Tagged: Chien-Ming Wang
Possibilities are endless
By Jon Lane
It’s one start. One start, or a handful, doesn’t make a person a success or a failure. But Phil Hughes Tuesday night?
Wonder-Phil
Phil the Thrill
Ful-Philling
Phil Franchise (copyright: Peter Abraham)
“I don’t think you can do any better,” said manager Joe Girardi.
Monday night showed you why Phil Hughes was touted as one day being The Franchise. He showed, for one night, why he wasn’t traded for even the great Johan Santana and that patience can be a virtue even in Yankee-land. That said, watch Hughes get rocked on Sunday and those who today are proclaiming him The Franchise will start demanding his demotion, and the hiring of Bobby Valentine and Steve Phillips to run the club.
Brian Cashman said it best the day he announced he was staying with the Yankees: If the Yankees spend money, they’re criticized for doing so frivolously. If they build a program – gee, what a concept – they take heat for blowing off a chance to win right now. You can’t have it both ways, folks. But what Hughes provided in his best start since that night he tossed 6 1/3 no-hit innings is optimism that Cashman’s vision will actually work. You don’t proclaim Hughes a success off one start, but you neither call Chien-Ming Wang a lost cause nor Joba Chamberlain a failed starter either.
The Joba-back-to-the-bullpen campaign is gaining tremendous steam, one that will blister the sports talk radio airwaves if he flounders tonight against the Tigers (YES HD, 7 p.m.). If Chamberlain throws six-seven splendid innings, that will pave the road for what will be a difficult decision, but an excellent problem to have.
Picture this: Hughes builds off Monday night. Chamberlain gets into a grove. Wang finds himself. Brian Bruney comes back healthy and Mark Melancon proves to be the real deal. How tempting would it be for the Yankees to add Chamberlain to a late-inning mix with Bruney and Melancon?
It’s risky business. I echo Ron Guidry telling Mike Francesa during the winter that you cannot continue to yank Chamberlain up and down like a yo-yo. And it takes time for power pitchers, especially young ones in their early 20s with an injury history like Chamberlain, to ratchet up velocity and nail down location at the same time. But if Hughes shows he’s here to stay, you can’t move him to the bullpen (ditto a two-time 19-game winner).
I’ve said for months that Chamberlain should be a starter and won’t waver now. But in the interest of fairness, the other side of it is while potential 20-game winners don’t come around often, neither does a close-to-a-replacement-as-humanly-possible for Mariano Rivera. And Joba-to-the-bullpen means less, if not the elimination, of Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte, that’s something to seriously consider for the greater good.
The Wang project will take at least a few weeks, enough time for a full evaluation. Wang is the wild card here. If he’s completely shot or a major physical problem reveals itself, Hughes and Chamberlain join Andy Pettitte as the back-end starters. The only thing for Hughes to do is pitch to win, not to avoid going back down to Scranton.
“We want him to pitch great and stay in the rotation,” Girardi said. “What you want as a manager is to have more starters throwing well than spots you have.”
What you have here is a storyline that is tasty and compelling, and one that will build towards a climax if everything goes to plan. It’s better than last season, when injuries and ineffectiveness forced Girardi to hand starting roles to Sidney Ponson, Darrell Rasner, Dan Giese and everyone’s favorite, Carl Pavano.
How do you see this playing out?
Proving ground for Phil Hughes
By Jon Lane
This is a photograph taken the night of May 1, 2007 in Arlington, Texas. The man below the scoreboard is Phil Hughes and the numbers above him do not tell the whole story. Here was Hughes, 24 days shy of the legal drinking age, on a Major League mound for the second time in his life and he was working the Rangers for a no-hitter along with 10 strikeouts entering the seventh inning. He was eight outs away when he threw an 0-2 curveball to – get this – Mark Teixeira. His 80th pitch would be his last. Hughes grabbed his left hamstring, and was forced from the game and immediately to the disabled list.
