Cause for Concern

                            

              

            After the latest failure from the Yankees starting rotation, I decided it would be a good idea to delve deeper into not only the rotation's biggest question mark, but their biggest cause for concern.

            While Hiroki Kuroda is currently the title-holder for lowest ERA on the starting pitching staff at 4.38 (and we know how I feel about him), Ivan Nova the Yankees #2 starter who won 16 games in 2011 currently has the second lowest earned run average at 5.18, after allowing 6 runs and 11 hits in his last start against Detroit.

                The Yankees #1 starter and ace, CC Sabathia is sporting an ERA north of 5 as well, but, he’s the least of the Yankees concerns. Barring an unforeseen injury, Sabathia will likely pitch to the numbers on the back of his baseball card and win 15 – 20 games and have an era in the 3’s.

                

                The Yankees #5 starter (soon to be replaced by David  Phelps) Garcia would be considered by many to be a huge concern by many Yankee fans, but any issue regarding Garcia will finally be seeing its ultimate solution soon enough. After seeing his ERA balloon up to an unsightly 12.51 and failing to make it out of the 2^nd inning on Saturday afternoon (his 2^nd consecutive start failing to do so), Garcia will likely find himself on the outside of the rotation looking in, in the very near future. The option to replace Garcia as I hypothesized moments ago is obviously David Phelps. For at least one turn of the rotation I could see Phelps being handed the ball and allowing the Yankees to put Garcia on the disabled list, designate him for assignment or give Larry Rothschild time to tinker with Garcia’s mechanics in hopes of creating temporary repairs on a skill-set that is obviously damaged. David Phelps has pitched very well as the long-man in the bullpen, often spinning together consistent scoreless innings, while pumping the zone full of strikes and definitely deserves a shot. It’s anyone’s guess as to what exactly Phelps could add to the Yankee rotation, but it sure can’t be any worse than what Garcia has given them.

                

               If Garcia and his deteriorating talent set isn’t the deep-seated issue for the Yankees rotation, then what is? Well, their biggest question and biggest cause for concern are both one in the same;

                Philip Joseph Hughes. 

                It’s hard to imagine the man who was rated in Baseball America as the Yankees #1 prospect in 2006 and “arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors”, with projections of being a future #1 starter has seen so many questions raised about not only his ability, but his future as a starting pitcher.

                Hughes has been in the Yankees rotation off an on for much of the past 5 seasons. Over that time, he has seen some flashes of sheer brilliance and delighted Yankee fans with dreams of Cy Young Awards to come.

                Let’s take a look back at some of those finer moments that dazzled the imaginations of fans and cynics alike:

                On May 1, 2007, Hughes took the mound in Arlington, Texas to take on the Rangers. On that day, his fastball had late life, his knuckle-curveball was dipping in and out of the zone with tremendous ease and most importantly, the Rangers offense was baffled. Hughes was un-hittable on that day. I remember watching that game in my dorm room with my roommate (@MattLorenzo follow him on Twitter) and being on the edge of our seats with every pitch. The look in Hughes’ eye, the uneasiness of the Rangers hitters, he was going to do it. There wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind. Hughes was on the verge of joining an elite group of men. Then, the worst happened, on a 0-2 pitch to Mark Teixeira; Hughes attempted to drop in a 1 to 7 curveball and pulled his left hamstring. His day was over, the dream of a no hitter vanished.  6 1/3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs and 6 strikeouts is the only thing Hughes took from that game, other than the thoughts of “what if.”

                In 2008, Hughes didn’t win a single start, had an ERA near 7 and battled various injuries throughout the year, but another sign of greatness emerged during the last week of a lost season. On September 24, 2008, Hughes dazzled the Toronto Blue Jays for 8 innings of 5 hit baseball.  He may not have gotten a win that day, but Hughes left Toronto shaking their heads.

                In 2009, Hughes found himself to be a key component in the bullpen and the bridge to Mariano Rivera. But, his success in the bullpen aside, Hughes started 7 games early in the season. While his starting numbers weren’t overly impressive (3-2, 5.45ERA) once again, a glimpse of what may be occurred on May 25. Against his old foes the Rangers, just over 2 years since his near no hitter, Hughes shined bright throwing 8 innings and allowed no runs, en route to a dominant victory.

                In 2010 it seemed like Phil Hughes had officially arrived. On April 21, Hughes carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics before allowing a leadoff single to Eric Chavez, he would face two more hitters prior to being relieved, having struck out a career-high 10 batters. Hughes strung together two 5 game winning streaks in 2010, paving the way for his first career all-star selection and a career high 18 wins. But, the good vibes from his season were marred by his struggles during the 2^nd half of the season and his ERA steadily rising throughout the summer months.

