Worth the Wait

Phil Hughes delivered. For one day at least, all is right with the Yankees. The team snapped a semi-alarming losing streak, and one of the organization's top young arms finally gave legions of nervous Yankees fans a good look at the same major-league talent that Brian Cashman fell in love with, and refused to give up. 

I was most impressed with Hughes' composure and confidence. He went after each hitter with purpose and conviction, snapping off breaking balls seemingly at will, spotting his above-average fastball and keeping hitters (particularly lefties) honest throughout the night with a pretty effective cutter, a new addition to his already representative repertoire. Really, even if the Yankees had lost, I couldn't have asked for a better outing from Hughes. Who cares if it came one year later than expected?  

Others are impressed, too. Here's a quick roundup of what some are saying. 

Joel Sherman:

You know what Phil Hughes looked like on Tuesday night? He looked like a guy worth waiting for. He looked like the kind of guy you do think long and hard about giving up, even for Johan Santana. He looked like part of the solution for the 2009 Yankees.

Mark Feinsand:

Tuesday night was only one start, but it was the kind of start that reminded us all why this kid had so much hype around him to begin with. Hughes showed precise command of his 92-94 mph fastball, a huge curveball that actually had veteran hitters moving out of the way before it fell in for a called strike and an effective cutter that helped him escape the one jam he got himself into.

[snip]

Hughes is still only 22. If this is how long it took for him to get it together, that’s pretty good.

Tyler Kepner, who, like me, is also bullish about Mark Melancon:

Here’s a prediction. It’s easy to make now, after the last few games, but if you’ve seen them pitch and followed their stories, you believed it even before. Phil Hughes and Mark Melancon won’t go back to the minors.

Mike A.:

All this Pitch f/x stuff is cool and fun to look at, but it can’t quantify the biggest difference between the 2008 version of Phil Hughes and the 2008 version of Phil Hughes: confidence. Last year Hughes (and Ian Kennedy as well) nibbled at the corners too much and pitched scared; they were afraid of contact and didn’t challenge hitters, digging themselves into deeper and deeper holes before the wheels finally came off. Last night was different for Hughes. He went after hitters and pitched with a plan. 

[snip]

What a difference a year - and a third pitch - makes.

Yes, it's only one start. But it was a good one, hopefully the first of many for Hughes this season. 

The Reviews Are In

The Yankees just finished their first homestand at the new stadium. Like a lot of people, I've yet to make the trip up to the Bronx, although, from what I've seen on television, the stadium looks pretty good, if a bit excessive. Like a third arm. I'm not too concerned about the "alarming" number of home runs, but if it keeps up through June, I might start to grow nostalgic for the old digs. 

In the meantime, here's a quick summary of what the blogroll thinks of the new Yankee Stadium. The early reviews are decidedly mixed. 

The Good.

 

ASWOBA: 

I was impressed. (A full post of my photos can be found here.) At first, I have to admit that the whole thing seemed like too much. The comfortably cushioned seats are straight out of a new megaplex. The size and clarity of the video screen beyond the center-field wall is impossible to describe in words or even photos. You have to sit in the stadium to grasp how it dominates the field of vision, like a high-def spaceship hovering above the field, the aliens whistling and trying to look inconspicuous. That screen represents the general principle that the stadium is terrific but a lot. The concourses are very open-air, and reminded me of similar spaces in the new(ish) parks in Philadelphia and Houston, among other places. The areas surrounding the game are an enormous improvement from the old Y.S., where leaving your seat for food felt like traveling several miles from the stadium to a claustrophobic warehouse in need of industrial cleaning.

Mike A.:

Other than the PA system, the place was amazing. Monument Park seems a little too hidden, it would be nice to have it on full display as it was at the Old Stadium. The upper deck isn’t nearly as steep as it was across the street, and I like the look of the dark blue seats. I’m sure some people will bitch and moan about tiny little things, but overall the place is phenomenal. I look forward to watching baseball there for the rest of my life.

The bad. 

YFSF:

The Yanks went 4-2 in their first homestand at the new ballpark, but the headlines are almost all negative. CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang are struggling, homers are flying at an alarming pace, and—most urgently—attendance has been pathetic, especially in the highly visible premium seats and the luxury suites that were the very reason for building the place. Our grade on the first week: D-

Ben K.:

New Yankee Stadium is all about exclusion. Throughout the stadium, intermingled with the broad concourses and seating sections, are exclusive areas. There are restaurants that cater only to people who are ticketed for those sections. Get to close and an overanxious security guard will eye you suspiciously while awaiting a ticket stub to confirm that, yes, you actually do belong here.

And the ugly.

Fack Youk:

They say the New Stadium is quieter than the Old one. The "asshole" chants in the bleachers for Sox & Mets fans are pretty loud.

Why Wang Got Whacked

Because of his inconsistent release point, according to the wizards at River Avenue Blues. 

Pretty chart. But what does it mean? Mike Axisa explains:

Wowza. I used Wang’s complete game two hit job in Fenway last April as my basis of comparison (that’s a combo of both sinkers & four-seamers to make life easy), and look at the difference. His release point is off by about a foot both vertically and horizontally (FYI, the x-axis is the distance from the center of the plate, the y-axis is the distance above the ground, both in feet, each gridline represents one inch). This explains a whole lot, because it’s hard to get that sinker down with such a high release point. Now we know what the Wanger and Dave Eiland have to work on over the next four days.

Hopefully, Wang, like CC, can make the necessary adjustments to his helter-skelter delivery and inconsistent release point before his next start. Otherwise, it could be a long season for Wang and the Yankees. 

Balance Sheets

For the past few weeks, I’ve heard murmurs about the Yankees warming up to oft-injured free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets because oft-injured free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett is looking for a 5-year contract.

I never really gave the rumor much thought, but it just won’t go away.

Initially, I thought this was a terrible idea for the Yankees, especially after the Pavano fiasco. After reading this exhaustive comparison by the guys at RAB, though, I’m starting to think signing Sheets to a 3-year deal might be worth the risk and, truth be told, in the Yankees' best interests. 

Here's a nice little nugget about the two pitchers' health-related problems, which helps put into perspective Sheets' recent rash of injuries. 

So comparing the two pitchers side-by-side, Sheets’ injuries appear to be more isolated that Burnett’s. The shoulder problems occurred so far apart that it would be hard to believe they’re related, while the torn lat and finger issues are behind him. Burnett’s shoulder problem looks very much like an isolated incident, however his elbow has been a persistent problem, giving him trouble in four different seasons, however it hasn’t bothered him in over two years. Burnett just completed his first healthy season since 2005, while Sheets was about to do the same (I just can’t accept an ear infection as evidence of him being injury prone) until his late season muscle tear. And that is why you’re hearing much less about Sheets this winter, because he’s injured right now.

I'm still not fully sold on Sheets, but RAB's Mike A. does score some persuasive points.  

(UPDATE: Fixed after a note from GHS.)