Hughes focusing on changeup in minor league camp
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Phil Hughes made his first appearance yesterday since being optioned down to Triple-A Scranton on Saturday, throwing five innings of one run ball against the Phillies’ top minor league affiliate. We don’t have a box score, but Chad Jennings says Hughes allowed only one extra base hit, which eventually led to the lone run. More importantly, Hughes retired the side in order in the fifth when pitching coach Scott Aldred told him to throw first pitch changeups to every batter he faced in the inning. He wasn’t facing a bunch of scrubs either, two of the three hitters he sat down in the inning were Shane Victorino and Jason Donald, an everyday player on a championship caliber team and the Phightin’s best prospect.
“I’m throwing my changeup a lot, trying to get my cutter going,” Hughes said. “I’m not throwing as many curveballs as I usually do, but that’s kind of what spring training is for.” Amen to that.
Elsewhere in the game, 2003 first rounder Eric Duncan played his first game outside of the infield, spending the entire game out in left field. In the never ending attempt to get some value out of him, the Yanks are having the Jersey born Duncan play some corner outfield this year to add some versatility to his game. Duncan only had to field three balls on the day – two that dunked in for hits in front of him and another fly ball near foul territory that he caught in stride. Baby steps people, baby steps.
Photo via Chad Jennings
Really nothing to lose for Duncan.
If he handles LF/RF and can somehow manage to actually OBP somewhere in the .320 range, maybe he could be our poor-man’s Mark Teahen/Chone Figgins off the bench…
More like our Rob Deer? Backup LF/RF/1B with serious power and .320 career OBP?
Meh, sure. Rob Deer was a shitty regular, but he’d have value as a bench player.
But, Duncan would be our backup LF/RF/1B/3B. Don’t leave that part out.
Yeah, actually the 3B ability would make him a valuable bench player, if he could hit to Deer’s level. Though I’ll still holding out some dim hope that he can be even better than that. He’s still young.
Though I’ll still holding out some dim hope that he can be even better than that. He’s still young.
You’re awesome. That’s so wonderful of you to do that.
I know. I’m great for being a Yankee fan that hopes to see the kids do well!
Touché.
(Although there is a difference between hoping the kids do well and actually thinking it’s possible. I HOPE Melky improves to the point that his bat is serviceable. I do HOPE that.)
Hopefully those back problems are behind Duncan now. He’s probably lost some mobility and overall athleticism, but at least this move gives him some hope of seeing ML action. 1B is well cluttered behind Tex, Swish, and Miranda.
Hughes, one run and one xbh, BUST! Trade him for Nick Punto, a real utility man!
If Hughes can really be using the change, that’s huge
Yep. That changeup is the key to his long term success, IMO.
UUUUUGE
Mike and the Mad Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax!!!!!
On Sports Radio 66, W-F-A-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!
serious?
It’s bound to happen.
There is no other logical endgame for Francesa and Kellerman. They suck individually but are both lightningrods for ratings. Joining forces makes so much sense.
If Hughes can make either of the change up or cutter into an average pitch with the other being an above average pitch he will be successful since his curve is a plus pitch.
The more I hear about Hughes pitch development, the more I envision him as the next Mussina (HOPEFULLY). Different speeds, different pitches, variations on speed with the same pitch, great command. That’s his ceiling, and what a ceiling!
Also, I hope he holds on to the spike curve even though he is developing a power curve. A curveball with two different speeds has to mess with a hitter’s head.
I believe the plan is to have the 2 curves, and not give up one over the other.
I’ve always envisioned him as more of a strikeout guy than Moose was.
See Moose’s career before he was a Yankee.
Actually, his prime strikeout years kinda overlapped the end of his Orioles career and the beginning of his Yankees one.
11 straight years from 1996-2006 with at least 7.00 K/9.
Still, a career 7.11 K/9 is nothing to be ashamed of.
That’s true. I guess I more meant “See Moose’s career while he was in his prime”
He wasn’t always the “crafty veteran” who won 20 games at age 3,947 or however old he was.