                The 2011 season started with high hopes of Hughes being able to replicate his previous season’s success and even take a few more steps further by being able to pitch further into games. Hughes began the season as the third starter, but suffered from a dip in velocity. His fastball averaged only 89 mph and peaked at 92 mph, compared to his usual range of 92-95 mph. After opening the season 0 – 1 with a 13.94 ERA, Hughes was placed on the disabled list, with what the Yankees described as “arm fatigue”

                After missing nearly 3 months, he returned on July 6, pitching 5 innings in a loss to the Cleveland Indians. Only 4 weeks later, Hughes turned in his best (and really only) positive pitching performance of the year, turning back the clock like it was 2010, throwing 6 innings of shutout ball in a rain shortened game against the White Sox.

                Being a starting pitcher at the Major League level for 5 years is not a small sample size. While there have been flashes of a future ace and classic performances on the mound, there has also been a countless number of poor effort and sub-par results. Since 2007, Hughes has shown inability to put hitters away and an overall failure to consistently challenge batters, which has caused high pitch counts, short outings and doubts about his long-term value.

                In his career at the Major League level in the Yankees rotation, Hughes has been the starting pitcher for 75 games. In those 75 games, Hughes has amassed 32 wins and 24 losses, with an ERA of 4.97, in 405 1/3 innings.  So, throughout his career Hughes has only averaged 5 1/3 innings per start and over 90 pitches. That speaks volumes to the type of pitcher Hughes is. Even in his all-star season of 2010, Hughes per start average was only 6 innings and 103 pitches. In contrast, during Hughes worst season statistically (in 2011), he averaged 5 1/3 innings and 87 pitches per start. One thing that has remained a constant in his career is the difficulty of keeping his pitch count down and working deeper into the ball game.

                While Hughes has occasionally dazzled opposing teams with terrific stuff, more often than not, he’s been a disappointment. Every start seems to have the same script for him. He’ll get ahead of hitters 0-2 or 1-2 and before you blink your eyes, the count is 3-2 and the batter is fouling off pitch after pitch, and Hughes is unable to put them away. He’ll string together 3 or 4 good innings and then have that 1 inning where everything falls apart and he allows a handful of runs and is out of the game before the 6^th inning is completed. It’s happened THIRTY NINE times in his career. Thirty nine times (out of his 75 starts) Hughes has failed to make it past 6 innings. That is not a good sign from someone who was almost traded for Johan Santana. That’s more reminiscent of a Quadruple-A player in the makings (a player a little better than triple-a, but not good enough for the Major Leagues).

                Even though Hughes is only 25 years old and people will come to his defense saying he’s young and just entering the prime of his career, the cause for concern is evident. Age aside, being in the major leagues for 5 seasons and still having the same issues and being unable to figure them out, is a tell tale sign of what is to come. If after 5 years a pitcher is unable to make adjustments and learn from past tribulations, the odds of him doing so become minute.  

                I would ask that the real Phil Hughes please stand up, but, it seems that he already has.

                And with that being said, I’d ask that he please take a seat at the end of the bench and start cheering on his replacement;

                Mr. Pettitte

My Trip to the Other Side

On Friday night, I took a trip over the Whitestone Bridge and ventured off to the vast confines of Citi Field to see the Mets take on the Giants. I know, I’m obviously a glutton for punishment to sit through a game featuring two of the worst offenses in baseball (Giants rank 18^th in runs scored and the Mets 26^th) for nearly 4 hours of body-numbing torture. Normally, there would be a better chance of seeing a Polar Bear walking the beaches of Cancun than there would be of the Rambling Ranter sitting at a baseball game in New York that doesn’t involve the Yankees.

 But, like the old saying goes; love can make a man do crazy things. My wonderful Girlfriend (the future Mrs. David Wright, in her mind), comes from a long lineage of New York Mets fans, which easily explains my appearance at Citi Field Friday evening. So, if you’re keeping score at home, her taste in sports teams is far worse than her taste in men (but I digress).

Getting to the ballpark about two hours before game time, we had to maneuver our car around the bales of hay that were bouncing past the empty parking lot (cheap attempt at humor). It was a complete shock just how easily we were able to not only get into the main parking lot of Citi Field, but the hundreds and hundreds of empty spots that were readily available to be occupied.

Once the gates were opened and the few fans who were standing on line waiting for entry, were ushered into the stadium, we began to take a quick stroll throughout the park taking a look at all of the sites (or lack thereof). The Mets team store is filled with any item imaginable stamped with the Mets logo, from the world’s tiniest puzzle, to specialty license plates and pencils. But, one thing I have never understood at any baseball stadium I’ve been to is selling the miniature bats. Every stadium has the rule of not allowing weapons of any kind into the stadium (with good reason), yet for a small price you can purchase your own?? In what world does THAT make sense?

The game itself wasn’t much to write home about. Barry Zito labored through 5 innings and was in line for the win until his bullpen blew the game for him in the 9^th inning. While the Mets failed to capitalize on a 1^st and 3^rd, one out situation in the 9^th inning of a tie game, and then again failed to tie the game for a 2^nd time in the 10^th inning after back to back singles to Center Field put two on and nobody out, I did manage to pick up a few valuable tidbits along the way.

