The Yankees continue to show confidence in him, but Hughes' struggles have not gone unnoticed. At Friday's workout, pitching coach Dave Eiland and Jorge Posada said they planned to talk to Hughes. And the latest motivational speaker? The legendary closer himself.
Rivera believes a few words of encouragement are all Hughes needs. He predicted a reborn setup star for Game 6.
"You watch," Rivera said after the game was postponed Saturday night.
"It's just something between me and him. It's not something different," Rivera said. "Just give him a little pep talk."This team could really use the Phil Hughes we saw for most of the season, and not the scared version who can't get a big out. So while it might not solve Hughes' problems, a pep talk from Mo couldn't hurt.
Hughes has looked scared, and it's possible focused too much on the significance of the situation and not enough on the pitching part. Having the greatest closer ever sit you down and give you some words of encouragement should at least relax you a little. We'll find out later if it helped. If it does Mo may have a career in coaching in his future.
