Hughes Looks Good Against Jeter, Team USA

Phil Hughes

I thought Phil Hughes looked pretty sharp against Jeter and Team USA today.  

He still has some work to do, obviously, but I like some of the stuff I have seen so far this Spring. 

Here is a little bit of live blogging of Phil's outing from Pete Abe:

UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: Just a hunch, but I bet Phil Hughes pitches really well today. (Nice call, Pete!)

UPDATE, 1:18 p.m.: Hughes gave up a bleeder single by Pedroia. Then he got the shortstop to ground into a double play. That guy stinks.

UPDATE, 1:26 p.m.: That gritty, gutty Brett Gardner singled, went to third on a single by Tex and scored on a single by Posada. Then Nady went 1-6-3 to end the inning. 1-0 Yankees.

UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: Hey, look, it’s Phil Hughes. Fanned Wright looking with a cutter. Fanned Dunn looking at a filthy curve. Got Youkilis to fly to right.

25 pitches, 16 strikes. He could go back out there if they want. He’s got 10-15 more in him.

UPDATE, 1:39 p.m.: Great play by Pedroia ranging deep behind second and making a strong throw to get Cash. If Cano had half as much giddy-up, he’d be an All-Star. … Meanwhile, Hughes is back out there.

UPDATE, 1:45 p.m.: For the third time in three games, Hughes had hit a batter with an 0-1 pitch. He has been told to bust every hitter inside when he gets to that count. He barely brushed Granderson’s jesey.

It costs him as Jeter gets up and delivers a two-run single. 2-1 USA.

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: Hughes’ line: 2.2 3 2 2 0 2. 41 pitches / 25 strikes.

What does the Arizona Fall League Statistics Tell us?

Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes has struggle and panic has set in. So what does it mean?

Absolutely nothing;

Gavin Floyd 2006 (age 23)- 5.59 era 1.40 whip

Dustin McGowan 2006(Age24) - 5.59 era 1.40 whip

TJ Beam 2006(age 25 ) - .60 era 1.13 whip

Kyle Kendrick 2006 (age 21) - 6.75 era 2.06 whip

Jared Weaver 2005 (Age 22) - 5.47 era 1.42 whip

There are others as well as a whole slew of top performers who became non-prospects shortly after. The point is the Arizona fall league is about players working on things like a third pitch or to extend their innings in preparation for next year.

So when the panic sets in on Phil Hughes performance in AZ simply ignore them. We all know Phil can dominate minor leaguers as is obvious by his sub 1 career whip. What we found out about Phil is he needs another pitch to do it in the majors. His performance is nothing to even pay attention to. He is feeling out a new pitch and hopefully it clicks.

Hughes Is Arizona Stud Of The Week

Phil Hughes

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

On Monday, Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes was selected as the Arizona Fall League's Pitcher of the Week for the circuit's first week of action.

Hughes won his start in the Peoria Javelinas' AFL opener on Tuesday, striking out seven and allowing one hit over five scoreless innings in a 10-3 victory over the Surprise Rafters. Hughes pitched out of trouble in the start, walking five, and was scheduled to make his second AFL start on Monday.

The 22-year-old Hughes was sent to the Fall League after he lost much of his 2008 campaign to injury. Opening the season in the Yankees' rotation, Hughes went 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six starts before going on the disabled list with a fractured rib that derailed his season.

"I never tried to figure out what happened this year -- I just tried to move forward," Hughes said. "I'll go to the Fall League and pitch well there and get some innings in, and then come into Spring Training ready to go."

"I'm just thinking about getting back and pitching well and going into the spring with a good attitude," Hughes said. "Innings, basically, are what I'm focused on -- pitching well and commanding my fastball and everything else. But the main reason for being down there is getting innings in."

You Can't Pitch If You Can't See

Phil Hughes

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

The newly bespectacled Phil Hughes was also making the rounds in the visitors clubhouse of Tropicana Field, showing off the prescription glasses that will help cure his slight nearsightedness the next time he takes a mound. That could be a while, though -- Hughes has been told a new X-ray will be taken on his fractured right rib in 2 1/2 weeks, so until then, he is limited to receiving treatment and riding a stationary bicycle.

One question....what took so long? I was really getting sick of seeing Hughes squint to see the signs.

