Results tagged ‘ Phil Hughes ’
Presenting your 5th starter …
Now that it is official, let’s hope that Joe Girardi and the Yankees learn from their (continued) horrendous handling of Joba Chamberlain and properly limit Phil to approximately 170 innings, slightly higher than the 160 set for Joba last season. A good start could be following the guidelines that I have recently set.
Congratulations, Phil. We’re all rooting for ya to succeed in 2010.
“Hughes Rules”
So far this month, my sports life has been enveloped by March Madness — the last sporting event I give my undivided attention to before Opening Day. The drama of the very first set of games and the purity of college sports is enough to have me hooked from around my birthday (I turned 22 on Selection Sunday) until the 1st weekend of the baseball season. This is where “win or go home” becomes a way of life for two weeks.
But don’t think I’m not paying attention to what’s happening in Tampa.
As fellow Yankees MLBlogger and 161st & River writer Hiba alluded to in her latest post on Pretty in Pinstripes, Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves are the frontrunners in the 5th starter competition. She briefly mentions the few fans that still see Joba Chamberlain as a starter, and while it is still a possibility beyond 2010 it is looking more and more that Hughes will be the man Joe Girardi chooses to join CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez in the Yankees rotation — and, judging by the spring numbers, rightfully so.
(This doesn’t mean that Joba shouldn’t still get a chance to be a starter, but that’s another post for another time.)
Should Phil win the competition this will be the second season that he breaks camp in the rotation, also doing so in 2008. That season, he failed to record a win and his season was cut short because of injury. This setback caused him to fall behind Joba development-wise and left fans wondering if he would be healthy enough to live up to the can’t-miss hype surrounding him. Hopefully this season will be different.
- In the first week of the season, the Yankees have two off days: April 5th in Boston and the April 8th travel day. Girardi can afford to skip Hughes the first time through the rotation like he did with Joba last season, potentially making his season debut April 11 in Tampa.
- As I mentioned before, Girardi started skipping Chamberlain’s starts and limiting his innings after the All-Star break. The same must be done for Hughes but with one major variation — the limitation should be done in the first couple months of the season. This will allow Phil to gradually build up his innings and put him in a better position to help the Yankees in the stretch run (like the Tigers did with Rick Porcello last season).
- In those first couple months, Hughes should be piggybacked by one of Chamberlain, Aceves or Chan Ho Park — depending on the situation. This way, everyone gets their innings in relatively regular work. Piggybacking should cease once he has the strength to go at least 5-6 innings without trouble.
By following these main guidelines, Phil should gradually build up the strength necessary to endure a 162-game season without losing effectiveness like Joba did last season. It should also be the building block necessary for the Yankees to insert him in the 2011 rotation without question.
(You may be wondering if Joba has the same restrictions should he make a furious comeback and win the spot. The answer should be obvious, but one would think the reins would be off and Girardi would allow Chamberlain to let if fly without the infamous “Joba Rules” hovering over him.)
Do the right thing, Joe — don’t limit Phil the same way you limited Joba last season. It will make everyone’s lives easier.
“Concerns”
Is it possible for a team fresh off a World Series championship to have “glaring concerns” heading into its title defense?
If you’re a fan of the Yankees, apparently it is.
I understand that lots of Yankees fans wanted to keep the team intact; I was one of them as well. I get that up until now our unspoken M.O. was “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But considering the moves that Brian Cashman has made — turning Melky Cabrera/Phil Coke/Ian Kennedy/Austin Jackson into Curtis Granderson/Javy Vazquez, while also bringing back Nick Johnson — it’s difficult to be upset that the team is a little bit better heading into the 2010 season.
Of course, it’s never that easy in the Yankee Universe. Many fans are still worried about the make-up of team. With that in mind, let’s take a look at these “concerns”:
LEFT FIELD
Fans’ reason for concern: Basically, Brett Gardner isn’t Johnny Damon. Apparently having a slightly below-average bat hitting 9th in an otherwise-loaded lineup is a detriment.
Smoov’s response: Who gives a s*** cares if he doesn’t have Damon’s bat? Gardner adds the element of blazing speed and is a far superior defender. They didn’t keep him over Melky for no reason, people.
FIFTH STARTER
Fans: Again, real simple: Some are spoiled by the success of Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in the bullpen to the point that there is little confidence in either man as a starter.
Smoov: Joba and Phil have both shown what they can do in the starting rotation. Both are better than any other option out on the market right now. People, have patience with these two — Joba will have learned from his mistakes and Phil needs to have a Joba-type season. Let them battle it out for the spot, and deal with the decision.
BENCH
Fans: There’s a lack of firepower/versatility with Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr. signing elsewhere.
Smoov: Two things: first, the Yankees rarely use their bench during the game. It really doesn’t matter who’s on the bench now because it’ll likely change during the course of the season. Second, this isn’t the NBA where the sixth man has just as much impact as the starting five. IT’S THE BENCH OF AN AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAM. Stop worrying.
Bottom line: these aren’t major concerns to be worried about heading into Spring Training. We may not like every move that Ca$hMoney makes, but we as fans have got to look on the bright side and trust in our staff that the team put on the field will defend its championship.
If Cashman and Girardi aren’t worried, why should you be?
cjsmoov
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