Results tagged ‘ AJ Burnett ’
Yankees Pummel Johan: No Miracle on 161st Street for Santa-na and Mets
The Yankees were faced with the harsh realization that they deserved to be riding a five-game losing streak entering Sunday’s afternoon matchup with the ace of aces–Mets starter Johan Santana.
Alex Rodriguez had failed in the clutch once again on Friday, awaiting a chorus of boos to inevitably crescendo from all corners of the new Yankee Stadium.
Mets 2B Luis Castillo became the most unlikely of heroes for the Yankees that night, as we all know what happened next–”Luis, the Bad News Bears are on line two for you.”
A Saturday loss almost certainly left the Yankees staring at a disappointing series loss at the hands of their cross-city rivals, as Santana was sure to put his best foot forward in a pressure-packed moment.
The Yankees would counter with high-priced AJ Burnett–a hurler who had just fell on his face in the biggest start of his young Yankee career in Fenway Park.
The characteristically patient and savvy Yankees lineup turned to the game plan that had frustrated opposing aces on many occasions in years past. They would simply wait him out and attempt to create a bloated pitch count in early innings.
This slow death philosophy, coupled with Santana’s reduced velocity and inconsistent command, resulted in the worst performance of his Major League career.
In just three hapless innings in Yankee Stadium, his ERA would instantly transform from Cy Young favorite (2.39) to “quality No. 2 starter territory” in the National League (3.29).
The Yankees would humiliate the Mets 15-0, putting a stamp on a series they were never worthy of winning in the first place. The only team that could have saved New York (AL) from unraveling was the Mets–a franchise dedicated to breaking the hearts of its loyal fan base.
In fact, I believe “the choking man” from all of the Heimlich maneuver instructional posters in restaurants is actually wearing a Mets jersey. (Ok, that was harsh and unnecessary–but I couldn’t resist)
It was an imperative series victory after the mini Boston Massacre at Fenway Park earlier in the week, and the schedule now weakens for a bit until a trip to Citi Field on June 26.
New York (AL) will now receive a first person view of the Mets daily life in the NL East, as the Nationals, Marlins, and Braves are in consecutive order on the upcoming schedule.
It is rather remarkable that the Yankees and Red Sox are in the process of facing 15 consecutive NL East opponents. I am a very strong proponent for interleague play, but this is a rather absurd set of circumstances.
Joe Girardi’s return to Florida will likely add some competitive flavor to an otherwise dull meeting, and New York will hopefully channel the rage and fire flowing through their manager’s veins.
If the Yankees go 6-3 in the upcoming pre-Mets stretch, they will stand at 42-30 on the season. It would put them on pace for between 94 and 95 wins.
This win total would more than likely be enough to earn a playoff spot and get back to October baseball–a month that once felt like home for an annually dominant and feared franchise.
Dismantling the National League’s best pitcher in a rivalry game was an impressive stepping stone into a stretch of games the team should dominate.
Until Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and the bi-polar bullpen are stabilized, however, it appears that nothing is a given–especially not the always coveted “consistency.”
Also seen at: Heartbeat of the Bronx
AJ Burnett vs. Derek Lowe: Why the Yankees Yearn For Shot at Time Travel
The Yankees endured a long and eventually expensive offseason of courting free agents and subsequently flirting with their representation and entourages.
Primary targets on the pitching front included a “no-brainer” in CC Sabathia, as well as two hurlers in their 30s on completely different sides of the mound spectrum.
The first was AJ Burnett–a hard-throwing ball of electricity and intimidation–blessed with stuff that only could be sent down directly from the baseball gods.
In the other corner was former Red Sox nemesis Derek Lowe, a crafty veteran who possesses a sinker even the deepest burrowing of worms has nightmares about.
Both hurlers had won about 53-54 percent of their decisions entering the 2009 season, and their earned run averages were also strikingly similar. The decision would come down to other factors–ranging from age to injury history to American League transitional ability.
New York had to choose between a flashy glove-popping fastball and a stern grass-burning sinker. The decision is an easy one, right? It appears to be, especially considering the similarity in stat lines.
What if I told you that the glove-popping fastball belonged to a pitcher who only once won more than 12 games in a season, has never pitched a postseason game, has a turbulent injury history, and has been known to let innings explode like a Ford Pinto?
What if I included that the grass-burning sinker was released from the hand of a veteran who won the clinching game of each and every series on Boston’s way to breaking the curse in 2004? Or that he has a career 1.15 WHIP and 3.33 ERA in 21 postseason games?
Now that we can agree that the choice is obvious and blatant, let’s take a look at who the Yankees chose to trust the hopes of a World Series run in–the glove-popping fastball.
