WHY HUGHES HAS ACED THE SPRING TEST

Phil Hughes went 5 innings today and the Yankees won 5 -2. If the boss were alive, this would be considered a big deal, King George hated losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in any competition, so Phil Hughes did what the Boss would have loved…he pitched his guts out…spring or not, it didn’t matter.

Hughes only gave up 2 runs allowed 3 hits in his 5 frames. He threw 73 pitches. The game was tied 2-2 until the 9^th inning and that’s when the Yankees took the lead and won. Cole Garner had a ground-rule double. When Jorge Vazquez flied out, Garner advanced. Then Justin Maxwell hit a double scoring Garner. Gustavo Molina cranked out a two run homer after that. I’m sure he dedicated that one to Ivan Nova..I kid, I kid. (Read WHY IS NOVA BITCHING & MOANING? JUST PITCH! if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Other highlights today go like this…Alex Rodriguez also hit a ground rule double earlier in the game. Cesar Cabral pitched 2 shutout innings and Andy Pettitte has been smiling from ear to ear the past 48 hours…he’s happy to be back and we’re happy he’s back.

Look, we all know it’s spring but this is where you lock it down. Phil Hughes has done what I suggested he should do, pitch perfectly in every appearance to land that 5^th spot role. Since Freddy Garcia got hit in the hand, I suggested that Hughes needed to be brilliant and he has been and that only helps Phil Hughes. Freddy is on his way back by the way, he will only miss one start and has been throwing but he hasn’t started since he got hit in the hand, but he will. Where he will land, be it the starting rotation or the pen or another team is yet to be seen…stay tuned for that.

But the Yankees won today and that makes Yankeeland happy.

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WHY IS NOVA BITCHING & MOANING? JUST PITCH!

First Freddy Garcia comes out and all but blurts out that he’s unhappy with the Yankees re-signing Andy Pettitte and now comes word that Ivan Nova is bitching and moaning about his Spring Training loss against the Baltimore Orioles the other night. Nova pitched to Gustavo Molina, no relation to the Molina brothers and apparently he didn’t like the signs he was given and just couldn’t keep his pace. Bummer, but it’s Spring Ivan, relax. Here’s what Nova said:

“That affected my game too much, but I feel really good today... I was shaking (off signs) too much. That slowed my game. You start shaking and you get out of what you want to do. I think that happened out there."

The New York Daily News article is HERE. Now let’s be fair to Molina, if you're the pitcher, you need to take charge. Plus, this is Spring and working out the kinks is the name of the game. Who the hell does Nova think he is anyway? This story about Nova annoyed me. This, my friends, is NOT the Yankee way. Neither is Freddy Garcia’s attitude toward Andy Pettitte’s return. For the record, we could go further, this was Phil Hughes less than excited comment concerning Andy Pettitte the other day:

“I worry about the things I can control and that’s it... All I can control is the work I do, the work I do out on the field. That’s the only thing I’m going to worry myself with. Everyone is glad to have Andy back.”

That Daily News piece is HERE. Let's be honest, Hughes doesn't like this idea of Andy back...because if he truly did, he would have answered the question. I'm no shrink but you can tell by his answer that he's concerned about himself and not too keen on Andy Pettitte coming back to the Bronx.

Look, I get the frustration with Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. Garcia is a veteran of this game, he wants a steady job, he wants to pitch and just when he thought he finally found a niche after injury, the guy gets slammed with an Andy Pettitte surprise. It appears that all that talk from the Yankee brass wanting and appreciating Freddy Garcia’s hard work is all for naught. It was clearly B.S., don't you think? Same for Hughes, he’s been breaking ass to get back to normal and hope to win 18 games again. Suddenly he’s realized his “Golden boy” title is about to expire if 2012 is a bomb. He’s out to prove himself as well. But that brings me back to Ivan Nova. Nova needs to bite his lip and never sell out his catcher, that's what amateurs do. It’s supposed to be about team and somewhere along the way Nova forgot that. Some could suggest he’s nervous about losing a rotation spot to Pettitte too and is just frustrated, I say it was a slip and he needs to come out and say he made a mistake and “it’s on him.”

God, who would have thought that one of the nicest guys in baseball, Andy Pettitte, could bring out the haters… Geez. I’d hate to see what happens when Jorge Posada un-retires…I kid, I kid.

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WHY I HAVE THE YANKEES SPRING TRAINING INVITES LIST

Just a quick note. Here's the list of the 27 guys invited to Spring Training. In this list they have invited 13 minor leaguers which is always fun to watch, as well as some of the guys they just signed like Manny Delcarmen, Bill Hall and Russell Branyan. Check it out... this is in no particular order:
DeWayne Wise: Wise is a terrific outfielder. He'll be a good asset to the Yankees outfield if he makes the Bigs again. The problem with Wise is he has a horrendous career average of .211 in 9 seasons.Russell Branyan: Great lefty power. He was signed yesterday, read HERE. He had 31 homers in 2009. With the Yankees short right field porch, this season could be fun for Branyan and the Yankees.