Moose was a pretty dominant K guy, so to surpass that would be unbelievable
Referencing my comment about today’s lineup in the previous post…
“Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon are flip-flopping lineup spots for the remainder of the spring, and if the experiment goes well, the Yankees may stay with Jeter in the leadoff spot and Damon in the two-hole during the regular season. The switch evolved by accident. Damon has been hitting in second with Jorge Posada leading off, because Girardi wanted the catcher to get more at-bats during the spring. But Girardi said Damon comfortable enough the new lineup that it was worth exploring the switch.”
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde.....ing_d.html
very interesting development
Bryan Hoch cosigned that in his Twitterfeed.
http://twitter.com/bryanhoch
Also says that the plan is for CC to pitch the season opener in Baltimore and then have him lined up to pitch the home opener against Cleveland on the 16th, meaning our earlier speculation matches the teams plan (and that the guys will be going on three days rest during that second turn in the rotation):
Mon Apr 6 – @BAL: Sabathia
Tue Apr 7 –
Wed Apr 8 – @BAL: Wang
Thu Apr 9 – @BAL: Burnett
Fri Apr 10 – @KC: Pettitte
Sat Apr 11 – @KC: Sabathia (Joba skipped)
Sun Apr 12 – @KC: Wang
Mon Apr 13 – @TB: Burnett
Tue Apr 14 – @TB: Pettitte
Wed Apr 15 – @TB: Joba
Thu Apr 16 – Home Opener CLE: Sabathia
Fri Apr 17 – CLE: Wang
Sat Apr 18 – CLE: Burnett
Sun Apr 19 – CLE: Pettitte
Mon Apr 20 – OAK: Joba
Tue Apr 21 – OAK: Sabathia
Wed Apr 22 – OAK: Wang
Thu Apr 23 –
I guess the Joba innings limit is already coming into effect… hopefully not pitching in a game for 10+ days doesn’t hurt him at all
Just wait he’s going to throw a BP session during a game, and the B-Jobbers are going to go NUTS.
I guess the Joba innings limit is already coming into effect… hopefully not pitching in a game for 10+ days doesn’t hurt him at all
I’d assume he’d throw a side session during his normal turn. Nothing to get excited about.
Definitely agreed in terms of arm strength, but just going without live batters for almost 2 weeks. Doubt it will cause any issues though.
April 6 at Baltimore: Sabathia
April 8 at Baltimore: Wang
April 9 at Baltimore: Burnett
April 10 at Kansas City: Pettitte
April 11 at Kansas City: Sabathia
April 12 at Kansas City: Chamberlain
April 13 at Tampa Bay: Wang
April 14 at Tampa Bay: Burnett
April 15 at Tampa Bay: Pettitte
April 16 vs. Cleveland: Sabathia
April 17 vs. Cleveland: Chamberlain
April 18 vs. Cleveland: Wang
April 19: vs. Cleveland: Burnett
April 20: vs. Oakland: Pettitte
April 21: vs. Oakland: Sabathia
April 22: vs. Oakland: Chamberlain
April 24 at Boston: Wang
April 25 at Boston: Burnett
April 26 at Boston: Pettitte
This is correct, there isn’t proper rest for Wang to follow CC in KC
Okay, that seems logical.
I was thinking to linearly with the 1-2-3-4-5 order. Makes sense to go 1-5-2-3-4; put the two guys likely to pitch the least amount of innings (#4 Pettitte and #5 Joba) sandwiched around your #1 ace.
You’re a genius, Jon.
I will take 100% of the credit but it was also posted on pete abs blog
You’re a
geniusdirty thieving man-whore, Jon.Happened by accident, or by reading RAB? Hmmm…
Guys, we shouldn’t talk about lineup changes. It’s stupid because they’ll never happen, so why are we all waatng our time when we could be solving the work financial crisis, feeding the hungry and curing aids?
You’re so right, Whozat. Mo, how could we be so stupid?!