While the Yankees Youth Movement Stalls the Enemy's Shines

Phil Hughes

The Yankees youth movement has hit a bit of a bump in the road. Phil Hughes is hurt again and Ian Kennedy has been sent down to regain his confidence. Both have been not just mediocre but horrible. For comparison sake, Jeff Weaver had one of the worst seasons by a starting pitcher I have ever witnessed in 2003 with a 5.99 era and 1.62 Whip - both are significantly better then Hughes (9.00 Era, 2.14Whip) and Kennedy (8.37 Era and 2.03 Whip). Phil's and Ian's Eras are good for 149th and 152nd best in baseball with pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched (154 total pitchers). Those two have also failed to go 5 innings in 8 out of their 12 appearances. Ugly.

If you take look at the other two youngsters Lester and Buchholz) in the center of the AL pennant race, the results have been much much better. Both have sub 4 eras (3.94 for Lester and 3.71 for Bucholtz). Also, Lester has gone 5+ in 6 out of 8 starts and Buchholz in 5 out of 6 starts. Lester's whip is an OK 1.43, but Buchholtz' is a little better at 1.33 and he is averaging almost a k per inning. Throw in one superb spot start by Justin Masterson (6ip 2hits 1run), Ellsbury's .415 OBP and 11 steals in 11 attempts, Brandon Moss' 2 late homers, and Jed Lowrie filling in nicely, and Boston could not have asked for more out of their kids. Manny Delcarmen has been horrible - 7.30 era but that is a small speed bump overall for the Red Sox.

The question is what is the difference? Is it the pressure that Ian and Phil were under? Are the Boston prospects just better?

I have long thought the failure of most of the Yankees pitching imports was due to the intense pressure they were under. Weaver, Contreras, Vasquez all proved to be better elsewhere then when they pitched here. I assumed, and maybe so did the Yankees, that the kids brought through the system would be immune to the pressure. The success of Cano and Wang helped create that perception, but really - when was the last time a top prospect succeeded with the Yankees? How about a pitching prospect that became even a serviceable major leaguer? Maybe the attention and pressure is just too great for a position like starting pitcher where so much is dependent on confidence and approach. The bullpen, where a pitcher can simply throw, might be another story - but the rotation seems too much to ask. In recent memory the only starters produced by the Yankees came in with little fan fare; Lilly, and Wang. Darell Rasner kind of fits this mold; very little expectations and no fan fare.

I know its early and by July things could completely change, but the impact of the pressure on top prospects in NY bears watching. Time will tell if is going to have the same affect it did on the Yankees high priced imports.

The not so fake injury

Phil Hughes

So now comes news that Hughes has a stress fracture of his ninth rib and won't even resume throwing for 4 weeks. This is about as bad as news can get. Not only do we have to wonder about Phil's ability to pitch but also his ability to stay healthy as well. The injury started to hurt him about a week ago so unfortunately I don't think you can credit all of the bad pitching to his injury. So what now? Will Phil be brittle? Can he evolve? Well this year, like last, doesn't look like is going to decide that. The Hughes story won't be even be close to clear for years now.

So Much For Damage Control

Phil Hughes

Yankees RHP Phil Hughes has a stress fracture of his ninth rib on the
right side, which will put him out of action until at least July.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Phil Isn't Hurt...He's In The Time Out Corner

Phil Hughes

This came yesterday from Tyler Kepner:

Manager Joe Girardi never looks good after a loss, but he looked weary after Phil Hughes imploded and the Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 6-4, on Tuesday night. Hughes was pounded for six runs and eight hits in three and two thirds innings.

When Girardi was asked about Hughes’s future in the rotation, he tried to deflect the questions by saying the Yankees would make those types of decisions as an organization. But, after the third or fourth time Girardi was asked about Hughes, he gave, perhaps, his most revealing answer.

“Right now, he’s one of our starters,” Girardi said. “We will talk about it as a club.”

If I were Hughes, the words “right now,” wouldn’t make me feel comfortable right now. Hughes is 0-4 with a 9.00 earned run average in his first six starts, brutal statistics. Girardi lamented how Hughes was not precise with his pitches.

“Obviously, he’s frustrated because he knows he can pitch better,” Girardi said.

Hughes said his troubles were “one of those things you got to work out.” So I asked Hughes if he trusted that the Yankees would allow him to make those revisions at the major league level.

