Javy Vazquez, I Banish Thee

(Photo courtesy of the NY Times & Javy Vazquez's Terrible Pitching)

So by now everybody knows that Javy is getting skipped over this weekend in Boston. You certainly can't argue with the logic in this decision. At this point, it's beyond trying to go out and improve on things and fix mechanics. The plain fact of the matter is the guy doesn't give the team any chance to win. He has zero confidence in himself, evidenced by how timidly he pitches, inspires zero confidence in his team, and serves only to overwork an already banged up bullpen. If the Yankees wanted that when they first made the trade back in December they would have just stuck with Chien-Ming Wang.

Steve S. at TYU touched on the subject today and pretty much hit the nail on the head from every angle. While I personally believe that Vazquez more than likely would shit his pants under the spotlight in Fenway, there are many more important, legitimate factors that make the decision to skip a good one (lineups, ballpark style, etc.).  And hey, giving an extra day's rest to your oldest pitcher (Andy), and your one starter who's on an innings limit this year (Hughes) by pitching Javy on Monday against Detroit aren't bad ideas either.

The one thing that does stick out in all of this are these "higher intensity" bullpen sessions before his next start. What the fuck does that even mean? Are there going to be hecklers throwing things and hissing at Javy while he pitches? Is there going to be a ring of fire around the mound? What's the story? What's going to make these sessions so intense?

Everybody knows that how you pitch in the 'pen has no indication of how you're going to pitch on the actual mound in an actual game against actual hitters. The sessions can be as intense as the Yankees can possibly make it, but until Vazquez can go out on the mound in a game and pitch with confidence and movement and velocity, nothing else matters. Period. Getting the guy away from a potentially high-leverage situation (Friday night at Fenway) where he would almost assuredly fail is a good move. Thinking you're going to cure him of his ailments by making him throw a little more in the bullpen is not.