Chien-Ming WangI thought last night's game was a perfect spot for Wang to get some work. Joba had nothing and was done by the fourth and Alfredo Aceves had pitched an inning the day before, but Girardi went with Aceves anyway.hasn't won a game in the majors in nearly a year. His wife is about to give birth to their first child, and the Yankees have asked him to fill a role with which he is completely uncomfortable. "This," he said yesterday before the Yankees' rain-delayed 7-3 loss against the Texas Rangers
last night, "is very hard for me." Once one of the best starters in the game, Wang is now a long reliever with a 25.00 ERA looking for work while wondering if he will ever regain his place in the rotation. Wang would actually prefer to be in the minor leagues than in the limbo he is in now.
"At least I could pitch," he said. "Now I don't know what to do."
Wang also said in the article that he thinks the work he put in in Florida to build up strength in his hips worked and that he now feels better when he pitches. He also remains optimistic about returning to the rotation,
"Everything will be OK," Wang said. "I will come back. I just need a chance."You gotta feel bad for Wang, he goes from ace of the staff to a guy who can't get into a game, and all because he stepped on third base awkwardly in when he was forced to run the bases in Houston during an interleague game.
At this point I'm not really sure what to expect from Wang, all I know is that if he can come back at full strength and start throwing the ball like he did prior to his foot injury it will be a huge boost for the Yanks.
Do you think Wang can regain his old form?
11 Comments:
Wang should be down in the minors, I agree with him, how is he suppose to get better if he is not getting the work in. I feel like though, that until someone goes down, he will not get a chance. I also agree with what Singleton said last time he pitched, he needs to devolop another pitch. If the Sinker is not working, you need to devolop a better slider or a change-up. Hopefully he turns it around.
Coop.
The solution is clear: put Wang in the rotation and Joba back in the bullpen. What's the point of having Joba as a starter if Girardi is going to continually "babying" him? I don't care how bad his stuff is...he needs to learn how to go deep in a game. If a 38-year-old journeyman (Livan Hernandez) can pitch a complete game for the Mets then a young bull like Joba should be able to last a lot more than four innings, no matter how he is throwing. In the last two games, he has pitched less than five innings. That puts a huge strain on the bullpen, which is then shot for the next two days. If Wang sucks for another game or two then so be it if it eventually helps him to regain the form that we know he is capable of. He needs to be pitching, not sitting on the bench.
Joba to the Pen is not the answer.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spzach2712808759may26,0,7797730.story
interesting story Greg, check it out.
Cool, Anon, thanks for the article. I'll definitely include it in tonight's minor league report.
no problem, found it interesting, never heard of this kid before i read that, nice to see the numbers hes putting up and what the yanks think of him. Maybe he'll be in the pen next year..
if the yankees want to put their best product on the field doesn't it make sense to put Joba in the pen.
Joba was lights out in relief and Wang is a proven starter (forget this year so far). I just don't believe that 5 inning starts for Joba time after time is going to cut it. Not to mention the strain it puts on an already poor bullpen.
The Yankees have a future ace on their hands with Joba, I think it makes all the sense in the world to at least try to allow him to develop into one.
I said this last night and I firmly believe it, Yankees fans don't have the stomach to live through the very normal growing pains.
I'm not saying the Joba-to-the-pen people don't have valid points because you do, I just always saw more value in him as a front line starter.
point taken.... but given the culture that is the yankees today it is often difficult to be patient with up and coming talent. Especially with a bullpen that at times can't seem to get out of their own way.
I just look at it like this, how often do you find a top of the line starter on the market? We were lucky this season with CC but it hardly happens.
Now finding top of the line relievers is different, teams are more likely to trade or let them walk, for instatnce, the Mets. Signed Krod, traded for Putz.
Coop.
To me, Wang is the best trade bait the Yankees have. They can pitch him as a two time 19 game winner who will draw a large Asian fanbase. Either try and land some prospects in return or try and land a quality fifth starter. Either way, I don't see Wang as a long term Yankee.
Post a Comment