa instead of the pen.
I don’t care how smart trishia thinks cashman is.there is no justifying putting hughes in the pen when they do not have to & at the expense of burnett.
They need to keep developing hughes til they no for sure he won’t be a decent starter because of what hughes can potentially be.
They do not need him in the pen.
I can’t wait til hughes pitches a gem tomorrow & the yankees can’t make a decision because i feel like that is exactly what is going to happen.
GC,
Joe already said Nova is in the rotation to stay on Wednesday BEFORE his LAA start.
If they flip flop AGAIN based off one start, it shows the Yankees have no idea how to handle young pitching. They screwed around with Hughes because of one good start by Nova in Chicago (when Hughes also had a good start as well) and now they will screw around with Nova based off one good start by Hughes?
They need to stop making 1-game snap judgements and make a decision. Then again, the fact that AJ is in the rotation over both of them and Cashman doesn’t want to look bad speaks to their priorities.
expense of hughes,i meant.
Cashman is doing what is good for the team if he makes decisions based on potential performance as well as demonstrated performance.
How many of you feel confident when AJ takes the mound? Enough said.
In 4/5 starts since his return Hughes has been at least passable, two of these he has been very good. Only 1 of his starts was Hughes garwas he sheer garbage.
When was the last time AJ won a game? Enough said on that point too.
Cashman would have been better off saying the competition was between Nova and Hughes instead of playing the fans as fools in saying it was a competition between Burnette and Hughes.
Hughes last started a game 11 days ago. He and Girardi damn well know it is difficult for a pitcher to be sharp under those circumstances so NY stacked the deck against Hughes in favor of a pitcher who is as unreliable as they come.
This whole competition is a fraud, do what you have to do but don’t play people for fools Cashman!
Lots of fans taking this really hard. Hughes has talent. It’s up to him to rediscover it. It’s very likely the Yankees won’t get decent offers for him and it’s also possible that Hughes low innings total in 2009 when he pitched out of the pen caught up with him mid-season 2010 and has continued through this season. I’d say they need to re-teach him the slider when he goes to AAA. Go for broke.
I agree. The Yankees made their announcement too soon. Painted themselves into a corner so to speak. But we have a lot of pitching. That’s good!
Yankees21, they did stack the deck against him……..but this competition is a sham anyway
Bret, FYI – they gave Phil permission to use the slider awhile ago; he tried it and it was a bad pitch for him so he stopped.
One other point and I will shut up about this HughesBurnette gate affair…
I hope Phil goes out tomorrow and smokes TB, pitching like a 2 hit gem.
Then I will love to see the look on Girardi’s and Cashman’s face in their spin how they still think it is best for the team and for Phil that he go to the BP and AJ continue to try to work things out in the rotation.
Ok Cashman………..
eboland11 Quote of the day from Cashman: “If you smoke the objective pipe, I think the coverage on him [A.J.] will be a little bit more accurate.”
i think the yankees have to ask themselves what are the chances that both garcia and colon will be healthy for the next 6 weeks with the increased innings that they are having this year.
i would put hughes in triple a to be ready at a moments notice to replace anyone that needs replacing.
it’s not a demotion. it’s taking one for the team.
I feel like Mitre’s peformance has been blown out of proportion…..he’s really not been that bad…..bad luck I say.
Dennis the Menace stays in the rotation!
Cashman is either an idiot, or a liar, or both.
It’s completely hypocritical and disingenuous of him to claim that fans are hard on AJ because of his contract. It’s because he stinks. And the only reason that he’s still in the rotation is his contract. If he were making a million a year, he’d be gone.
But apparently Cashman would rather save face than win.
If all Hughes can give me is 2 pitches, then he’s out. Learn the slider or bust. The changeup is obviously not happening. Same goes for the cutter. Those 2 are show-me pitches, not out pitches. Give me the old fastball with late movement, the tight curve and bring me a slider.
Maybe if Cashman would smoke the quiet pipe this wouldn’t be a big deal………
“G-C, what exactly has Phil done to make you so confident that right now he is better than Nova?”
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A lot of that will depend on tomorrow.
IF he indeed comes out throwing BBs like he did against Chicago, there’s absolutely no justification for taking him out of the rotation for Nova.
Has Ivan done a nice job? Absolutely. Do I like the kid? Absolutely. But Hughes has earned his stripes, contrary to what you would think by hanging out around here. This isn’t some uberprospect with no track record of major league success that would be sticking around simply on his name’s merit. He’s been an all star caliber major leaguer for two full seasons in the bigs and has quietly developed quite a bit of October experience along the way.