The move has undeniably backfired, as Lowe stands at 7-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, while Burnett is floundering at 4-3 with a 4.89 ERA and nearly 1.50 WHIP.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been seen frantically searching for plutonium, a restored flux capacitor, and a used DeLorean in order to attempt to travel back in time to Dec. 12, 2008–the day he signed an $82.5 million check over to a lifelong tease.
When Cashman was pulled over for speeding down Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, he tried to explain to the NYPD that he was merely pushing his car to “precisely 88 MPH”–the suggested speed for time travel in Back to the Future.
Making things worse, the Yankees passed up a ground-ball pitcher built to throw in “hitter’s parks” in favor of a fly ball pitcher destined for failure in the newly constructed homer haven of the Bronx.
An extra year and $22.5 million separates the contracts of the two pitchers, and the Atlanta Braves are more grateful every day for losing out in the Burnett sweepstakes.
The Yankees won championships because of men taking the mound who knew how to pitch regardless of how hard they may have thrown.
They won with Jimmy Key, Orlando Hernandez, David Cone, and Andy Pettitte–none of which would be confused with possessing a 95+ MPH fastball at that point of their careers.
Lowe fit the exact mold New York needed for an October playoff run, while also not compromising success and consistency during the regular season. He is durable, dependable, poised, and fearless–the perfect compliment to Sabathia in what could have been a flawless winter game of Monopoly.
Burnett may have helped to loosen and otherwise tight locker room atmosphere, and has implemented an interesting celebration following walk-off victories.
As the season begins to wear on, however, it appears as though the Yankee hierarchy and Burnett himself are the ones left with pie on their faces.
Also seen at: Heartbeat of the Bronx
The Yankees Can Forget About Chien-Ming, Right? “Wang!”
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang has had much more than just a tumultuous season in pinstripes.
A 0-3 record and 34.50 ERA turned a former ace into a rejuvenation project filled with fear and uncertainty.
The unexpected and full-fledged collapse left the Yankees organization stirring for answers–only to find more questions the deeper they dug.
Would Wang ever again regain the form of years past? Had he simply had his confidence forever shattered like the sad story of Rick Ankiel?
Did compensations for a recurring foot injury ultimately lead to overexertion of his pitching shoulder and elbow?
Golf enthusiasts refer to the persistent nightmare as “the yips,” describing the sudden and complete inability to perform even the most simplistic of mechanical tasks.
It usually starts with a missed putt or a wayward drive of the tee, but before long a golfer is left praying for a way to simply make decent contact.
In the midst of a battle with “the yips,” a golfer would rather wind up and throw the ball down the fairway than even attempt to address it with a golf club in hand.
Wang was experiencing the baseball version of the psychological phenomenon, suddenly prevented from utilizing the pitch that single-handedly paved the road for his success–a painfully heavy sinker.
Virtually nothing could be done to rediscover or repair mechanics “gone rogue,” as mental anguish seemed to be at the epicenter of the pitching issues.
New York released a very rational and sensible explanation for the happenings, highlighting Wang’s incapability of driving off the mound with his formerly injured foot.
Subsequent compensations in mechanics put added pressure on his hip joints, while also preventing him from getting on top of his patented sinker.
Whether or not the story is 100 percent true will remain a mystery, but it was far too logical to bother questioning.
After all, an injury is much more comforting for a fan base to hear than “he may need time in a mental health facility.”
On Wednesday night, Wang finally delivered a sense of hope to Yankees Universe that all hope was not lost for his 2009 campaign.
It finally appeared as though it would be Wang’s fastball that would be rapidly sinking, as opposed to the prospects of his Yankees career.
Wang pitched two strong innings in relief against a very talented Rangers lineup, and closed out the game without allowing a single baserunner.
He struck out two Rangers, including one of the hottest hitters in MLB in Nelson Cruz. Cruz had recently produced 5 HR, 10 RBI, and a .462 AVG during a seven-game hitting streak.
Wang also generating two ground balls, proving that the depth and tilt on his sinker are beginning to round back into form.
There is a lot to still be concerned about, and two innings clearly is not enough of a sample size to deem Wang “cured.”
Yankees fans were looking to anything as a sign of progress, however, and this certainly qualifies as such.
Wang’s importance has been downplayed slightly in the recent past, as Phil Hughes has pitched dominantly over his last two starts.
Do not be a strictly nearsighted fan, and do not disregard how vital Wang is/could become to the Yankees ultimate successes.
In the event that Joba Chamberlain is forced back into the bullpen or AJ Burnett suffers an injury, Wang could be the difference between a playoff birth and scheduling tee times.
Let’s hope the result is not the latter…as Wang’s “yips” would likely worsen if he was lead onto a golf course.
Also Seen At: Heartbeat of the Bronx
A.J. Burnett vs. Roy Halladay: When Pupil is Forced to Face Professor
Yankees starter A.J. “don’t call me Carol” Burnett credits the Jays Roy Halladay for completely altering his pitching style.