“I hope so,” he said. “It’s not my decision. It’s nothing I can control on that front. I have to come to the field, work hard every day and hope there is a turn for the better.”

And now this from the Yankees (make up your own mind on whether Phil is hurt or not...):

Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique.

The team made the announcement during Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Hughes, the youngest pitcher in the Major Leagues at 21, took a pounding in the Yankees' 6-4 loss to the Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Hughes, 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six starts this month, was next scheduled to start against the Mariners on Sunday. The Yankees did not immediately announce a substitute probable pitcher for that game.

Sounds like some damage control by the front office to me!!!

Location, Location, Location

Phil Hughes

Bryan Hoch/Yankees.Com:

The pop on Phil Hughes' fastball, the 21-year-old insists, is fine.

While some eagle-eyed fans watch every digit that flashes on the screen during the right-hander's starts, raising questions about velocity, neither Hughes nor pitching coach Dave Eiland are particularly concerned with the speed. Just like the real estate market, it's all about location.

"It's really not the issue right now," Hughes said. "It's more about my command than anything. It all comes back to command, command, command. Your curveball could be the best in the world, but if you don't throw a fastball for a strike, they're not going to hit it -- they'll lay off it. It all stems from command of the fastball."

Hughes gets to try again on Thursday, making his fifth start of the season against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. A Chicago newbie, he'll hope for better luck after faring 0-3 in the three other parks he's debuted at this season -- Kauffman Stadium, Fenway Park and Camden Yards.

His last time out, Hughes allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to the Orioles. It was a start that went south from the fifth inning on, as Hughes opened the sixth locked into a 1-1 tie with the Birds.

"If I get through that sixth inning and my pitch count is low, it's a completely different ballgame," Hughes said. "That's the thing I've got to try to stay away from, being so fine. I did a better job of getting ahead in the count. Once I work ahead in the count, I don't throw too many pitches."

Sweeny's Got It Right

Phil Hughes

Sweeny Murti of WFAN had a GREAT post after this afternoon's win in Baltimore that reminds you just how important a veteran like Andy Pettitte is to the Yankees young starting rotation.

(I shortened the article for length so you will want to read all of it by clicking here or following the link above or you will miss a lot of good Pettitte quotes).
____________________________________________________

This could be worse.

Last year after 20 games: 8-12. This year after 20 games: 10-10. And by this time last year the Yankees had already used these starting pitchers: Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Chase Wright, Jeff Karstens, and Darrell Rasner.

In the 20th game last year, Phil Hughes made his major league debut…still 2 months shy of his 21st birthday. Maybe I don’t need to keep reminding you how young Hughes (21) and Ian Kennedy (23) are. Maybe you don’t care because you figure if they’re pitching for the Yankees age is no excuse. You’re right to a certain extent, but their age and inexperience combine to form a reality that you can’t erase no matter how much you want to.

It’s easy to forget now about what the finished product looks like, but take a look back at Andy Pettitte’s rookie year of 1995. He got his first start on May 27th and he lost 6 of his first 9, getting run out in the 3rd inning against Texas on July 7th (a 10-0 loss). But Pettitte got better.

The Yankees went unbeaten in his next 5 starts with Pettitte pitching to a 2.02 ERA. He struggled some more after that. In back to back starts in late August, Pettitte lasted a total of 3.1 innings and gave up a total of 13 hits and 12 runs. Pettitte was 6-8 and the Yankees were 4 ½ games out of the Wild Card spot.

Then Pettitte won 6 of his last 7 starts, finished 12-9 and helped pitch the Yankees into the playoffs, his final victory coming on a Friday night in Toronto on the final weekend of the regular season.

That was the first run of pressure pitching Yankee fans had witnessed by Andy Pettitte, the kind we’ve all seen so much of since then and now almost take for granted.

So don’t think the Yankees are going to dump these guys like you dump pitchers off your fantasy teams.

The reality is the Yankees didn’t stick to their guns on not trading these guys in order to shuffle them out of the rotation three weeks into the season.

Hughes Still Trying To Find Rhythm

Phil Hughes

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

Phil Hughes spent time in the seats of Fenway Park on several occasions, a transplanted youth from California soaking up the essence of New England baseball.

His vantage point was much better on Sunday, but only temporarily. Hughes' first appearance on Yawkey Way went by more quickly than he would have hoped, as the Yankees right-hander lasted just two-plus innings in the Red Sox's 8-5 victory -- the shortest outing of his big league career.

