Hughes: “I’m not a prospect anymore”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 01, 2011 
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My first memory of Phil Hughes comes from my first year covering the Yankees minor league system. Hughes was the biggest prospect in the organization — and one of the biggest in the game — and although he didn’t know it at the time, he was a few months from his big league debut. I remember asking Hughes to tell me the craziest thing he’d heard about himself.
He said he’d just heard a comparison to Roger Clemens, and he was laughing about it.
Hughes has always been that kind of guy. He’s laid back and quick to laugh, and he’s always been easy to deal with. He was easy to deal with when he was a massive prospect in Triple-A. He was easy to deal with when he was a Major League all-star. He was easy to deal with when things fell apart in the first half of last season.
But behind that laid back attitude, there’s always been a sense that Hughes cares about his production. I’ve seen hot-shot prospects who thought it didn’t matter when they struggled, because they thought opportunities would be infinite. Hughes has never been that way. When he struggles, you can sense his disappointment. He might do a good job of dealing with that disappointment, but the disappointment is certainly there.
You get a sense of that in Mark Feinsand’s story in today’s Daily News.
“I’m at a point where the patience is running out,” Hughes said. “I’m not a prospect anymore, and I’m not 21 years old anymore. You’re gauged on what kind of year you had, not what you’re capable of doing.”
After an up-and-down season, Hughes has committed himself to getting in better shape this offseason. He’s also started his offseason throwing program a month earlier than usual.
“I’m certainly not at the point in my career where I can come in and go through the motions, and if I give up eight runs in an outing, it’s all good because it’s spring training,” Hughes said. “For me, coming off a bad season, I’m trying to do as much as I can to make sure that I’m ready to go when spring training rolls around.”
Associated Press photo
My first memory of Phil Hughes was watching him from Sec 39 against Toronto for his debut… harassing Alex Rios and Vernon Wells for 2 hours because Hughes got lit up.
There were 2 open spots, and 2 of the 3 (Nova/Colon/Garcia) were going to win them. Nova was not ahead of them by any means until after St started.
2 seconds of googling produced at least 5 articles stating this.
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Of course they did. Just like you would find articles from 2010 about Hughes and Joba “competing” for a rotation spot as dogface pointed out.
Yea, but he said all that stuff while munching onna Moon Pie.
What, nothing about his twitter usage????
Hughes only had a 20% chance of winning that rotation spot, according to Manager Girardi. He had to beat out not just Joba and Mitre but also Aceves and Chad Gaudin. He can surely beat the odds again and come back strong.
LGY – I think you dropped your tinfoil hat.
I expect Phil to come into camp looking like A Marine Corp drill Sgt.
Moobless.
I think full-time internet posters should not be making fat jokes.
Nick in SF December 1st, 2011 at 3:22 pm
What, nothing about his twitter usage????
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Clearly, all of his struggles are due to him having a Twitter account
I’ve seen Hughes several times at AAA and a few times since–always liked his attitude and laid back demeanor, hope he returns to 09 form and could be a strong #3 or even #2 if things go well.
There will be a ceremonial fake competition this spring between Joba and Hughes for the last slice of a meat lovers pizza……. in honor of their rehabilitatation.
Having Hughes return to his first half 2010 self would be huge for the Yankees.
I think part of the problem was altering the way he throws the curveball- from the 12-6 to more of a hard breaking pitch. We’ve also never really seen him throw the changeup for strikes at the major league level. He got a little fastball (and especially cutter) happy as 2010 progressed.
Regardless, he’s one I root for.He seems like a stand up guy & after hearing so much about him for so long, you’d like to see him have some sustained success.
They can have a tweet-off.
I think Hughes comes back strong this year….seems likea the urgency is there and if healthy so is the talent.
blake December 1st, 2011 at 3:28 pm
There will be a ceremonial fake competition this spring between Joba and Hughes for the last slice of a meat lovers pizza??. in honor of their rehabilitatation.
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I sincerely hope that in 2012 CC stands for Count Calories.