The chances that Nova continues to make progress with his slider and develops into a guy that can get some swings and misses and not entirely rely on his defense are just as tenuous as the chances that Hughes continues to maintain his velocity and throw the ball with conviction.
Phil has given up 2 runs or less in 4 of his 5 starts since coming off the DL. Yet he gets crapped on for making starts like the one he made against Seattle (6 innings, 9 hits, 2 earned runs) when those are largely the type of starts Nova’s been throwing all year long. If it had been Hughes on the mound for Nova’s last start can you imagine the uproar around here? 3 earned runs in 6 innings, 3 walks and NOT A SINGLE strikeout?
Betsy, had Phil turned in that start you respectfully have to admit you’d be killing him and advocating for him to be removed from the rotation.
Its all matter of managing expectations. Phil at his best is a whole lot better than Ivan Nova and even when he’s not throwing the ball particularly well, as he didn’t against Seattle, is still basically his equal.
Phil hasn’t done anything to lose his job. And I haven’t seen a compelling argument that indicates to me whatsoever that he should.
randy l. August 12th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
i think the yankees have to ask themselves what are the chances that both garcia and colon will be healthy for the next 6 weeks with the increased innings that they are having this year.
i would put hughes in triple a to be ready at a moments notice to replace anyone that needs replacing.
it’s not a demotion. it’s taking one for the team.
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It’s so obvious that I almost can’t give you credit for being 100% CORRECT.
Does Cashman realize that there are only 7 pitchers in the AL who qualify, who have a HIGHER ERA than Burnett?
He has been literately one of the worst pitchers in the AL this year. This isn’t the pinball era anymore. There are like 40 pitchers with an ERA under 3. Having a 4.60 ERA these days is well below mediocre.
Yanks78- I’m sure he realizes this, if he doesn’t it would be unimaginable…
What I think is the problem is he thinks the average fan doesn’t know this or doesn’t care so he can just say anything to the mindless media and not get called on it.
Seriously, anyone who thinks Nova should be sent down needs their head examined.
If actual performance is any factor, Nova not only stays, but is the #2 starter on the team. He has pitched extremely well, has shown great stuff, control and command. What more could he do to prove to anyone that he belongs? Throw complete game shutouts every single game he pitches?
I didn’t read anything that appeared to be etched in stone.
ron, I’m not taking sides in the issue, I’m simply saying that I have faith that the Yankees know far better than this forum knows how to run its organizaition. They have a lot more information at their fingertips than we do, and there are things, I’m sure, they know that we will never be told.
I also believe they are playing to win. So they will make the best decision for the team. Right now it appears they are staying with Burnett, at least in the short run. But you know things can change very quickly with the Yankees.
Hackneyed as it sounds, they are the ones who made the decisions that led to the rings, not us. So you just need to have faith that they are doing what they believe is best for the chances of the team, at any particular point in time. Witness the decision with Posada.
I would have to believe that Rothschild and Girardi have discussed this with Cashman and they are both giving input. Maybe Girardi is going to have a shorter leash with Burnett. You just have to wait it out and have faith.
How much rope is Burnett to be given ? How trustworthy is he before Cashman finally sees the light ?
More than ever, I’d like to see Phil Hughes hurl a neat, economical 2-hitter in his next start and taken out with 2 outs in the 8th inning only so the crowd can give him a huge applause.
Then what ? Watch Burnett implode again in his next start ?
“He has pitched extremely well, has shown great stuff, control and command. ”
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He has pitched really well.
He’s also struck out 5.37 men per nine and walked 3.30 men per nine.
So he definitely hasn’t done those latter three things at all.
I don’t really care what they do, as long as they are doing what they feel to be best for the team.
The rest remains to be seen.
G-C, IMO, Nova has to stay – he’s a much better pitcher than Phil.
He went to the ASG on the strength of his first half as a starter. Let’s forget the 2nd half because we already disagree on that. Nova has pitched very well into the 2nd half – so that’s a big check mark for him. He was an All-star caliber reliever for a couple of months – he’s now a starter, so that doesn’t mean all that much. I don’t buy the October experience thing – much of his post-season experience has been bad. On the positive, there is 2007 and last year’s start against the Twins. Negative? Entire post-season of 2009 and his starts last year against the Rangers.
Please don’t speak for me, G-C. 3 runs in 6 innings is solid – why would I care how many strikeouts he had as long as he pitched well?
Phil has to develop a 2nd and 3rd pitch and he has to learn to put hitters away. Nova already has these pitches – and he has very good stuff. I think Phil is a lot longer away from being a very good pitcher than Nova is………..
