Rest Assured: Could Innings Limit Bar Hughes from All Star Game?

As Phil Hughes, the Yankees young ace in the making takes the mound tonight, he will look to add to his All Star credentials, but the Yankees and Joe Girardi may have other thoughts.

Hughes has been brilliant this season, only Andy Pettitte has been better in the Yankees rotation and to this point, Hughes' numbers could warrant a trip on what could be a jam packed charter plane of Yankees headed for Anaheim this July.

Before tonight's start against the Orioles, Hughes' six wins were good for second in the AL. He is fifth in the league with a 2.70 ERA, third in WHIP at 1.06 and has a team leading 57 strikeouts in just 56.2 innings of work, not bad for a guy making his first full run as a starting pitcher.

But even though his numbers seem deserving, if he is not voted one of the five top starters by the players, Hughes' fate as an All Star will be directly in the hands of his (and the AL team's) manager and taking him could be risky.

The Yankees, for better or worse have put Hughes on an innings limit this season, likely somewhere around 175. While in typical Joe Girardi fashion nothing has been released, it has been rumored that the team is planning on using scheduled off days surrounding and including the All Star break to give Hughes a sort of "midseason rest" helping to limit his innings and keep him strong for the stretch run.

If this is indeed the case, Girardi is caught between a rock and a hard place. If he selects Hughes for the game, he doesn't need to have him actually pitch, but in baseball, the all star game decides home field advantage for the World Series so having useable pitchers on the roster is certainly a factor. If he doesn't take Hughes he runs the risk of upsetting his young star, especially if Hughes clearly deserves it.

Frankly I am not a fan of innings limits in general, though I do believe this plan makes worlds more sense than the disaster employed to ruin Joba Chamberlain last year. My view is let him pitch in the game, one or two innings won't hurt Hughes and in fact with a long layoff, getting some meaningless innings in might actually help keep him fresh.

Girardi however, has the final call and if Hughes is lucky, the call will be his name on the bullpen phone.

James' Destiny

I don't know if LeBron James will be a Knick next season. I don't know if he'll be a Bull, a Clipper, a Heat (is that grammatically correct?) or even...gasp...a Cavalier. What I do know, is that the frenzy has begun.

ESPN reported earlier that Cavs coach Mike Brown's firing was imminent and rumors surfaced that Kentucky head man John Calipari was "LeBron's hand picked next head coach". As of 3:15pm this afternoon, both rumors have been denied, for now.

As for James, the NBA's heir apparent has been dethroned as "King" and reappointed as "Jester" in some media circles causing mechanics of doom to bury him in with the likes of perennial losers that lack the "killer" mentality.

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone who has turned against LeBron because of a bad series that despite his poor effort, despite his lack of titles and yes despite the comparisons to Michael Jordan, he's still just 25 years old.

Knowing I'm a Knicks fan, friends have already told me to count my blessings; that while James is the only thing stricken Knicks fans have had to keep afloat these past few years, now he may not be worth it. I assure them, they're wrong and here's why.

1) Forget the idea that the Cavs lost only because James played badly. Basketball is as much a team game as any and it takes a complete team to win in the playoffs. I'm not defending his play, but just remember that Jordan won nothing without Scottie Pippen and Kobe Bryant didn't win without Shaq until he got Pau Gasol last year. The easiest comparison of teams to make is to the Lakers and there is no argument that either Gasol, Lamar Odom or Ron Artest are all better wingmen than the disaster of players Danny Ferry and the Cavs have put together: Larry Hughes, Mo Williams, Big Z (not going to try and spell it), downside of his career Shaq and now Antawn Jamison. The star should carry the team, but other options are needed to spread the floor and keep defenses guessing, that isn't the case with the Cavs, but players aren't the only reason.

2) Mike Brown WILL be fired and he should. I said this last year and I'll say it again: this guy does not coach offense. If Lebron doesn't bring the ball up, he gets it at the top of the circle. He backs up with his dribble (contrary to anything a coach has ever taught) and then tries to attack open space. He's gifted, and he can play like that, but NOT if the defense knows its coming, and they do. The biggest tool any defense in any sport can have is to know what the offense is going to do. How about LeBron posts up once in a while? What if they ran him off a screen? Maybe instead of pushing the tempo ONLY when LeBron wants to, they make it a focal point to run early, you know since he's the best open court player in the league....Do you see my point?

3) But most importantly, a player's legacy is not created in one day, not in one series or season. Only did Jordan become Jordan after 6 championships were won, not when he was 25, and not after his first ring. Is Kobe's legacy cemented? Did Kevin Garnett winning a title change how the world viewed him for the positive? I would argue the opposite.

So Knicks fans, Cavs fans, Nets fans, Heat fans, Bulls fans, Clippers fans and basketball fans of any kind, I urge you to relax. LeBron James is someone special, and I would imagine he can't wait to show it.

The New (Hughes) meets The Old (Beckett)

It's safe to say that the "Huuuughes" calls from the stands will be replaced tonight with "boos" in Fenway tonight. Yes, much like Mike Mussina "Moooooose" a similar sound will bare down on the Yankees young "born-again" phenom, but for the 23-year-old, a raucous crowd at Fenway might not play a factor.