Maybe he should try a different sport, like say: http://www.ifoce.com/
Things that the Yankees can control are establishing three top pitchers in their starting rotation. They can buy them, develop them or trade for them. This gives them a high percentage chance in the playoffs. So setting up that situation is paramount. The other two starters are of lesser importance, more easily found. Knowing that, their usage of Hughes and now Noesi is questionable to say the least. Oh, and they’re sitting around 200 mil as is, so their self imposed 210 limit looms.
Maybe Hughes’ motivation stems from getting snubbed by this illustrious list:
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....-in-sports
With 2 Wild Cards, does that mean the Yanks could Open the Playoffs against a team from their own Division?
Hughes may not return to All Star form in 2012, but will he Win The Man Boob Battle?
http://www.askmen.com/sports/b.....s_tip.html
LGY,
Hughes didn’t make the top 10…..but 2/5 of the 2011 Yankee rotation did.
I’d be more than content with AJ, Hughes and Nova each having 15 win seasons or better.
for all the twits out there….get a life.
DaSaint007 December 1st, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Chip December 1st, 2011 at 3:02 pm
DaSaint007 December 1st, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Orioles acquire Teagarden to backup Weiters.
With the catching depth the Yankees have, it’s so clear that Angelos really hates them and refuses to deal with NYY.
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Actually I disagree.
The Yankees have Cervelli, Martin, Romine and Montero right now.
The only way for Girardi to have both Martin and Montero in the lineup at the same time is for Cervelli or Romine to also make the team.
Odds are that the club would rather have Romine catching everyday in AAA than riding pine in the majors which means Cervelli gets the nod as the 3rd catcher.
So the moral of the story is that the Yankees didn’t have a catcher to offer the O’s.
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So the moral of the story is therefore that the Yankees won’t trade a catcher? Got to disagree with you there Chip. I can’t see 2012 ending having Montero, Romine, and Cervelli all under team control.
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Won’t end that way but it makes a ton of sense for it to start that way.
A) You’re not going to get any value for Cervelli until teams are sure he’s over the concussion
B) You give Romine at least half a season at AAA
C) Keeping Cervelli and Romine gives you the option of using Romine in a bigger trade deal.
I’m glad everyone is so confident in Nova and truly I hope the kid is the real deal – but Phil Hughes had a fantastic year in 2010 and then was awful/injured last year. Have to see a kid do it more than once before I get out the annointing oils.
# LGY December 1st, 2011 at 2:43 pm
If the Yankees hot stove is feeling a little cool feel free to turn your attention to the NBA.
CP3 requests trade to the Knicks
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/ne…..ade_120111
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Make this happen Knicks
# Nick in SF December 1st, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Hughes only had a 20% chance of winning that rotation spot, according to Manager Girardi. He had to beat out not just Joba and Mitre but also Aceves and Chad Gaudin. He can surely beat the odds again and come back strong.
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He was handed a rotation spot that yr.
bkabak Good. RT: @HardballTalk: Yankees turned down meeting with free agent C.J. Wilson http://dlvr.it/yZNHk #mlb #hbt
Chip – i agree with nova… Anyone expecting Nova to repeat last season is in for a world of surprise.
Something tells me this Wilson situation is a result of the Lee fiasco last year, the Yankees no longer want to have the first offer on the table to be leveraged against or used as leverage.
Good for Phil…glad to hear he is working hard in the off season.
What will Nova’s 2012 season look like?
I’m glad everyone is so confident in Nova and truly I hope the kid is the real deal – but Phil Hughes had a fantastic year in 2010 and then was awful/injured last year. Have to see a kid do it more than once before I get out the annointing oils.
———————–
Nova got progressively better as the year went on and didn’t have a significant innings jump. Hughes on the other hand got progressively worse and had a huge jump in innings.
Follow the pattern and Nova will be even better in 2012!!
nick – if i had to guess? 12 wins, 4-4.5 ERA… probably just shy of 200 innings?
How could you expect Nova to be better if he outpitched his peripherals?
Under 2 K/BB, more than a hit per inning? No, that’s not the mark of a consistent pitcher at all.
Joba going Pedi.
http://pic.twitter.com/U5Yt4CRw
DKnobler Francona says on WEEI he was “genuinely excited” about Cardinals, and that he wasn’t the right guy for the Cubs
How could you expect Nova to be better if he outpitched his peripherals?