The performance was a tease. The injury was a distant early warning. Since 5/1/07, Hughes has won five games – none since September 27, 2007 – thanks to repeated ailments that has his career in stop-and-go traffic. Tonight, a 22-year-old right-hander, “The Sure Thing,” is being asked to halt a four-game losing streak and the latest round of panic attacks amongst the Yankees fan base.
One night after I wrote an open letter to CC Sabathia telling him it was time to play stopper, Hughes is starting the latest “Biggest Game of the Season.” There will be a lot more “big games” and “must wins” if the Yankees continue to stare down the barrel of a losing streak, along with calls for the heads of Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman. Yes, it’s April 28, 2009 and the Yankees have been through worse. This time, they are without Alex Rodriguez, Chien-Ming Wang, Xavier Nady and Brian Bruney, while Johnny Damon is fighting an aching left shoulder and Hideki Matsui brittle knees.
But a team that spent $423.5 million on people is a game under .500 and have watched the Red Sox run off 11 straight wins employing a brand of baseball they’re incapable of doing at the moment: killing with speed, locking down the seventh and eighth innings of tight games, and delivering in the clutch. The Yankees’ problems with runners in scoring position are like stubborn acne. Monday night they were 1-for-9. They have one hit in their last 25 at-bats in the pinch and are batting .223 in such situations.
Memo to Hughes: You’re 5-7, 5.15 in your career. You’re better than that. Tonight begins your chance to show that you can be an answer to Jon Lester. To Justin Masterson. To Manny Delcarmen. Homegrown prospects thriving in the big leagues. The Yankees have shown patience with you, refusing to make you the centerpiece in a deal for Johan Santana. Your legacy will not be written until years later, yet tonight is a big step. For your team. For your confidence.
One good start from Hughes will get the wheels turning towards better days, beginning with a rotation that will meet expectations once CC Sabathia (Monday’s hard-luck loser) and A.J. Burnett find their footing, and Chien-Ming Wang finds his way back. Hughes’ presence, combined with Joba Chamberlain’s underwhelming performances as a starter, has refueled the Joba-to-the-bullpen debate. I don’t remember exactly, but it was either Mike Francesa or one of his callers who theorized that the Yankees “neutered” Chamberlain by making him a starter, taking away the balls-to-the-wall mentality of letting it all go at 97 MPH that made him unhittable.
I will not go there. This topic is burnt to a crisp from where I sit and I’m amazed that it has such shelf life. Whether the Yankees actually cave in and put Chamberlain back in an eighth-inning role depends on a lot of variables, namely Bruney’s health and Mark Melancon’s effectiveness. The first and most important step commences with how No. 65 does tonight in Detroit.
Enter Phil Hughes?
By Jon Lane
Peter Abraham has a report on Chien-Ming Wang’s extended spring game. Wang threw 91 pitches, 70 for strikes, walked none and struck out 11 in seven innings against Phillies Minor Leaguers. However, Nardi Contreras told reporters in Tampa that Wang needs more arm strength and that is sinker is not consistent enough.
The AP’s full report is here. The impression is that the Yankees will DL Wang. Phil Hughes would be lined up to start Tuesday in Detroit if the Yankees go that route.
Pete Caldera has more and cited a source that said Wang won’t pitch on Tuesday. Wang gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and Contreras said that he still needs to re-build arm strength coming off last season’s foot injury.
Off day reading material
By Jon Lane
Yesterday produced a 4:57 eyesore, but a dramatic win capped off an eventful day on YESNetwork.com.
Melky Cabrera and Jose Veras each played hero on an afternoon where the new Yankee Stadium again was a launching pad. CC Sabathia, however, is off to another slow start. He admitted to trying to be too fine, but he’s not sweating it. Neither should you.
Kimberly Jones works the clubhouse for TV and us. She shares details about her conversations with Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano. And mark your calendar for Thursday, April 30. The Yankees return home after a six-game road trip and Kim will hold her first live chat.
(Wang is in Tampa, Fla., this morning pitching in an extended spring game. Stay logged on for an update.)
Bob Lorenz had enjoyed a few days off, but is back Blobbin‘ tomorrow night as the Yankees begin their series with the Red Sox.