The Red Sox scored three times against Hughes in a 39-pitch first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury walked, stole second and advanced to third on an error, coming home on Manny Ramirez's run-scoring single. Kevin Youkilis lifted a sacrifice fly to score J.D. Drew, and after Sean Casey's ground-rule double, Hughes and Molina were crossed up on a curveball that bounced away for a passed ball, allowing Ramirez to score.

Boston chased Hughes in the third inning by putting another three runs on the board. All four batters Hughes faced in the inning scored as Youkilis and Casey both knocked run-scoring hits. With Ross Ohlendorf relieving, a wild pitch allowed Youkilis to score and Ellsbury ripped a run-scoring single to right.

Hughes Distracted By Upcoming Office Episode

Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes had a rather rough outing against the Royals on Tuesday-- going just three innings and allowing six hits, and 3 earned runs.

But fear not Yankee fans. As it turns out, Phil was just too pumped up for the new Office episode that is set to air on NBC Thursday night and was just having trouble locating his stuff.

Check out this post on the Phil Hughes Weblog:

"The Office is back next Thursday! So excited. I’ve heard about 10 different rumors about what the first episode is going to be about. The anticipiation is killing me."

As you can see, the "anticipation was killing him" and I am pretty sure that he was just focusing on Micheal and Dwight instead of Curveball and Changeup.

Once the novelty of the new episodes of The Office wears off, Phil Franchise will be back.

You can count on that Yankee fans.

HGTV Visits Moose, Hughes, IPK

Phil Hughes

Pete Abraham just posted this picture of Mike Mussina's lockerscape on his Blog today. Apparently, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy entered a contest on HGTV.com this winter for a complete locker room makeover--and they won!!!

There are also plans to add a desk to the newly made over lockeroom so that all of the interviews the players are being asked to participate in can be conducted on site.

(Phil Hughes contributed the clock on the locker wall and the small picture in the bottom left of the frame is from the Wizard Of Oz rookie hazing day.)

Side note-
Peter Abraham and Phil Hughes are going to conduct a Q&A on their respective blogs starting today. If you want to submit a question please limit it to just one. You can submit your questions until 6p.m., on February 26th.

To submit your question- please only send ONE E-MAIL per e-mail address, to Pete and Phil. Make it a good one!!!

Pete's email: pabraham@lohud.com
Phil's email: phughes34@gmail.com

Girardi: Hughes Is A "Thoroughbred"

Phil Hughes

Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com had a great piece on Phil Franchise and his pitching mechanics this morning:

Having just completed receiving Phil Hughes' latest bullpen session, an impressed Jose Molina told Posada, "You know what? Phil looks like he has more pop."

Posada concurred, and the backstops aren't the only ones who have noticed.

Said manager Joe Girardi: "You watch him and he leads the groups in running. He just looks like an athlete, a thoroughbred and a leader."

Hughes confirms he's hitting the glove with more force than in his debut season, when he won five games for New York, plus one more in the playoffs. But more importantly, he has confidence that nothing else will go wrong.

"It's not so much the velocity," Hughes said. "It's really the fact that I've felt more comfortable and I've been able to trust my body. I don't have any inklings or thoughts in the back of my head that something will flare up again. I think that's the key, to trust all my pitches and finish everything."

It helps, of course, that Hughes heeded the call for better fitness. Girardi let it be known that Spring Training '08 would not be a country club, and Hughes showed up ready to go. Spending weeks over at the Minor League complex under the supervision of pitching coach Dave Eiland have been paying dividends early.

"He's in great shape," Girardi said. "All the reports on him that I saw from when he was working down at Himes said he was different this year. That he'd worked really hard."

Hughes added, "I know what I expect out of myself and what my goals are this year. There are no guarantees. You have to go out and earn every bit of what you want."

It looks like Phil is really trying to earn his keep. Things will be different this year Yankee fans-- you can bet on that.

Mussina Prepared To Play Mentor

Phil Hughes

Article written by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

It’s Day 2 of Camp Girardi, and the pitchers appear resigned to the fact that they’re going to have to do more running this spring than they have in the past.

