Via LoHud:
"It’s a difficult feeling. I don’t feel like I’m bringing anything to the team right now, and that’s a tough thing to deal with.... It’s kind of a helpless feeling.” (Hughes after today's outing)
I'll give Hughes credit. At least he isn't coming out giving the textbook BS pitcher responses when asked about how bad he's been to start the season. But the fact is he has no velocity, he and the team have no clue why that is, and he hasn't given his team a chance to win in either of his starts. Not what the Yankees were looking for at all from their 3rd starter in a year that he was expected to be one of the certainties.
Perhaps the only pitcher worse than Hughes has been Boone Logan. Check these numbers:
1.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 13.50 ERA, 5.25 WHIP, and lefties were hitting 1.000 against him until he got Ellsbury out to end the 7th today.
Holy piss, that's bad! Steve Garrison could be up in the show any day now with those kind of results.
P.S.- Bartolo Colon was a BOSS today. Worked Boston to death with that 2-seamer.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thoughts On The First Week
Before I get into my thoughts, let me preface this by saying yes, I realize it's only been a few games and yes, I know there's a lot of baseball to be played. It's just my take on what I've seen so far, not what I expect moving forward.
- I didn't have high hopes for him at all, but I'm very impressed with what I've seen from Russell Martin so far. He's been solid behind the plate, has done a good job of handling the pitching staff, hasn't shown any signs of wear and tear from catching every day, and has shown the ability at the plate that had him looking like Joe Mauer Jr. a few years ago.
- CC has had 2 outings, one that was good not great and the other that was damn great. He didn't appear very happy with his performance in either. That's a good sign.
- Jeter hasn't looked really good or really bad at the plate with his new swing mechanics, but I certainly hope the rumors about him abandoning his new step aren't true. Jeter needs to be smart enough to realize that he needs to stick with the new approach to be successful. If he starts getting back to the big stride, pitchers are going to eat him up with the fastball like last year.
- He has slowed down a bit over the last couple games, but Teix is still having a huge April by his standards. He could never get a hit for the rest of the month and his numbers would still look better than they did the last couple years.
- The Horse hasn't put up the numbers that Teix has, but he has continued to look locked in and well balanced at the plate. The off-day and rainout have also helped Joe to be able to keep him rested without taking him out of the lineup. Score!
- Poor Freddy Garcia. Everybody said he shouldn't have gotten the 5th starter spot over Colon and now the Yankees seem intent on having him pitch as little as possible. That isn't going to do him and his nothing stuff any favors, but for his sake he better look halfway decent when he finally does take the mound or he won't be around very long.
- Stop taking so many strikes, Brett! Swing the damn bat!!
- Even though I didn't see it, I liked what I saw from Nova in his first start. If he continues to hone that slider/cutter hybrid and use it consistently, he could be better than people expected this year. I still don't think he gets enough respect from scouts because he isn't as flashy as the Killer Bs.
- With the way Ayala and Boone Logan have pitched, at what point do we start praying that Feliciano isn't going to be shut down for the year? And if he is, at what point is it OK to start sending FedEx packages full of dog shit to Citi Field?
- Mo's line so far: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 4-4 SV. What else is new? The guy simply isn't human.
- Overall, there was a lot to like about the opening week of the year. Even though everybody isn't quite locked in, the offense has looked patient and done a good job of scoring runs both with the long ball and with small ball. Once Grandy and Cano really get going they are going to be tough to squeak by through the heart of this order. And if Phil can find some velocity, the rotation could be better than people expect. I'd rather they be 5-1 right now, but I'll take 4-2.
- I didn't have high hopes for him at all, but I'm very impressed with what I've seen from Russell Martin so far. He's been solid behind the plate, has done a good job of handling the pitching staff, hasn't shown any signs of wear and tear from catching every day, and has shown the ability at the plate that had him looking like Joe Mauer Jr. a few years ago.
- CC has had 2 outings, one that was good not great and the other that was damn great. He didn't appear very happy with his performance in either. That's a good sign.
