WHY IT'S THE PYRAMID OF PITCHING DOMINANCE

I was reading the New York Post and saw some very positive information about Phil Hughes this morning. It has to do with his mechanics. You know how I feel about mechanics, right? It's part of the Pyramid.

"Phil Hughes spent the afternoon looking at photos of himself from last October, when he shut the Twins down in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, pitching seven scoreless innings. Hughes was comparing those photos with ones from his Sunday start against the Tigers, when he gave up five runs in four innings and his velocity dipped below 90 miles per hour for most of the day. The 24-year-old said he thinks he and pitching coach Larry Rothschild found some things to correct in his mechanics: namely, his head positioning and his arm swing being too long. Hughes also said he plans to do more long tossing before his start Friday afternoon in Boston."
First off, Rothschild is friggin' Yoda, isn't he? You wonder what the hell Dave Eiland was doing all these years, right? I mean, Rothschild can look at a pitcher from the back and tell him if his balance is off. He's like a physical therapy / pitching coach guru. He finds these tiny flaws that no one would even consider in real life, and the best part...he doesn't let things sit. He was on Phil the moment he came out of Sunday's ballgame. I'm impressed with the Zen Master. How can you not be?

The best part about this revelation is if they can figure out that mechanics flaw now and correct it, that's a major part of Phil's problems. Next, of course is velocity and confidence. For velocity, yes, long tossing strengthens the arm, my concern is, wasn't Hughes conditioning this Winter and Spring also? Are you going to sit there and tell me he was and he STILL can't touch 92 mph? There is alittle concern from me with this velocity thing. Hopefully this is just a speed bump.

Hughes said: "It's impossible to know why, I really have no idea. I know it didn't just disappear. I feel healthy."
The good news is Joe Girardi said he's not worried about it. The bad news is Girardi doesn't act worried about anything when he talks to the press. So, at the end of the day, progress was made, but more to follow. If Rothschild can figure out a mechanics flaw and long toss gets his velocity up, maybe Hughes pitches decent his next outing, confidence rises and things fall into place. After all, it's all connected when it comes to the Pyramid, especially with these youngsters. With mechanic analysis comes confidence, when the confidence comes, any doubt leaves and focus takes over. Simple but true.

I have faith in our Yankee staff and I know Hughes will get right. After all, a former 18 game winner can't fold like that, right?

Look for the Pyramid of Pitching Dominance to start taking shape in Phil's next outing and he'll be on the right track by his 4th start. It's a process, but what isn't in Yankeeland... perfection is the name of the game, isn't it?

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