Manny Delcarmen: A former Red Sock but don't hold it against him. He could be helpful in the pen if he makes the big club. Read all about his signing HERE.Hideki Okajima: I've always like Okajima but it appears that batters have figured him out. In 5 years he has a career 3.11 ERA. Read about his signing HERE.

Doug Bernier: Bernier is an infielder that played for Scranton Wilkes Barre in 2011. He batted .237 last season with 13 doubles and 29 RBIs. He's 31.Manny Banuelos: What can we say about Banuelos other than we can't wait to see him again. I expect to see him up this season at some point. Read about him in THE GUMPTION OF MANNY BANUELOS.

Juan Cedeno: The New York Daily News has this on Cedeno: "has not pitched during the regular season in each of the last three seasons, appearing only in the Dominican Winter League. In 2011, he made 15 relief appearances with the Tigres de Licey and went 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA (8.2IP, 1ER)."

Matt Daley: We got Daley from the Colorado Rockies and he's played in the minors with them. He's 29 years old. In 92 games with the Rockies (MLB) he is 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA.
Colin Curtis: Colin is a solid outfielder and I expect to see him at some point this season. The Yankees are holding on to him believe it is my opinion they believe in him. He did have an injured shoulder in 2011, but in 2010 he has 11 hits in 59 at bats with 3 doubles and a home run.

Kyle Higashioka: Kyle was drafted in the 7th round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft. He's a 21 year old catcher, one of many in the Yankees farm system.

Brett Marshall: The New York Daily News has this on Brett Marshall, "played the entire 2011 season with Single-A Tampa and went 9-7 with a 3.78 ERA (1401.IP, 59ER) in 27 games (26 starts)."
Jayson Nix: We wrote about Jayson Nix HERE when the Yankees signed him. Nix is an infielder who is better defensively than he is with his bat. Maybe he can be useful for the Yanks at some point this season.

Daniel Burawa: a 23 year old right handed pitcher with a lot of potential. Between Charleston and Tampa he was 5-4 with a 3.64 ERA.

Cole Garner: Garner was with the Colorado Rockies minor league system and has 76 home runs in 7 years in the minors. He has a career .286 AVG and is 27 year old outfielder.

Jose Gil: A catcher for the Yanks. The New York Daily News has this on the 25 year old catcher: "has appeared in 506 career minor league games, all in the Yankees organization, hitting .240 (405-for-1,691) with 98 doubles, 34 home runs and 224 RBI over 8 seasons."
Bill Hall: A strong second basemen and outfielder with some pop in his bat, I believe Bill Hall is a low risk pickup the Yankees will be thrilled to have signed down the stretch. Read about Hall HERE.

Adam Miller: We got Adam Miller this winter and he is a former Cleveland Indian. He's never gone pro. His minor league career with the Indians is 33-30 with a 3.71 ERA.
Gustavo Molina: Molina was helpful last season in the beginning of the year when we needed him. He is a solid catcher and a likable guy. Last year he batted .253 with 4 home runs and 21 RBIs for Scranton Wilkes Barre.


JR Murphy: Many expect big things from this kid, another catcher in the Yankees organization. He's only 20 and has a career .274 AVG. Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Mike O'Connor: O'Connor is a lefty pitcher from the Mets organization. I believe we'll see him this season to help out our lone lefty in the pen, Boone Logan. Read about Mike O'Connor HERE.Ryan Pope: The New York Daily News has this on Pope: "combined to go 2-3 with a 5.12 ERA (45.2IP, 26ER) in 40 combined relief appearances with Single-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2011."

Gary Sanchez: BYB likes Sanchez but we don't care for his attitude and there has been plenty written about it. We just wrote a recent piece about Sanchez and you need to check it out HERE. In Charleston this year, he had 17 homers and 52 RBIs. There is no doubt he could be a star, but I'd prefer that he lose the attitude and become a team player.

Adam Warren: Warren was in Scranton the entire season and racked up a 3.60 ERA and a 6-8 record. He's only 24 and I will bet we see Warren at some point this season, even if it's brief.

Graham Stoneburner: The Daily News has this on the 24 year old righty pitcher: "owns a career 10-13 record with a 3.03 ERA (234.1IP, 79ER) in 45 combined minor league games in the Yankees organization since 2009. In 2011, he combined at three different levels (GCL, Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton) to go 1-5 with a 4.04 ERA (91.1IP, 41ER) in 18 games (16 starts)."

Jorge Vasquez: We love Vasquez and his bat and we believe he can do a lot of damage, but his strikeouts are incredibly high and we wonder at Bleeding Yankee Blue is there is a way for fix that. We wrote about Jorge back in December...read HERE.
Kevin Whelan: Whelan had 23 saves and a great 2.75 ERA in Scranton this season...that was in 45 appearances. He can improve but that's not bad, he's 28. We recently wrote about Whelan HERE.