WHY WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!??!?!
You know what happens when we take the heartbeat out of the game? The kids suffer. If we keep talking like this, they’ll think the game is played on spreadsheets. Kids don’t want spreadsheets. They want a game with a pulse!
That’s awesome, actually!
Nomaas is quick to point out that Cash reads their site. Maybe this is evidence of the Yanks perusing some other sites (ahem, RAB, ahem)to see if the plebes have any insight that they may have overlooked.
You honestly think that the Yankees haven’t noticed Jeter’s infuriating tendency to hit into double-plays?
Although, if they had noticed, you’d think they would have done the switch years ago.
Calm down there fella,it is not a SF that you are dealing with on this site.
As far as Jeter and his DP’s are concerned, the case for a switch runs a little deeper than that. I am indeed sure that the Yanks have noticed that he has hit into more DP’s in recent years, but this is the first time they have actually considered addressing it.
refresher for you:
http://riveraveblues.com/2009/.....neup-9354/
Mostly, I was just having a little fun. Sorry to not bring the ‘doom and gloom’ enough for you.
Although, if they had noticed, you’d think they would have done the switch years ago.
but it wasn’t a problem “years ago”.
it is a recent problem.
It has been pretty clear this offseason that the business side of the Yankees doesn’t give a rats-ass about the plebes. I’d love to think the baseball side is more open, but I’m inclined to doubt that they saw this idea on RAB.
Either way, it is very encouraging that the team is actually looking more objectively at their players and not automatically giving in to sentiment or habit(maybe a sign of things to come when moving Jeter out of SS). Of course Jeter may end up back in the 2-spot because of what is comfortable for him or Damon, but at least they are trying it out!
I hear you on the business side, although they seemed to have softened a bit in recent weeks. Opening the gates early enough for home BP and, at least, acknowledging the surrounding Bronx community is a start.
I don’t really get all that worked up about ticket and stadium issues as I haven’t lived in the NY metro area for 10+ years and get to a game or two a year. Hopefully, some of the poor fan treatment that used to come part and parcel with a Yankee game was put to bed with OYS closing. It was a bit sickening to see ushers treat people like shit, being that they were, you know, ushers and all, whose job it is to show people to their seats.
As far as the baseball side is concerned, one would hope that they consider all options and forms of analysis, but we have seen a few poor ideas come down the pipe in the past. At the very least, this indicates that they are willing to be flexible and give some out-of-the-box (I use this term loosely) ideas a shot.
SWEET.
As for why they’re doing it… I don’t really care. I like that they are doing it at all. It shows flexibility.
Yea… the reason most of us thought it wouldn’t happen wasjust because Damon and Jeter were too entrenched in their roles, it’s good to see they are willing to think outside the box a little bit.
“Hughes retired the side in order in the fifth when pitching coach Scott Aldred told him to throw first pitch changeups to every batter he faced in the inning.”
Wait, Scott Aldred? Career 6.02 ERA Scott Aldred?
Man, that whole “bad baseball players make good coaches” thing really is true, huh?
Hey, I’m a FAR worse ball player than Scott Aldred ever was…maybe I should be the highest-paid coach of all! My all-twinkies-’n-beer training regimen would make the team the class of the big leagues!
Man, that whole “bad baseball players make good coaches” thing really is true, huh?
If that’s true, then if (when) Gardner wins the starting job, we can just offer Melky a coaching position.
That’s just cold, man.
Best hitting coach in the game, Melky
ARod: I feel like my front side is coming open a little early. What do you think, Melk?
Melky: Here, gimme the bat. I’ll show you how I’d handle that pitch; you just look at me and DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT I DO.
… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, SCENE!
Kevin who?
Melky will be an excellent baserunning coach. Especially on how to headslide into 1b.
Melky isn’t gritty enough for that.
Has anyone seen Damon Sublett play? I hear he is a pretty good hitter and seems more suited for 2nd base than SS. Will be at Trenton this season or back in Tampa?