“Then I will love to see the look on Girardi’s and Cashman’s face in their spin how they still think it is best for the team and for Phil that he go to the BP and AJ continue to try to work things out in the rotation.”
As you mentioned earlier, this whole competition is a sham to begin with.
It is based on SSS and snap judgements, and guys starting the race at different points while being judged under the same criteria….. while the worst pitcher off the bunch has his spot locked up and doesn’t have to earn it.
It’s as though they are waiting for one of Hughes or Nova to blow up and give up like 7 runs, so they can justify removing them from the rotation.
Please don’t speak for me, G-C. 3 runs in 6 innings is solid – why would I care how many strikeouts he had as long as he pitched well?
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Because if you go by this criteria Hughes has pitched very well since coming off the DL
One thing to remember is that even if they send Hughes to the pen or AAA….he will probably pitch in the double header coming up.
trisha, I respect your relentless positive attitude and glad to see you here, but really disagree with you on how much credit you give Girardi.
I think Girardi is a fine individual who treats people as good as you’d want to be treated.
I have been unimpressed with him as a manager and in 2009 I think his team was so strong it not only overcame the phillies and the angels, it overcame their manager’s crap poor decision making.
Cashman is a very skilled liar who happens to also be GM of the Yankees. He is good at what he does but I do take offense when he says people need to smoke the objective pipe. What the hell is he smoking?
You’ve said that Hughes would have been bullied by a better offense his first start back because he didnt get many swinging strikes? Nova got 2 all last start, so a better offense would have got him.
Both should be in the rotation.
Betsy,
I like you a lot. You know that.
But the way you tip-toed around every single point I made and found new and exciting ways to disparage Hughes just proves that you’re incapable of looking at this guy objectively.
What great “second and third pitches” does Nova have? He’s a 2 pitch pitcher right now, much like Phil is. He had ONE GOOD OUTING with his third pitch. Phil has had a couple of those too, you may remember.
You KILLED Hughes after he gave up 2 runs in 6 innings against Seattle.
That said I’d be extremely surprised if you were lauding Hughes’s performance had he given up 3 runs in 6 innings, walked three, and struck out none.
Furthermore, you only seem willing to ignore strikeouts, walks, and other things of the sort in favor of “pitching well” when it comes to pitchers who AREN’T Hughes.
Jerkface, that’s fine……..except he’s really only had 2 good starts. I just don’t see any way that Nova hasn’t earned his spot in the rotation
“he’s much better pitcher than Phil”
Then I will love to see the look on Girardi’s and Cashman’s face in their spin how they still think it is best for the team and for Phil that he go to the BP and AJ continue to try to work things out in the rotation.
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Then they postpone it . They won’t have Alex for a few days so no move has to be made till then.
Give him another start. Then its only one week till 8/27 when they need a 6th starter.
Trisha good to see you out again.
G-C,
Phil at his best is better than Nova? It’s been a year and a half since we’ve seen that. When he’s mediocre, he’s better than Nova? I’ve never seen that. Like trisha, I’ll watch the game tomorrow and hope for the best. But Nova is doing it now.
Can’t you see the futility in you worrying about it? Just hope for the best and know that things can change at a moment’s notice.
If Cashman said anything else about Burnett, I’d be mighty disappointed in him. Good for him. He should be publicly supporting the guy. Maybe he’s playing psychologist in doing so. Maybe it will give Burnett a confidence boost. Maybe a lot of things. The only thing that isn’t a maybe is that anyone here has any say in it. Adjusting to what life gives you is really a positive thing.
GC -
Tori Hunter on Nova: “He has really good stuff,” the Angels’ Torii Hunter said. “The Yankees really have something special with him.”
I think Tori Hunter has a little more credibility than you do on this subject.
Put Jobber in the pen.
Cashman is a subtly fiery guy who has a lot of confidence in his players.
He has particular public confidence in guys that he is solely responsible for bringing in (remember his interview on Mike and the Mad Dog, when Russo insinuated that Cory Lidle “stunk?” I don’t think I ever recall him so irate.)
He clearly likes AJ Burnett personally too.
Its not hard to see why he would defend him to the media.
Ultimately, I’m not sure that will factor into his decision making in private.
G-C, FB, curve, change……..
I didn’t say I would have lauded Phil, but I would have said he was solid.
The point is, Nova is getting the job done and getting it done well. There’s no way, IMO, that he should ever be removed from the rotation, period.
Hi comet! Good to be back with some of the lohud posters!!! I will probably be here in fits and starts. Smart money avoids the game thread like the plague.
But if there is any way to infuse sanity into this forum, I’d like to try to help. Or should I say calm and rational thinking.
