WHY I LOVE THE BALLS ON THIS KID

“I’m going to win, I don’t worry about if they’re pitching tomorrow or what’s going to happen with them. I worry about me.” --Ivan Nova

Ivan Nova has more confidence than AJ Burnett had all of last year in this single statement you see above. And Lord is he serious.

I preach confidence all day long. I like Nova, I don't like the panic I saw in his eyes when runners get on base, but that being said, he knows what he has to do to fix that and will. AJ, his big brother, has got his back to guide him and Larry Rothschild, the Zen master knows how to fix them all. Plus, he's young, habits this early can be corrected and confidence at this young age is unheard of, so if Nova's got it, we should be thrilled.

Nova said mentally he feels good. Obviously mechanically he's in good shape as well, so the Pyramid of Pitching Dominance is in it's building stages. A few good outings and we have a certified 4th or 5th starter for the New York Yankees. The best part? He's pitching tonight against the Orioles and he looks great.

Look, I apologize to Ivan Nova for my early ranting on this kid. Yes, early on I yelled all day long about him not being able to keep men on base in check...instead, those men always came around to score and he just fell apart.

What I did not take into consideration last year was this was a kid brought up to the Majors in the most competitive time of year for the Yanks, September, in the middle of a pennant race and in the middle of playing top Eastern division teams. It was me jumping the gun, panicking and it was unfair. Sorry. This kid's got balls, we need to give him a fair shake.

So, Ivan, good luck to you. I know you want a spot in the rotation, I hope you're able to secure it. Your confidence is running high, I know it's not lip service, I know it's in your heart. So, from all of us in Yankeeland to you in Tampa, go get'um kid. We believe in you, because you believe in yourself.In other news, and speaking of Orioles, the former Oriole, Kevin Millwood was in a pitching session and according to Joel Sherman, the Yankees were there to witness that. Read the piece HERE. What's that all about? If you remember, he rejected the minor league off the Yankees made to him this winter. Stay Tuned.

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