Halladay’s tutelage has ultimately refined Burnett’s consistency, as well as allowed him to be placed on the “dominant list” more times than the disabled list.
The implementation of a sharp two-seam fastball and a conservation of velocity have taken Burnett’s pitching prowess to levels much closer to his mountain-high potential.
Burnett will now be forced to face his savvy teacher and many former teammates, while also pitching in the ‘dome he called home’ for three years of his career.
In many master-pupil battles, such as the father and son dynamic, the pupil ultimately overcomes the master when he is far past his athletic prime.
The day that a son embarrasses his father in one-on-one basketball, or snaps off a curveball too nasty for his old hands to handle, it is both a proud and degrading moment in his life.
It is bad enough that he is going through a mid-life crisis, but now his son has officially evolved from the primordial soup into a far superior physical machine.
Dr. Frankenstein has created a monster that he no longer can control.
The only recourse is to now live vicariously through the son, suddenly arrogant that his seed and teachings have created such a phenom.
Unfortunately for Burnett, however, he must face Halladay near the peak of his physical existence. He is on pace for an illogical 29 wins this season, and currently stands at 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA.
It is ironic that Halladay sports the “Doc” moniker, as he has taught Burnett everything he knows about pitching as opposed to throwing.
“Doc” is named after the Arizona gunslinger Doc Holliday, though the nickname should reflect all the hitters he makes sickly after facing him start to start.
Hitters have not been sprinting up to the batter’s box to face Burnett this season either, as he has pitched very well outside of one lowly performance in Fenway.
When excluding the Boston start, Burnett is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 2.5 K/BB ratio in five starts. He pitched at least six innings in four of those five starts, minimizing the early exits which once plagued his career.
It will be interesting to see how Burnett approaches facing his former team, as he normally has a knack for elevating his performance against division rivals.
New York will hope for a much better result than C.C. Sabathia’s reunion with Cleveland, as a bullpen implosion left nothing but bruised egos and a 10-2 slaughter.
Burnett pitched admirably against the Rays in his last start, but will need better command of his breaking ball to shut down a potent Jays offense.
Toronto is currently first in all of MLB with 204 runs scored and a .294 team batting average. They are also sitting third with 44 home runs. Their bats are one of the many reasons they sport the best record in the American League.
During his tenure as a Blue Jay, Burnett was 21-8 while pitching at home in the Rogers Centre. Perhaps his familiarity and past dominance in the park will help to fuel his fire on the mound.
“Doc” is one of the most respected and classy hurlers in the league, but this is one day that I hope he gets dosed with a little bit of his own medicine.
Also seen at: Heartbeat of the Bronx
A.J. Burnett Nearly Stung by Rays: No-Hitter Quickly Becomes Nail Biter
There was a quiet intensity surrounding A.J. Burnett before taking the mound on Tuesday night, and it was clear that it could develop into a special evening.
No one truly anticipated just how special it almost became in Tampa Bay.
Burnett vowed that he would pitch deep into his second start in pinstripes, almost going as far as to guarantee a night’s rest for his exhausted teammates in the bullpen.
Not only did Burnett follow through on that guarantee, he came just nine outs away from giving virtually his entire team a night off.
Armed with a 93-95 MPH fastball and knee-buckling curveball, Burnett added impeccable control in order to manipulate a potent Tampa Bay Rays lineup.
As innings quickly disappeared into the rearview mirror, a bright white zero remained on the scoreboard in the Rays’ hits column.
Burnett collected strikeout after strikeout with seemingly effortless velocity, and brought a mental approach to the mound which rivaled that of a perfectionist.
At one point during the game, Burnett was seen scolding himself for bouncing a curveball on a full count. He went as far as to call himself “stupid” for not relying on his two-seam fastball in that situation.
Aside from his electrifying stuff, Burnett brought an even more important asset to the starting rotation. It has not been witnessed in the Bronx since Roger Clemens left town with his tail between his legs.
Earlier in the game, Yankees OF Nick Swisher was buzzed up around his chin by a lively Matt Garza fastball.
As if Swisher’s subsequent home run was not enough payback, Burnett offered the same intimidating treatment to Rays superstar Evan Longoria.
The ability to fearlessly stand up for your teammates is a quality in a pitcher that earns immeasurable respect throughout the clubhouse.
Burnett carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, with the Yankees poised for a simplistic victory in a game exhibiting a playoff atmosphere.
After three consecutive singles by Rays hitters to begin the inning, however, Burnett was left wondering if he had lost the game along with his no-hitter.
This often happens to pitchers who lose no-hitters late in ball games.
Burnett was in an unbreakable rhythm throughout his performance, and exerted a confidence and conviction most athletes refer to as “the zone.”
Once a pitcher is shocked back to reality after allowing his first hit, he is forced to try to regain the focus he had just seconds earlier.