I hope you guys have your fireman hats on cause I have to leave the scene for a ballgame.
mick, they won’t postpone it, Joe G already said the decision is being made by this weekend. They should have just shut up and evaluated instead of coming out and saying this was decision day.
trisha:
First off,let me see how hughes pitches tomorrow.
If he pitches a quality start & looks good,cashman would be wrong to take hughes out of the rotation,regardless of what he has at his fingertips.
Like someone said,if burnett was making a million dollars a year instead of a half a million a start,he would have been traded for a fan to be named later or released.
“Tori Hunter on Nova: “He has really good stuff,” the Angels’ Torii Hunter said. “The Yankees really have something special with him.””
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Okay, we shouldn’t bother to discuss anything here because Torii Hunter says so.
Just like Brian Cashman has a lot more credibility than I and everyone else here who thinks its Burnett who should be taken out of the rotation.
Brian Cashman’s won 4 championships as a GM. He’s clearly credible and he’s still wrong. As I am entitled to say.
“Cashman is a subtly fiery guy who has a lot of confidence in his players.
He has particular public confidence in guys that he is solely responsible for bringing in (remember his interview on Mike and the Mad Dog, when Russo insinuated that Cory Lidle “stunk?” I don’t think I ever recall him so irate.)
He clearly likes AJ Burnett personally too.
Its not hard to see why he would defend him to the media.
Ultimately, I’m not sure that will factor into his decision making in private.”
Absolute bingo on all points, G-C. I couldn’t agree with you more.
Hughes throws his secondary pitches more than Nova, he has more pitches that he uses than Nova. He even throws his change up more.
What is Torii Hunter going to say? “This guy sucks!”?? Who does that?
Come on, Jerkface! He doesn’t have to say anything. He can say, “He’s pretty good,” and move on. That’s just weak.
Hughes has also had players tip their cap. Usually after he blew them away. Just like Torii did with Nova.
Nova throws hard and has the appearance of a good curve, until very recently the results were not aligning with how things looked. Scouting reports on Nova is that he doesn’t hide the ball well enough so no matter how sharp it looks guys won’t swing and miss as often as a guy like Hughes. I think both belong in the rotation.
“Hughes throws his secondary pitches more than Nova, he has more pitches that he uses than Nova. He even throws his change up more.”
So then why is he battling for his rotation life on Saturday (on 11 days rest no less)?
I just don’t get it. If Hughes has this sky high upside and can play a big role in October, why are the Yankees treating him like he is Darrell Rasner?
I’d like to say that Girardi has done a great job managing and getting this team ready to play small ball if needed…so I will.
He is the best manager I have ever seen in managing a pitching staff and bullpen, and has the clubhouse quiet and even keeled even with the Posada issue.
You have to understand that it is not uncommon for a pitcher to have a bad 1 or 2 years after coming off of an injury & or a huge innings increase the previous year.
The yankees once again butchered a pitchers development.
Hughes should of not pitched more than 30-50 innings more in 2010 than in 2009,just because.
In addition,hughes had a ton of stressfull innings because he couldn’t put batters away,making it even worse.
The yankees needed hughes in 2010 & they used him.
Now they are paying for it because we saw in hughes last start,he is still capable.
Come on, Jerkface! He doesn’t have to say anything. He can say, “He’s pretty good,” and move on. That’s just weak.
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Taking anything a baseball player says for consumption after a game is perilous. No one rocks the boat, generally. Nova has good stuff, he throws a hard fastball, but that doesnt mean it acts like a good fastball.
Six pitchers is not a lot; someone will get banged up. The challenge will be to keep everyone stretched out and to give the older guys some rest going down the stretch. With the twin-bill coming up, one more week of six-man won’t hurt a thing. I don’t know if they will do it – they want to make a decision and move forward.
It will be funny if Hughes throws a good game, then suddenly, Nova’s spot is in jeopardy again and the 6 man continues for another round and the best man wins. What a great way to develop young pitching!
So then why is he battling for his rotation life on Saturday (on 11 days rest no less)?
I just don’t get it. If Hughes has this sky high upside and can play a big role in October, why are the Yankees treating him like he is Darrell Rasner?
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Because they have an expensive and bad pitcher that they cant remove and Nova has been healthy all year. And they havent even decided anything yet.
trisha-
it is an american tradition to question authority.
what could be more american than the yankees ?
just going along with whatever whoever is in charge because they supposedly know more seems kind of lazy thinking to me.
on the other hand, if they really have their act together, what’s the harm in questioning them?
… and playing above .600 ball says they’re making some good decisions.
