Another reason spending time in the bullpen might help a young pitcher

Earl Weaver thought that the best way to break in a young arm was to have him pitch out of the bullpen. The Yankees have certainly practiced that over the past few years, using both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in relief. While Weaver’s philosophy has merit, the Yankees have an additional reason to put their young pitchers out in right-center field: Mariano Rivera. He has a lot to teach young pitchers about composure and demeanor (unfortunately, he cannot teach them the cutter). Tyler Kepner has an article up about Mo’s influence on Phil Hughes this season. The 23-year-old seems to get it. My favorite line of the article: “Hughes, 23, cannot imitate Rivera’s cutter, but he shares a stoic demeanor.” In a league filled with emotional young pitchers, it’s nice to see someone who can rein it all in.