Chase Whitley: The New York Daily News has this in Whitley: "has appeared in 72 combined career minor league games (one start) with the Yankees since 2010, going 7-7 with a 2.17 ERA (128.1IP, 31ER). In 2011, he went 3-5 with seven saves and a 2.47 ERA (91.0IP, 25ER) in 42 combined games at Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton."

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WHY YOU LOVE BYB YANKEE NOTES

Alex Rodriguez: ARod is with the Yankees in Minnesota and hopefully the big guy will get into the lineup as the Yankees DH on Sunday. Look, let's be honest, the Yankees are winning. Sure, having Alex's bat in the lineup is great and can help the team, but what's the rush? The story about Alex in case you live under a rock is that he looked alittle timid in his rehab starts in the minors. He admitted he wasn't comfortable even though he felt fine. Read about it HERE.
Freddy Garcia: So what appeared to be a cut on his finger and a delayed start has turned into something more, a brief DL trip. Freddy Garcia has been placed on the Disabled List and will start the following Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles. Freddy hasn't pitched since August 7th at Boston. Girardi said on the DL move "We just thought it was a safer route. He hasn't pitched in 2 weeks." Read about it HERE.
(Photo: Getty)
Buddy Carlyle: Our Buddy... Buddy was released by the Yankees. He posted a 4.70 ERA this season while on the big squad. With Scranton he had a 3.98 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The Yankees apparently just thought it was time to cut him loose, after all, they are trying to stock up with lefties after signing Raul Valdes (Read HERE) to a minor league deal just the other day. Read about it HERE.
(Photo: Steven Bisig/US Presswire)
Aaron Laffey: The Yankees claimed lefty pitcher Laffey from the Seattle Mariners. Read about it HERE. The best part about Laffey is he's young, 26 years old and he's major league ready, when needed. Laffey has appeared in 36 games for the Mariners going 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA.Gustavo Molina: Our guy Molina, no relation to the Molina brothers was released by the Yankees. He was released to make room to Laffey. Molina was batting .239 in Scranton. Thanks for your service Gustavo.

Stay here at Bleeding Yankee Blue for more as it happens.

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WHY YOU CAN'T FORCE IT

Don't force it. I've said it a few times in my life. Bleeding Yankee Blue writers have heard me say it, my kids have and the truth of the matter is, it's a life lesson and can be used in many scenarios. Some examples below:

1. You need to write an article but don't have a good story idea but you "force it" anyway. (i.e. the Simers/Thames piece.) Outcome... disastrous.
   
2. You have the bases loaded and it's a 3-2 count on a singles hitter. As a pitcher, you're amped up, what do you do? Pitch... don't aim. Don't force it.
3. Jesus Montero

Yes, it's true, we all want him on the Yankees roster right now, but as my wife tells the kids "the cookie's aren't ready yet!" Guess what, Montero isn't ready yet, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, it could mean 2 things, Montero could be ready in 2 weeks, or in 2 months. Bottom line, Jesus will be ready...soon, just not now.

This spring Montero is batting .222 (8-for-36) with two RBI. Also, he's never played on the Major League level. So what does that mean? He just needs more time Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the best thing to happen to Montero. Cervelli got hurt and the world saw Jesus play. He got his at bats, he played alot and now we know, he just needs alittle more time.

Same goes for Austin Romine by the way. Again, not big whoop. This spring he's batting .150 (3-for-20) with no RBI.Look Russell Martin has a job with the Yankees, and we knew that going in. Unless he busted a leg, he's automatic. He didn't have a great spring, but it doesn't matter, it's the Yanks choice, that's why he's there. Martin will be fine, he needs to get into a rhythm, adjust to the East Coast and a new team, cut him alittle slack.

Then, in my state of sickness yesterday, I heard Molina's name. I thought immediately, "That's my Yankees, getting Bengie Molina in the mix! Love it!." Then I woke up alittle, my medicine kicked in and I realized they were talking about Gustavo Molina. "Oh, I thought, that guy. Another Molina brother from the catching Molina's. Ok, I'd roll the dice on that." Then I had something to eat. Then I said, "Who the hell is Gustavo Molina??"
This is Gustavo Molina, a journeyman catcher who caught parts of three seasons in the bigs. The idea from the Yankees perspective was to have someone else who knew the Majors other than Cervelli, strictly a veteran insurance policy, that was the reasoning for have Gustavo Molina there. Well, that turned out to be a smart move right now, although I know alot of you would rather give the kids a shot.

Look, I trust Yankee brass. If they believe in Molina to be their temporary catching backup, do it. It's only a matter of time before Jesus will rise....I say by Easter. (That joke never gets old for me.)

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