——————
His peripherals got substantially better after he came back from Scranton with that nasty slide piece.
He’s a young pitcher that improved as the season went on last year and will continue to do so next season.
LGY – What improved? I’m looking at his monthly splits and nothing is moving in one direction, his stats are all over the place. He is simply inconsistent as he can not hit the catchers glove most of the time.
“12 wins, 4-4.5 ERA… probably just shy of 200 innings?”
I would’ve won money if AJ could have done that this year.
nick – AJ was only off by half a run :p
If the Yankees hot stove is feeling a little cool feel free to turn your attention to the NBA.
CP3 requests trade to the Knicks
=========================
derom wms will not resign with Nets but cp3 and carmelo are an item.
Clearly, all of his struggles are due to him having a Twitter account
======================
Did I say that?
Ivan Nova
First half: 4.12 ERA, 5 2/3 innings per start, 5.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 9.6 H/9, 0.88 HR/9
Second half: 3.18 ERA, 6 2/3 innings per start, 5.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 7.9 H/9, 0.48 HR/9
less talk, more action…
It was the 12th win that I needed AJ to get. Alas.
Will the lure of New AJ be too much to resist in 2012? Only time will tell.
mick December 1st, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Clearly, all of his struggles are due to him having a Twitter account
======================
Did I say that?
******************
You did not. That was me, joking around. Badly, apparently.
If the Yankees hot stove is feeling a little cool feel free to turn your attention to the NBA.
CP3 requests trade to the Knicks
==========================
Knicks need an enforcer like Oakley.
Nene or Tyson Chandler could fill the bill.
Also like Prince, a proven winner.
There was a reallyy nice piece over at RAB about how Tex returning to form in 2012 would essentially be the same as making a big off season acquisition.
Nice to see the article focused on how Tex has become so pull happy batting from the left side and by his own admission, he needs to correct this flaw in his game.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, all anyone needs to do is look at archive video of Tex over at MLB.com prior to coming to the Yankees and you will see a hitter that is completely different hitter batting left handed – closed stance, hands held high, body quiet, let pitch consistently travel deep, and hit to ALL fields with authority — unlike now where he bats with an open stance, hands held low, does that “twirl” timing thing with the bat, and looks like he is starting to swing the minute the pitch is thrown because he is in such a hurry to hook the ball to right field.
I also believe this flaw is the single biggest reason why he has struggled so much in the post season – with all the advanced scouting that goes on and better pitching to face, he is so exposed during the playoffs – teams know that he basically gets himself out more often that not so they pitch him a certain because he doesnt make any adjustments with his swing.
A return or at least a near-return to the all-around offensive force we all thought we were getting when he signed here would be an enormous boost .
Hughes should be no worse than a No. 3 or 4 starter depending on any moves Cashman make in Dallas.
I’m a Yankee fan and I’m even envious of their pitching depth:
An ace in CC.
Potential 15+ game winner in the ‘good’ AJ.
A confirmed backup plan with Garcia, worthy of at least 12 wins.
An 18-game winner in Hughes, just 2 years removed.
A 16-game winner in Nova.
Noesi on the cusp of a ST competition for a rotation spot, whom some feel is even better than Nova.
Front of the rotation talent on the horizon (2012-2013 ? )with Banuelos & Betances.
Good mid-back of the rotation talent (for someone) with Mitchell, Warren, Phelps.
And Joba – however you choose to use him.
MarianoRivera Thank you very much to the @SalvationArmyUS & @SalvationArmy for the honor! http://nyp.st/sYhuCC
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com
The White Sox haven’t offered John Danks a long-term deal recently, according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. The White Sox were rebuffed not too long ago and are now more likely to trade the left-hander, according to Padilla. However, the team hasn’t given up on working out a new contract with Danks.
Remember the masses of fools dubbing him Phil Phranchise ?
Alas, we all agree it is more like Phil Phailure .
If Hughes doesn’t maintain his “stuff” for more than 2-3 inn., he could go back to relief IMO.