Welcome Mrs. Singy to the YESNetwork.com blogging network. Suzanne Molino Singleton is an online writer and columnist for Smart Woman. Her stories on life as the wife of our own Ken Singleton are interesting and enjoyable.
_______________________
Despite uneven play, the Yankees head to Boston 9-6 and on their first three-game winning streak. It’s critical that they continue to build momentum. In prior seasons, they’ve started slow and needed a relentless second-half surge to make the playoffs, where by that time they had nothing left. Here’s a breakdown of their starts the last six seasons.
2003
First 15 games: 12-3
Final record: 101-61
2004
First 15 games: 8-7
Final record: 101-61
2005
First 15 games: 6-9
Rock bottom: 11-19 (May 6)
Final record: 95-67
2006
First 15 games: 7-8
Final record: 97-65
2007
First 15 games: 8-7
Rock bottom: 21-29
Farthest Behind: 14.5 (May 29)
Final record: 94-68
2008
First 15 games: 8-7
Rock bottom: 20-25 (May 20 after a 12-2 loss to Baltimore at Yankee Stadium)
Farthest Behind: 12.5 (Aug 31)
Final record: 89-73 (missed playoffs)
The Pulse of New York
Every Wednesday, YES Blog takes the “Pulse of New York” on some of the week’s biggest sports stories. Have your voice heard by voting in the below polls:
What is your opinion on all the home runs at Yankee Stadium?(online surveys)
If you ran the Mets, what would you have done with Dwight Gooden’s signature?(online surveys)
Former Mets pitcher Heath Bell is currently projected to finish the 2009 season with 76 saves. How many do you think he will have?(answers)
The Tampa Bay Rays are currently in last place. Where will they finish?(answers)
At 11-3, the Florida Marlins are currently leading the NL East. Who do you think will win the division?(online surveys)
Wang to throw Thursday in Tampa
By Jon Lane
I’m not at the Stadium tonight (I’m there tomorrow), but was passed a note with an update on Chien-Ming Wang’s next step.
Wang will go to Tampa Thursday to throw roughly 100 pitches in an extended Spring Training game. The Yankees want to see better consistency on the sinker and will take it from there.
“We want to see how he throws Thursday,” said Joe Girardi. “He’s struggled and we have talked about the importance of getting him right. We believe this is a another step in doing it and instead of not pitching him, we think he needs to pitch and try to get this right.
“The importance is the consistency of his sinker. That’s where he’s gotten himself in trouble. He’s gotten up in the zone and when he gets up, it flattens out. So the importance is seeing the sinker, down, down, down with the movement and we’ll evaluate it after that.”
Thanks to Metro New York‘s Larry Fleisher for the 411.
Figure on Wang starting next week in Detroit. I’m not sure what the Yankees will deem progress, but I would think he’d have to go at least five innings. Anything close to resembling the three horrid starts we’ve seen to date and Phil Hughes may want to keep his cell phone close at all times.
Memo to Wang: Take a step back
By Jon Lane
As we begin a new week, the top storyline in Yankeeland is the alarming situation surrounding Chien-Ming Wang. I wrote last week that Wang didn’t suddenly forget how to pitch and afforded him until mid-May before drawing any conclusions. Little did I know that Wang would surrender eight runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings on Saturday that saddled him with an ERA of 34.50.
Suddenly, someone who entered the season with 54 wins in 97 big-league starts could find himself being skipped over his next start, scheduled for Friday night in Boston. You can’t throw Wang out there, you just can’t. Study the pitching lines of his first three outings:
April 8: 3 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 9 H
April 13: 1 IP, 8 ER, 6 H
April 18: 1 1/3 IP, 8 ER, 8 H
Not a pretty picture. Neither is Wang’s career 5.11 ERA in seven starts at Fenway Park. And when the idea of sending Wang to the Minors to follow the path of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, two aces who had to go back to the beginning before evolving into Cy Young Award winners, Joe Girardi clarified why that’s not feasible.