Burnett was now forced into the stretch for only the second time in the game, which helps to breed a pitcher’s sudden discomforts.
With runners on first and third and no outs, Burnett was given an early Christmas present by Pat Burrell.
Burrell was given a green light on a 3-0 fastball, and hit a lazy fly ball to right field. Though the out lead to the game’s tying run, it helped to calm Burnett’s nerves.
Five outs later, Burnett had finished off a masterful eight-inning pitching performance.
The Yankee offense resurrected itself in the latter innings, ensuring that a win could not escape Burnett for a second time.
The game ended in a 7-2 Yankees victory, and improved Burnett’s early season record to 2-0.
Though the final score looks convincing and uneventful, countless viewers began popping blood pressure medication at around 9:30 PM EST.
The Yankees have improved to .500 in the standings, and are right where they had hoped to be. They are staring eye-to-eye with Tampa Bay, and looking down at the Red Sox below them.
Surprisingly, the Yankees still lie in third place in the league’s toughest division behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
Here We Go Again: A.J. Burnett Tears Elbow Ligament
After A.J. Burnett was roughed up Sunday by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates in his last spring start, the Yankees coaching staff was looking for answers.
Fans, players, and Yankee employees were seeking a catalyst to explain such a glaring deviance from an otherwise dominant spring.
On Wednesday night, an MRI result has unfortunately brought the Burnett picture into focus.
After surrendering 10 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) in just 4 1/3 innings, Burnett’s ego was not the only thing left in need of a repair.
Burnett has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.
The injury requires immediate surgery, and shatters the hopes of an otherwise promising 2009 campaign.
Burnett has already been a victim of Tommy John surgery in past years, and has earned the reputation as a frail pitcher.
He has his orthopedic surgeon’s phone number programmed on his speed dial.
This news sends a shockwave through the Yankee Universe, and essentially throws $16 million down the drain from the team’s 2009 payroll.
Phil Hughes will undoubtedly be called upon to stop the bleeding, but what can really be expected from the young replacement?
Burnett has left the Yankees in a very difficult spot, and could result in a trade in the coming weeks.
The absences of Alex Rodriguez and Burnett could cripple New York’s playoff dreams, as they are now sure to get off to a slow start.
A setback of this magnitude leaves me virtually speechless.
All I can say now is…APRIL FOOLS!!
I’m very sorry everyone who actually read this far without knowing my intentions of a hoax.
I simply could not resist.
Hughes Gives Minnesota Twins Their “Phil”
In cementing his place as the opening day starter for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in AAA, Phil Hughes gave Minnesota all they could handle and more.
Hughes lowered his spring ERA to an impressive 2.19, while limiting the Twins to just four base runners in 4 1/3 innings pitched.
Though he has struggled with the command of his fastball for much of the spring, the results and progression have been exactly what the Yankees have been waiting for.
Touted as the unquestionable “Ace” of the future, Hughes showed nothing but frailty and control problems in 2008.
It is nearly impossible to commit to memory that Hughes is just 22 years old. His name has been on the tip of all our tongues for seemingly a decade.
There is plenty of time to develop into what his vast potential foreshadows, but I wonder how long the impatient New York demographic will be willing to wait for him.
If Hughes is able to master his improving changeup, there is no telling how high his ceiling can rise.
His velocity may never reach the 95-96 that caused fans to salivate after reading internet reports, but it may not have to.
If he can spot a 91-92 MPH fastball on the corners while throwing his above-average curveball for strikes, he can blossom into a No. 3 starter.
Mixing in the command of a deceptive changeup could make the difference in Hughes eventually becoming a top of the rotation starter.
If nothing else, Yankee fans can have confidence in their current No. 6 starter. In the event that AJ Burnett or Andy Pettitte misses a string of starts, Hughes could fill in without a major drop-off in production.
Hughes may not be ready to pitch a full season at the Major League level, but he seems more than adequate to act as an injury replacement for a handful of turns.
Another highly-regarded Yankee prospect had a memorable moment on Friday. Center Field prospect Austin Jackson crushed his second home run of the spring.
He average currently stands at .303, and he has started to show why New York thinks so highly of him.
Like any young hitter, Jackson has struggled with pitch selection and top-notch breaking pitches. He added two strikeouts to his team leading 11 thus far this spring.
Jackson has struck out in one-third of his plate appearances, while also working only two walks.
He has a lot of work to do, but has shown the tools to develop into a solid everyday player by 2011.
The media will focus on the big names and even bigger contracts associated with them, and rightfully so.
However, it is exciting to see the minor league pipeline begin to tease us all with its talent pool.
AJ Burnett NOT a Control Freak After All
AJ Burnett had not walked a batter during spring training entering Thursday night’s action.
mlblogsheartbeatofthebronx
Recent Comments