Other than that, it’s business as usual. Phil Hughes will throw his first bullpen session today, lining up with Mariano Rivera and some other relievers. Hughes arrived at Legends Field today to find his locker occupied by Billy Traber.

Hughes’ locker had been moved about 10 feet away, next to Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy. It seems the move was Mussina’s idea, as the veteran is apparently taking to the role of mentor for the young pitchers.

“If I’m going to sit there and talk to Kennedy about pitching, it makes sense to have Hughes there, too,” Mussina said.

Phil Hughes Is 21 (Honestly)

Phil Hughes

Sam Borden of the Journal News had a great profile of Phil Hughes today-- check it out:

Age is one of those attributes that is almost always presented under heavy disguise. Look older. Act younger. Carry yourself like a gentleman. Sleep like a baby.

This has been a particularly noticeable phenomenon in the Yankees' clubhouse in recent years, particularly among pitchers. Think about it: Roger Clemens was 44, looked 30 and frequently acted like a 19-year-old hopped up on Red Bull; David Wells was 40, looked 6 - in whale years - and acted like a bratty 9-year-old who dropped his ice cream cone in the sandpit; Kevin Brown was 39, looked (or at least walked) like he was 82 and acted … well, homicidal, mostly.

Now there is Philip Joseph Hughes, 21 years old and the latest pitcher to take the weight of the Yankees' world upon his substantial rotator cuffs...

Phil Wants Nolan Ryan's Old 34

Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes posted over on his Blog today that he had talked with Sean Henn about taking over his #34 jersey number. To sweeten the deal, Hughes said he promised to buy Henn dinner at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. I guess its not that bad of a deal for Henn since he probably didn't have much choice in the whole matter.

He did caution that nothing was 100% sure so stay tuned for more...

He also explained why he wanted #34:

"3+4=7, my Mom’s favorite number, and 34 was the number of my favorite pitcher growing up, Nolan Ryan"

Nolan Ryan is a great pitcher to emulate!!! Keep it up!!!

The Big Three Break It Down

Phil Hughes

Breakin' It Down

Starring: Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy

The Dawn of A New Day.....

Phil Hughes

The sun will come up over The Bronx, Midtown, Soho, and Queens tomorrow morning, much the same way it does every day. There will just be one significant difference for many die hard Yankee fans-- a blockbuster trade occurred and for once the farm system depleted by the monumental deal is wearing orange and blue-- not Pinstripes.

Many fans may have mixed feelings about the decision that the Yankees made not to pull the trigger on this deal, however, one fact remains; it appears to be the dawning of a new day over at East 161st Street.

With the new stadium seemingly appearing out of thin-air, and the Yankees farm system, which for years has been ridiculed and underestimated, now appears poised to make a significant impact in the coming years.

As a Yankee fan, this has been one the best days of the off season for me. Not only is Hughesie, Kennedy, Melky, and Jackson still in Pinstripes, but I believe this finally signals a change in philosophy for the Bronx Bombers. For once, the Yankees stuck to their guns and refused to be fleeced by the Minnesota Twins, of all teams.

It is now for sure, Phil Hughes will not be taking the hill on Opening Day in Minneapolis, as many Yankee die hards feared.

Now, this is not to say that the Bombers could not use one more veteran arm to anchor that young starting rotation, but there is still time to figure these things out and sometimes Spring Training has a way of doing this.

The NY fishwraps will be abuzz tomorrow morning with the news of a blockbuster trade involving Johann Santana, and for once we can be happy for the Mets; and in addition be happy for the future of New York Yankees baseball.

Go Bombers!

Straight from the Hughes' mouth

Phil Hughes

On his blog;
After coming back from my injury last season my mechanics were a little out of whack. This led to a little loss of velocity and command. When Dave arrived in September we were able to work out some things and I think that had a lot to do with the success I had at the end of the season. It was nice to finish off the year on a good note so I have something to work toward to get back to my normal self in 2008.

Man I sure hope so, The Messiah lives. Also, he mentions Dave Eiland in glowing terms;

This will be my 3rd season working with Dave. When it comes to my mechanics and pitching mentality I don’t think there is anyone that knows me better. Everyone is very excited to have him this season.

Definitely a vote of confidence for Eiland. He was able to fix in a week what Gator couldn't in a month? Also, check out the names of the questioners;

deltaforce82
chocolateaddict706
metalboy15

Dont know who scares me more deltaforce or metalboy.