Wang is out of options and cannot be sent down without exposing him to waivers, which means it’ll take about the average time Wang has lasted in his three starts for another team to scoop him up. Since Wang, Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland continue to insist the right-hander is healthy, the only alternative to exposing him to the Fenway wolves is giving him a good nine days to repair his mechanics and confidence.
Our Kimberly Jones guesses that Wang will throw a simulated game either on Thursday’s off day or Friday, perhaps in Tampa. She also shared a suggestion from Brian Bruney which raises an excellent point. Like Wang, Bruney recovered from a Lisfranc injury and he believes that Wang has not re-gained the trust of his push-off foot, the same foot that was injured last June in Houston. What bothers me the most is how Wang said yesterday that after watching video he believes there are no mechanical differences from this season to last season, which went against what Girardi said. Denial is worse that any physical ailment. The first step to figuring out why you’re not pitching well is to admit something is wrong.
Wang, 29, is a major investment for the Yankees today and tomorrow. Taking the next nine days to figure out some sort of solution won’t hurt the team as this stage. A.J. Burnett can be slotted into Wang’s space on Friday with the rest of the starters on their regular turns until the Yankees need a fifth starter April 29 in Detroit. If the sabbatical fails to work, you’re looking at the increasing likelihood of Phil Hughes being recalled from Triple-A Scranton and Wang serving as the long reliever the Yankees decided not to take up north.
Back later with tonight’s lineups.
Break out the Etch-A-Sketch
By Jon Lane
Nick Swisher had a great line after the disaster that was the Yankees’ 15-5 loss the the Rays: This game is like an Etch-A-Sketch, you need to shake it and start over again.
Whenever our own Jim Kaat worked a game in which nothing went right, he’d call it an “amnesia game,” one that you forget about quickly. You turn the page to the next day and the next game. That’s what the Yankees need to do tonight. I say this knowing that much of their fan base is already proclaiming the season a bust: There will be more of these amnesia games, so suck it up and focus on the big picture.
That leads me to Chien-Ming Wang. It may be two starts, and seasons are defined over the long haul, but there are big problems here. A pitcher who was 46-15 with a 3.74 ERA from 2006-08 has given up 15 runs on 15 hits and six walks in 4 2/3 innings covering two games for an ERA of 28.93. In light the worst start of Wang’s career (eight runs on six hits while recording only three outs), John Harper suggested that he may find himself out of the rotation by May should he keep throwing his sinker thigh-high.
Phil Hughes won his first start at Triple-A Scranton on Sunday after allowing three runs on six hits in six innings with six strikeouts and would be the first one called up in the event of injury or poor performance. If Wang, a two-time 19-game winner, were to be removed from the rotation, it wouldn’t be without precedent. Two seasons ago, Joe Torre pulled a struggling Mike Mussina in favor of Ian Kennedy following a stretch in which the veteran right-hander allowed 19 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings — an ERA of 17.69 — over three starts.
Incidentally, the last of those three starts was a 16-0 Yankees loss to the Tigers on August 27, 2007 – in the heat of a pennant race. Not only did Mussina finish the season 3-0, the Yankees recovered to make the playoffs. Nothing like breaking out the Etch-A-Sketch in times of need.
For now, Wang is starting Saturday against the Indians and it’s way to early to conclude that he’s suddenly forgotten how to pitch. When his sinker is up and the rest of his repetoire is flat, he’s in a world of hurt, and even if opposing hitters’ homework is paying off, the good pitchers make adjustments and continue to evolve. That’s where Wang is right now. Joe Girardi and Jorge Posada say the problem is mechanical, and Wang added he’s not injured. But if this continues by mid-May, tough decisions will have to be made. And then you have to worry about the bullpen and whether it’ll be running on fumes by the All-Star break.
Peter Abraham speculated that the Yankees may need to make a move tonight to strengthen their bullpen, which leaves Jon Albaladejo and Phil Coke as candidates to be optioned out. Last night was the most powerful argument why the Yankees leaving Florida without a long reliever was a mistake. It got to the point where Swisher was on the mound in the eighth inning. The Yankees are better than that, and to quote Posada, “Wanger is better than that. He knows that.”
