From John Harper (hat-tips to Scott Proctor's Arm and Rob Neyer):
CC Sabathia didn't forget how to pitch, let's get that out of the way first. Getting smacked around in early March is practically a rite of spring for veteran pitchers, and hardly cause for concern.Still, Wednesday was a reminder that there are at least a couple of reasons to keep an eye on the $161 million man as he adjusts to life as a Yankee: he's a laid-back Californian who admittedly would have preferred the West Coast, and he's pitched a ton of innings the last two seasons.
Yes, if Yankee fans feel any need to worry about Sabathia, the numbers that matter aren't the six hits and five runs he gave up in 1-2/3 innings here against the Tigers. Instead it's the total of 512 innings, including postseason, that Sabathia pitched over the last two seasons, by far the most of any pitcher in baseball.
No, yesterday's start was not a reminder of anything. Well, maybe it reminds us once again of how insignificant spring stats are. The innings pitched? Fine, that's one thing, but what does yesterday's start have to do with the innings he's thrown in the past two years?
Add the stress of pitching on three days' rest in September and October for the Brewers last season, and Sabathia has the potential for a hangover effect that at least some people in baseball believe is inevitable. In fact, according to one Yankee person, Sabathia's workload was a source of some internal discussion before it was decided the combination of talent and toughness was worth investing huge money in him over seven years."There is (data) out there that made some people nervous," the person said. "You cross your fingers and hope his size and strength makes it a non-issue."
I understand the concern about the number of innings and pitches CC has thrown in the past two seasons. In fact, I wrote this post and this post about it a few months ago. Those posts were based more on the number of pitches thrown - over 3400 in each of the past two seasons - but it's all related.
On the other hand, isn't it also a good thing that CC has proven that he can be the workhorse of the staff?
Heck, that's the main reason they brought Andy Pettitte back, wasn't it?
Harper goes on:
Hopefully the precautions the Yankees have taken with CC this spring will pay off. I'm not too concerned with CC health, somewhat concerned, but not as much as I am about someone like A.J. Burnett or Joba Chamberlain. And as I've said many times it's hard not to be concerned about the health of your favorite team's starting pitchers, especially coming off the year the Yankees had last season.Sabathia, a mountain of a man at 6-6, 280 pounds, scoffs at such talk, saying he is built for the workload. Besides, he said, his arm feels as strong ever, even if he paid for leaving some fastballs in the middle of the plate Wednesday.
Still, he understands the concern and says he's glad the Yankees went into spring training determined to ease him along in an effort to keep his arm fresh.
"They did a good job of that," Sabathia said. "I felt like I was down here forever before they let me pitch in a game on March 6th. If it was up to me, I would have pitched in the first game of the spring."
7 Comments:
Harper is a moron. I mean come on its his second start in spring training, typical new york media blowing everything out of porportion. People complain that the yankees baby Joba with his innings count now they are complaining CC has pitched too many innings.
Let Joba and CC pitch only 5-6 innings in the first half. Phil Hughes or Coke or somebody else should be used to lighten their load, like Ramiro Mendoza did years ago, coming in in the 6th inning, & 7th, then the 8th inning guy, and then Mo.
An absolute joke. But we all know the yankees can't sneeze without being criticized for it.
LOL with no arod in camp these writers are really desperate for material aren't they.
I find it funny that the mediots all complain when the Yankees bring their young pitchers along slowly and they write a story about that to say to let them pitch, not worry about pitch counts and innings limits.
Now we have all of them saying that CC pitched too many innings and the Yankees should be worried.
They need to write something, I guess.
Johan got hit hard tonight do you think that Harper will write about Santana and that mutt fans should be worried.
Well he has also thrown a lot of innings, and has a huge long-term deal, so it would only be fair. But, no, of course he won't.
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