Things I learned that I never wanted to:

•       David Wright’s childhood baseball photo makes him look like Mikey from the Goonies (if you’ve never seen it, just go rent it and shut up. It’s a classic)

•    Scott Hairston’s favorite movie of all-time is Liar, Liar. If I were him, I would not be admitting that in a public forum.

Things that Mets fans should be ashamed of:

•        The “paid attendance” for the game was over 30,000 people. There is NO way the stadium even had 20,000 people. The place was EMPTY.

•   The fans that were there were predominantly rooting for the Giants. A team that plays over 3,000 miles away had more fans in attendance than the home team? That’s a travesty.

•   A fan was arrested and ejected from the game in the 8^th inning for “fighting” with another fan. Now, I’ve seen my fair share of fights in the stands of baseball games (my mother being involved in about 75% of them). I’ve never seen a ‘fight’ resulting in an ejection that involved absolutely no physical contact, or anything remotely construed as an act of aggression. Screaming at someone from 15 feet away should not result in ejection, I don’t care how drunk you are. Unless belligerently drunk and unable to comprehend remedial tasks, attacking another fan or attempting to set their replica jersey on fire (Joanne Ramey specialty circa 2003), you shouldn’t be kicked out of the stadium. The fact that Mets security deemed the drunken ginger in section 135 to be overly-aggressive to the point of needing to be removed is an absolute joke. You Mets fans need to show some pride! Maybe your team would field a winner if there fans didn’t turn into such wimps? What happened to the days of throwing batteries at John Rocker? Stop watching Glee and turn on a re-run of American Gladiators and man the F up!

 

Reasons I hate National League Baseball: 

•    Double Switches. I HATE double switches. Bruce Bochy probably set a record for the number of double switches he made in the last two innings of that game. THREE double switches? He used 20 of his 24 players (Ryan Theriot wasn’t with the team at the time of the game)in only 10 innings. That’s excessive over-managing at its finest.

•   Terry Collins not using the hated double switch when the situation called for it the most. So let’s go over this scenario, your pitcher is due up 3^rd in the bottom of the 7^th inning, you’re bringing in a new pitcher for the top of the 7th, wouldn’t most situations dictate doing a double switch so the pitchers spot in the order doesn’t come up? I’d argue that 9 times out of 10, a manager makes the double switch in this instance. Did Terry Collins do that? Nope, he obviously doesn’t use the same binder of managerial decisions that Joe Girardi uses. Instead of making a double switch and taking out Kirk Nieuwenhuis, replacing him with pitcher Ramon Ramirez and putting Lucas Duda in the pitcher’s spot of the lineup, he decided to just pinch hit for his catcher and his pitcher, using two players instead of only one. PURE GENIUS!

•        Moronic managing decisions. Bruce Bochy using Brandon Belt to pinch hit against Tim Byrdak in the 9^th, when he’s a career .225 hitter and THEN putting Aubrey Huff in left field for defensive reasons in the 10^th inning as part of a double switch (he obviously loves them), when he’s played only 68 games of his 13 year career there.

Things every Met Fan Should Know: 

•     Frank Francisco is not a good closer. April 8^th was the last time Francisco didn’t allow a run when he pitched. Since then he’s pitched 3.1 innings, allowed 7 hits, 7 runs and 3 walks. Just your typical 18.90era in his last 4 appearances. By Memorial Day, Jon Rauch and his 9 consecutive scoreless appearances will assume the closers role.

•        Kirk Nieuwenhuis is going to be a really good baseball player. Coming into this season, the pride of Azusa Pacific University was the #9 rated prospect in the Mets organization. I had never heard of him until I saw him play Friday night. The kid has raw talent. He hustled on every single play like it was the 7^th game of the World Series. He displayed outstanding range in the outfield, tracking down a scorched line drive that seemed destined to be a double. He showed tremendous power the other way (evidenced by his opposite field home run, becoming the first left handed hitter to homer over the left field wall at Citi Field). Most importantly, you could tell he was having fun. That’s something a lot of players today seem to be lacking. The youthful enthusiasm to be playing a kids game and living out your dreams.

•    Ike Davis is a lot worse in person than people really think. He looked absolutely lost at the plate. Flailing away weakly at pitches that bounced two feet in front of the plate. He should not be the starting first baseman, let alone cleanup hitter.

•    David Wright needs protection in the lineup. Hitting ahead of Ike Davis and his anemic batting average will only last for so long until Wright stops seeing anything remotely close to the strike zone. The opposing team has no reason whatsoever to ever pitch to David Wright, until the Mets get him protection. At this point, I don’t care how old he is, or how long it’s been since he’s been an effective defensive player, I get Vladimir Guerrero’s agent on the phone and ask what it will take to get Vlad in Flushing. He is not the player he used to be, but at this point, he can’t be any worse than what they have.