Comments on: What Went Right: Andy Pettitte

By: andrew

andrew — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:03:55 +0000

+1. and Pettitte was our #5 to start the year last year? ok. fine with me.

By: Flo McCallister a/k/a Pettitte Fan

Flo McCallister a/k/a Pettitte Fan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:38:46 +0000

no doubt about it – must have Pettitte back.

By: JMK aka The Overshare

JMK aka The Overshare — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:58:25 +0000

Can Spreewell throw a ball?

By: JMK aka The Overshare

JMK aka The Overshare — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:58:24 +0000

Can Spreewell throw a ball?

By: JMK aka The Overshare

JMK aka The Overshare — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:55:51 +0000

I’m not sure about that. Sure, I think they’ll both be very good starting pitchers next year and beyond, but you can’t totally dispute that there are question marks. Hughes has yet to pitch a full season as a starter (and he hasn’t bee very good as a starter, either) and Joba really broke down last year. Again, I think they’ll do well, and on pure talent and possibility, we have the best 4,5 starters in the game, I’d argue. But you can’t say it’s a sure thing. You just can’t.

By: Rose

Rose — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:54:12 +0000

Aside from Phil Hughes’ horrendous start in Baltimore…his numbers as a starter in 2009 were actually really really good.

By: Rose

Rose — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:53:02 +0000

Reasons (in no order):

- Both are still very young
- Neither of them have ever started an entire season
- Joba increased his innings significantly from 2008-2009 which provides a better chance for injury
- While AJ may finally be rounding the healthy bend…he’s now pitched over 200 innings for the first time in his career which has a chance to increase injury/decline
- Pettitte will be 38 years old which may increase the possibilities of injury and decline
- While I don’t want either Joba or Hughes in the bullpen, taking them out of the bullpen in 2010 significantly worsens the bullpen that was so good in 2009. So winning games that are close, in reach, etc. become less likely than they were in 2009.
- CC Sabathia now has 251.1 IP in 2007, 256.2 IP in 2008, and 266.1 IP in 2009 the past 3 years. There’s no guarantee this doesn’t have a chance to weaken CC’s performance in 2010.

Having Chad Gaudin, Ian Kennedy, ~~Kei Igawa~~, and spots starts from Aceves is not bad…but in order to take on deeper, more established pitching in our division we might want to think about a more serviceable 6th starter…which I know won’t be easy.

By: JMK aka The Overshare

JMK aka The Overshare — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:51:04 +0000

If it’s any consolation, look at the #3s on other top teams. Most don’t have top-notch #3s. Boston has Dice-K, Tampa has Price or Shields (not sure which qualifies as the #3. Garza, Niemann, Shields, Price, Sonnastine/Davis?), Phillie has Blanton/Happ, Dodgers have Wolf/Kuroda/Billingsly. Angels have Weaver. Pettitte is better than most of those guys.

Maybe the Braves, Cardinals, Giants have better situations, but those teams all have more deficiencies than the Yanks do.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:50:48 +0000

Thinking that either “belong” in the pen at this stage is rather baseless.

It’s terriostic. And we cannot afford to lose the war against terriosts.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:49:12 +0000

Yeah, whoops! Double typo on my part:

~~2009~~ 2010 Joba and Hughes, with IPK in reserve in Scranton >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ~~2007~~ 2008 Hughes and IPK, with Joba in the bullpen