- Jeter hasn't looked really good or really bad at the plate with his new swing mechanics, but I certainly hope the rumors about him abandoning his new step aren't true. Jeter needs to be smart enough to realize that he needs to stick with the new approach to be successful. If he starts getting back to the big stride, pitchers are going to eat him up with the fastball like last year.
- He has slowed down a bit over the last couple games, but Teix is still having a huge April by his standards. He could never get a hit for the rest of the month and his numbers would still look better than they did the last couple years.
- The Horse hasn't put up the numbers that Teix has, but he has continued to look locked in and well balanced at the plate. The off-day and rainout have also helped Joe to be able to keep him rested without taking him out of the lineup. Score!
- Poor Freddy Garcia. Everybody said he shouldn't have gotten the 5th starter spot over Colon and now the Yankees seem intent on having him pitch as little as possible. That isn't going to do him and his nothing stuff any favors, but for his sake he better look halfway decent when he finally does take the mound or he won't be around very long.
- Stop taking so many strikes, Brett! Swing the damn bat!!
- Even though I didn't see it, I liked what I saw from Nova in his first start. If he continues to hone that slider/cutter hybrid and use it consistently, he could be better than people expected this year. I still don't think he gets enough respect from scouts because he isn't as flashy as the Killer Bs.
- With the way Ayala and Boone Logan have pitched, at what point do we start praying that Feliciano isn't going to be shut down for the year? And if he is, at what point is it OK to start sending FedEx packages full of dog shit to Citi Field?
- Mo's line so far: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 4-4 SV. What else is new? The guy simply isn't human.
- Overall, there was a lot to like about the opening week of the year. Even though everybody isn't quite locked in, the offense has looked patient and done a good job of scoring runs both with the long ball and with small ball. Once Grandy and Cano really get going they are going to be tough to squeak by through the heart of this order. And if Phil can find some velocity, the rotation could be better than people expect. I'd rather they be 5-1 right now, but I'll take 4-2.
It's Rivalry Time Again
Yeah the Yankees beat the Twins yesterday, A.J. Burnett pitched relatively well again, Soriano was back to being Soriano, blah, blah, blah, whatever. It's time to stop living in the past and time to look towards the future, that future beginning tonight, at Fenway Pahhhhhk, when the Yanks and Sawx hook it up again in their first series of the season.
The Yankees come in playing well, being one Soriano meltdown/Joe brainfart away from being 5-1 on the year, while the Sawx come in at the fraudiest of their most fraudulent; 0-6, worst start since the 1940s, can't hit, can't pitch, and can't run the bases. This series won't be a major determining factor for how the rest of each team's season will go, but it can certainly go a long way in keeping Sawx fans and writers crying in their Bahhston Lagahhs and pulling their pink hats over their eyes, and THAT'S why this series is important this weekend. Any time you have an opportunity to kick somebody while they're down, you damn well do it!
A couple of early betting lines for tonight's game:
- Over/Under for Runs Allowed by Lackey: 9.5
- Over/Under for Top Fastball MPH by Hughes: 90
I'm a positive guy (sort of) so I'm taking the over on both. Lay some money down while you can.
The Yankees come in playing well, being one Soriano meltdown/Joe brainfart away from being 5-1 on the year, while the Sawx come in at the fraudiest of their most fraudulent; 0-6, worst start since the 1940s, can't hit, can't pitch, and can't run the bases. This series won't be a major determining factor for how the rest of each team's season will go, but it can certainly go a long way in keeping Sawx fans and writers crying in their Bahhston Lagahhs and pulling their pink hats over their eyes, and THAT'S why this series is important this weekend. Any time you have an opportunity to kick somebody while they're down, you damn well do it!
A couple of early betting lines for tonight's game:
- Over/Under for Runs Allowed by Lackey: 9.5
- Over/Under for Top Fastball MPH by Hughes: 90
I'm a positive guy (sort of) so I'm taking the over on both. Lay some money down while you can.
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