…but if you notice, they made these good decisions with the new york press and the lohud yankee blog all over them.
who knows what would happen if everyone took such a complacent and docile approach as you seem to suggest in trusting them to do the right thing .
i think it’s obvious, they need our questioning of them to spur them on
“Okay, we shouldn’t bother to discuss anything here because Torii Hunter says so.”
No, GC, you can also trust your own eyes, and the ACTUAL results.
The last 8 games Nova has started, the team has won.
He has got the win in 7 of them.
He has pitched very well.
Last time I checked, this game was about winning.
What more does Nova have to do? He’s a young pitcher who is obviously getting better. He’s not getting blown out, he’s able to pitch with a lead and keep the lead. Who cares if he strikes people out? The name of the game is getting outs and winning.
“Like someone said,if burnett was making a million dollars a year instead of a half a million a start,he would have been traded for a fan to be named later or released.”
ron, the fact that he makes the money he does is a testament to the pitcher Burnett has been known to be. It could be that the people who watch him pitch every day (that would not be us) believe he still has it and that as long as they are going to continue to pay him the money they do, they want to give him every opportunity before they call it a day. Just a thought.
But in any event, and playing devil’s advocate here, Hughes has been enough of an enigma that I can’t blame the Yankees if they are still extremely cautious with giving him a total thumbs up.
I have to trust that they know what they are doing.
Here’s another thing to consider. The Yankees are 9 games ahead of the closest team in the AL for the wild card. They are also only one game behind the over-their-heads pretenders in beantown. The Yankees are where they are despite having (someone told me last count was 17, not sure if that is correct) players who have had injuries at one point or another. So they can afford to take a wait-and-see attitude if that is what they are doing.
The faith of a mustard seed can move mountains, right? I may be one of the few, not sure, but I do have faith that the Yankee organization knows how to make important decisions and that the thought process may not always be apparent to us, but it is the best one at the moment in time, in their estimation. And since they have more information than we do, I trust they are making the best decision for the team.
I wouldn’t assume anything about what Cashman and Girardi do with the rotation. Expect to be surprised.
Is Cashman watching the same Burnett that we are?
One game competitions for rotation spots in August are absurd. As if what Hughes does tomorrow has anything to do with what he does his next start. Not.
randy, I already said in an earlier post that I have no difficulty in people discussing what-ifs. My only difficulty comes in people declaring something as reality far before the time is appropriate – and if it ever becomes appropriate.
Discussion is healthy. Worrying is crazy.
randy I,
Very good post
“I wouldn’t assume anything about what Cashman and Girardi do with the rotation. Expect to be surprised”
Absoutely!
“who knows what would happen if everyone took such a complacent and docile approach as you seem to suggest in trusting them to do the right thing .”
I seriously doubt that they have changed their decision-making process based on the whinings of the lohud forum!
I think that if everyone took such a trusting approach, they would have a much easier job than having to answer to people who seem to think they have more baseball smarts than the Yankees!
A-rod first pitch A-Bomb, A-level pitcher just got A reminder of who he is
“who knows what would happen if everyone took such a complacent and docile approach as you seem to suggest in trusting them to do the right thing .”
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It would be like our government….
BryanHoch A-Rod just homered to left field in his first at-bat for the Tampa Yankees.
hes ready
nasty…..
Alex, lol – he’s been missed.
It’s always interesting to evaluate the alternatives, it’s fun to play a little GM sometimes, has nothing to do with questioning the authority just what other ways to improve we have…..Besides i love how Cashman has turn around this team.
Casman is an idiot then. AJ is easily on the “bubble” with Hughes to be the #5 starter and anyone can see that….uhm….except Brian!
“I seriously doubt that they have changed their decision-making process based on the whinings of the lohud forum!”
… tricia-
so anyone who questions the yankees is whining?
that seems a rather odd position for someone like you who takes pride in thinking for herself.
Oops!, hi everyone!, Go yankees!
“just going along with whatever whoever is in charge because they supposedly know more seems kind of lazy thinking to me.”
Not lazy thinking. Just an acknowledgment that I know they know more than I do. So it makes my life easier to just fan up and enjoy the team they put out on the field!
It makes my enjoyment of the game that much more glorious. I don’t flip out when they lose, I don’t call players names, I don’t indict someone for having a game that isn’t befitting of my idea of what the person should be doing, and I realize that no player is perfect so bad games will happen.
It’s a team sport. And that team knows how to win. What’s better than sitting back and letting it happen? For me, not much.
“… tricia-
so anyone who questions the yankees is whining?”
No, randy, just the ones who whine are whining. Easy to tell the difference on this forum.
re Cashman rmarks:
hands over ears
blah blah blah