Mo won’t amount to much with all that tweeting, will he?
mick December 1st, 2011 at 4:33 pm
If the Yankees hot stove is feeling a little cool feel free to turn your attention to the NBA.
CP3 requests trade to the Knicks
==========================
Knicks need an enforcer like Oakley.
Nene or Tyson Chandler could fill the bill.
Also like Prince, a proven winner.
——————————-
Miss the Knicks days of Ewing, Rivers, Starks, Oakley and Mason.
New post .
Please .
Yanks are making a mistake guaranteeing this guy a spot in the rotation
Hughes – There are a number of pitchers that had dead arm years, including the aces in Detroit and Philly after large inning jumps. Nova – improved as the year went on. On another note, Wilson after two good years is a stud. Nova and Noesi were developed properly as opposed to the juking and jiving with Hughes and Joba. The BP is set so there’s no need to jump around with young pitchers. Let’s see what happens.
If after developing all that talent the Yankees can only produce relievers there are serious problems in the Yankee system that need to be addressed immediately.
The only guaranteed spots in the rotation are CC and AJ, IMO.
Garcia, Hughes, Nova, and Noesi will compete for 3 spots.
Loser to the pen, just as Noesi was long man last year.
I think Garcia at $5MM is pretty close to guaranteed to start the season with a spot in the rotation. More so because Girardi said he wouldn’t be competing for a spot.
Red Robin – New schtick. Please.
# Nick in SF December 1st, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Mo won’t amount to much with all that tweeting, will he?
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Hey wise guy. Place your bet on Mo not being in Joba’s class when it comes to tweeting.
Bobby the Brain still pontificating?
More like Bobby the Ego.
Where’s hsi chicken and beer?
Hughes has the right attitude. His comments have me fired up again for the next season.
I hope his production can back-up his talk.
Hughes needs to make a considerate leap if he wants to remain a Yankee.
jasonWSJ B. Valentine on Yankees: “I think we’re going to be able to match them.” Fantastic! Because that’s all Red Sox fans want: match the Yankees
mick, I’m treating your critique of Joba and Phil’s tweeting as a joke.
You’re not serious, are you?
nick you are nothing if not sarcastic.
Where’s hsi chicken and beer?
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we know you like it, how was the hsi chicken?
Garcia, Hughes, Nova, and Noesi will compete for 3 spots.
Loser to the pen, just as Noesi was long man last year.
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Let’s have another 6 man , ask CC if it’s ok.
Do you have an actual problem with Joba and Phil’s twitter usage, mick?
If after developing all that talent the Yankees can only produce relievers there are serious problems in the Yankee system that need to be addressed immediately
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Is the problem in the Yankee system or is it not having a clear plan on how to develop them once they reach the majors. It seems like they are always stuck in between. Let’s have Hughes start no relieve no start again and of course we all know what happened with Joba. One highly touted prospect is on the dl and the other is realizing he’s on borrowed time. Hopefully the Bs make it
hsi chicken is yummy!!
• Bobby Valentine reportedly has a two-year contract. That would seem to make sense for everybody involved.
Yes, Pete. Makes total sense.
As for Phil, I like the attitude. He’s laid back, but still very competitive. Save a few here and there, he’s his harshest critic. Looking forward to a bounce back season for him.
Is the problem in the Yankee system or is it not having a clear plan on how to develop them once they reach the majors. It seems like they are always stuck in between. Let’s have Hughes start no relieve no start again and of course we all know what happened with Joba. One highly touted prospect is on the dl and the other is realizing he’s on borrowed time. Hopefully the Bs make it
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Free at last of Eiland, let’s see how they fare in the Rothschild era.
Unlike his predecessor, Rothschild appears to be an actual professional pitching coach.
“Hughes needs to make a considerate leap if he wants to remain a Yankee.”
Agree with that. They can’t keep throwing him out there based on his 2010 first hand full of starts. He only has 2 years of control left – he has to show he is an above average ML starter who can stay healthy and pitch 200 innings.
He’s on borrowed time.
New Post
‘Traders: The Yankees who arrived in trades’
bobby v will wear out his welcome real quick…he’s obnoxious and will be incorrigible if they lose, which they very well might.
he was not cherington’s choice and that is not a good start…