Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog: Wang Update

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Wang Update

UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: Apparently it was five runs, four earned.

UPDATE 5:37 p.m.: Here's some more info on his start from Bryan Hoch. Wang pitched seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits. He was pitching to a team of Philadelphia Phillies minor-leaguers.

According to Peter Abraham, Chien-Ming Wang threw his extended spring training game today down in Tampa, throwing 91 pitches, 70 for strikes. He struck out 11, did not walk a batter, and his fastball was averaging about 91 MPH. But still, Nardi Contreras said that "Wang needs more arm strength and that is sinker is not consistent enough."

Not what I would call good news. Pete Abe thinks that Wang is headed to the DL, I agree with that assessment. It's the only thing that makes sense. They'll need someone to start on Tuesday and I'm guessing that will be Phil Hughes.

17 Comments:

Jenny talia said...: Wang is done!; April 23, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Emmanuel said...: Well, maybe this will give Phil another shot at the roation. Good thing cause we can't afford to keep losing games with Wang.; April 23, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Greg Cohen said...: Do you really believe that, Jenny?; April 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM
daneptizl said...: I feel bad for Wang.... but I also feel real good for Hughes... Hughes is 4 realz.; April 23, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Unknown said...: Hughes deserves a start! He had a great spring training and keeping Wang in right now isn't going to make it any better.; April 23, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Anonymous said...: 70/91 strikes? and only 11 K's? man this guy is terrible... sure 91mph isnt that fast but cmon dont completely give up on the guy. he almost won a cy young his last health season. its april... relax.; April 23, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Keep in mind these are minor league players he's pitching to.
Don't pay much attention to the numbers.; April 23, 2009 at 5:45 PM
SteveB said...: Wow. What Wang bashers! Until he was injured, he was the most successful AL pitcher over the past 4 seasons.; April 23, 2009 at 6:38 PM
Pa Yankee said...: Wang keep your chin up your pitching will come around...; April 23, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Greg Cohen said...: Pete Abe is now reporting it was five runs, four earned. I'm not home but I'll update the post as soon as I get back.; April 23, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Anonymous said...: I feel like Hughes will allow 3-5 runs a start and rarely make it out of the 6th because of his pitch count. But hey, that's a lot better than Wang at this point.; April 23, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Mike said...: Here a question i got: Lets say Hughes comes up and pitches well, Wang builds up his arm strength & gets back to his old form and Joba is struggle with his control and isn’t going long in his games; Does hughes still go back to the minors or does he stay and joba go back to the place where he is it his best: the bullpen?; April 24, 2009 at 1:40 AM
Greg Cohen said...: That's a very good question, Mike. I honestly have no idea what they would do, but there would be a lot of pressure, from the media and fans to put Joba in the pen, especially if they're struggling at the time.; April 24, 2009 at 2:06 AM
Mike B. said...: I'm sick of the pitch count crapola. Can't we train a pitcher to throw 100 or more pitches? Or is there something in the way the Yankees are handling/training their pitchers that makes their arms fragile or that makes them more susceptible to injury?

Why are these guys so fragile that we have to limit their pitches in the first place? Man oh man....

I'm not thinking Wang will be good any time soon.

Oh boy!

Mike; April 24, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Will said...: Mike B you've not done any muscle training have you?

As for Wang, that video a week ago was the tell all. I'd like to see video updates from every start/simulation he does going forward. Until he can stand up straight on that right foot he's not going to be starting for the Yankees. That he'll be on the DL is obvious after giving up 4 runs to a bunch of punks.

Right now IMHO it looks to me like its all on that right foot. An inability to push full off that foot would also obviously hurt his velocity. And if he's trying to over throw to make up for it I would bet he could hurt his arm too.

Unfortunately we really don't have access to the full details of Wang's training and pitching report. New video would help us, but we really don't know what's up with his right foot, and the Yankees seem like they don't want to tell us. But something has got to be up or they would have ALREADY quickly corrected his mechanics.

If they correct the mechanics and his foot is in fact fine but he's still throwing 91mph then we'll have to have a new discussion with new speculations about his future.; April 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Will said...: From the linked article:

"What I saw today, he had the best slider I’ve seen since I’ve known Chien-Ming."

What a bunch of non-sense. Did Contreras just meet him last week then? If his slider is so awesome, the best since Contreras has known him, then Wang would be fit to start.

This is baseball not international global relations, I can't believe the amount of bs spin that the Yankees put out.

As other commentators on other sites have asked, I'd also like to know how the Yankees let Wang allegedly lose so much arm strength? Between this and A-Rod's undiagnosed fucking hip failure the medial and coaching staff of the Yankee have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.; April 24, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Greg Cohen said...: Mike B.,

I hate pitch counts too, but we're stuck with them.

Will,

You're right, the Yankees haven't been handling their injuries well at all, and it would be nice to know why and to fix it.; April 24, 2009 at 12:21 PM

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