Back with more later, including tonight’s starting lineups. And T-minus two days until the home opener.
Yankees vs. Rays: 4/13/09 Starting Lineups
By Jon Lane
YANKEES (3-3)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Nick Swisher 1B
Jorge Posada C
Xavier Nady RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Hideki Matsui DH
Cody Ransom 3B
Melky Cabrera RF
Chien-Ming Wang.P
RAYS (3-3)
B.J. Upton CF
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
Pat Burrell DH
Dioner Navarro C
Gabe Gross RF
Akinori Iwamura 2B
Jason Bartlett SS
Scott Kazmir P
Notes and storylines
Mark Teixeira (sore left wrist) remains sidelined and day-to-day, but apparently it’s nothing to be concerned about. Nick Swisher starts again at first base and the way he’s swinging the bat, that’s a good thing. Swisher is 8-for-16 in five starts and batting .471.
Chien-Ming Wang is eager to rebound from a brutal performance last Wednesday in Baltimore, when he was tagged for seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. With Wang it’s simple: If his sinker is moving, he’ll be on his ‘A’ Game. If not, well ….
Alex Rodriguez (remember him?) worked out today in Tampa, Fla., and is now dedicated to baseball, reports Peter Abraham
B.J. Upton returns to the Rays after rehabbing a shoulder injury, just in time for the defending AL Champions’ home opener.
It’s a very sad day in baseball. Legendary and beloved Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas died this afternoon after collapsing in the broadcast booth while preparing for the Phillies-Nationals game in Washington D.C. I met Kalas at Shea Stadium years ago while working with the Phillies production crew and remember him as a kind, down-to-earth and amazing person with a passion for the game and love for his job. At least he got to see (and call) the Phillies winning one more World Series before leaving us.
David Wells – the David Wells – has joined TBS as a color analyst.
Impeccable timing
By Jon Lane
Tonight, the new Yankee Stadium is scheduled for the first of two dry runs when the Yankees take on the Cubs in an exhibition game. Of course, it’s raining heavily here in New York and the forecast calls for it to continue all day into the evening.
Weather permitting (baseball fans hate those words), here’s a rundown of what’s on tap once fans enter the gates:
4:00 p.m. Gates open to ticket holders
4:20 – 5:20 p.m. Yankees Batting Practice
5:20 – 6:20 p.m. Cubs Batting Practice
6:55 p.m. Giant American Flag unfurled by 50 West Point Cadets
6:56 p.m. National Anthem performed by the West Point Band
7:01 p.m. Ceremonial first pitch
7:06 p.m. Yankees take the field
7:08 p.m. First pitch
It’s Chien-Ming Wang against former Yankee Ted Lilly. Once I arrive later this afternoon, the plan is to gather some feedback from Cubs players, fans and maybe check out the diverse menu items available for all tastes. My colleagues, Joe Auriemma and Chris Shearn, will be touring the new Monument Park.
Right now on YESNetwork.com are exclusive video interviews conducted by Christa Robinson, Joe’s photo journal, and on-line diaries from yours truly on the day’s activities and player anecdotes.
The Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium is a unique dining experience combining rock music and Yankees baseball. While having breakfast at the bar on Thursday, I got a kick of reading Yankees news on a customized Yankees ticker while watching Eric Clapton perform “Layla.”
This release from the Yankees:
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot of Flight 1549 who successfully landed the impaired plane safely on New York’s Hudson River in January, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the start of the Yankees’ 1:05 p.m. exhibition game vs. the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 4. The Yankees will honor “Sully” (a Yankees fan since boyhood) as well as Flight 1549 co-pilot Jeff Skiles and flight-crew member Doreen Welsh in a pregame ceremony.
In addition, the Yankees will welcome Challenger, the renowned American Bald Eagle, who will fly across Yankee Stadium from the top of the Bleachers Café to the pitcher’s mound at the conclusion of the national anthem.
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