Hughes has been brilliant so far, yielding just 10 hits in his 25 innings of work, sporting a 3-0 record and a 1.44 ERA. Yankee fans are finally seeing the oft-talked about talents of the former first round pick come to fruition, albeit years after comparisons to Roger Clemens captured the awe of the pinstripe pride.

In fact Hughes may resemble Mussina much more than he does "The Rocket". A low-mid 90s fastball that cuts and ducks a variety of ways and a curveball that generally goes north to south, but can also be found going east to west when the situation calls. But as many have pointed out, it's his changeup that has transformed the pitcher from a guy the Yanks' "shoulda" traded for Johan Santana to a guy that if the season ended today would be the number three man in the Yankees playoff rotation.

Still, it is more the idea of Hughes' changeup that has changed than the pitch itself. Watching his last start, a 7 inning 4 hit shutout against the White Sox, I noticed that his arm slot changes when throwing the pitch, something that hitters will notice as time goes by, but still, it is one more thing to pay attention to for hitters.

Remember people, he's 23 years old and the changeup is a new pitch for him. What happens if he develops it more? What happens if he gets better command of his other pitches? Both of these things will happen and the Red Sox tonight will get the first glimpse of a dominant Yankee starter, because Hughes is a new pitcher.

Wednesday's Thoughts: From Four to Floor?

Javier Vazquez has already failed once as a New York Yankee, and that's why the Yankees fans aren't exactly crying that Joe Girardi has elected to skip his "fourth" starter this weekend against the Red Sox.

Fans were told that Vazquez's second run in the big apple would be different; that he know longer faced the pressure of being a top of the rotation guy and that now he could 'just pitch'. Instead, Vazquez to this point has been even worse than disastrous 2004 that caused him to be shipped out Arizona for Randy Johnson.

Skipping Vazquez against the Red Sox is the right thing to do for a number of reasons, the least of which is how poorly he's pitched this season. His record in big games is not so hot, as his then manager Ozzie Guillen so bluntly pointed out in 2008.

There's little chance the Yankees are too concerned about the confidence of Vazquez, but the track record just isn't good. For Yankees fans, the season has started out all too smoothly, and Vazquez is setting himself up to be the goat of the regular season, a trouncing by the Red Sox just won't do.

While some have already called for trading Vazquez, it is unlikely the Yankees brass is on the same page. The Yankees, albeit in good conscience have set themselves up to NEED him and so far, the need has only increased.

Phil Hughes has been spectacular, but with an innings limit at 170, I have to wonder if the Yankees would even consider him as a potential playoff starter (schedule changes mean they can't use 3 starters as they did last season). The problem with the system they have set up (and failed with last season) is that the deeper into games Hughes pitches, the shorter it is before he comes out of the rotation.

The fact is that the Yankees need Vazquez to be their fourth guy, but for that to happen, the fans will have to support him too. That won't happen if he gets pounded by the Sox.

Friday's First Round Thoughts: The Jets, The Giants, Tebow and ESPN

The Jets

It wasn't what I expected, but overall I like the Jets drafting Kyle Wilson, a cornerback. Why not add to the secondary? If this kid can play, and Rex Ryan seems to think he can, it is going to be very hard for teams to move the ball against the Jets with Cromartie, Wilson and oh yeah, Darrelle Revis ball hawking. And you thought they blitzed a lot last year....

This season marks the best version of Jets cool aid I've ever had, I hope they don't change the recipe.

The Giants

I like them taking Jason Pierre-Paul here. The Giants historically have always had a big time pass rusher, at least when they are winning (Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan), so it comes as no surprise that the Giants go that route in the first round. I don't know him well enough to predict if he'll make an impact right away, but Osi Umenyiora is now VERY expendable and that should make Giants fans salivate.

Speaking of Cool aid...

Who slipped some to Josh McDaniels? Drafting Tim Tebow in the first round is going to bite the Broncos hard. After four years of college, I still don't see what it is about this guy that is so compelling. I couldn't teach proper throwing motion if I had a gun pointed to my head, but even the highlight package ESPN showed last night showed throws from Tebow that surely would be picked off in the pros.

At least Tebow knows how to conduct a professional interview. His interview with Jeremy Schaap was filled with regurgitations of "I'm such a great leader. I'm going to do what it takes to win a super bowl. It's about the team. I'm such a wonderful role model."

Is anyone else sick of this guy? Enough Already! Perhaps Tom Jackson said it best (the only time last night) when he said, "In the NFL you can only lead if you are on the field."

And You, ESPN...

For the first time I actually really wished I had NFL Network for the production quality. What ESPN did last night was disparaging to TV networks everywhere. The team, fearlessly led by Chris Berman included Steve Young, Tom Jackson, John Gruden and Mel Kiper and only Kiper had any clue as to what to say and when. Young can't spit a sentence out, Gruden has no on air presence and how many of you saw Chris Berman's freakout when he didn't know he was on the air?

Also, how do you ever have suspense in a draft if you show a potential selection beaming while on the phone being hugged by his family and friends MINUTES before he is selected. They did it with Bradford and I thought they would stop doing it after that, realizing their mistake but then again, this is ESPN, they make no mistakes....right?

Jets and Giants Draft Preview with Sean Perry and Alex Wolff

Giants Need to Fill Holes

By Sean Perry

The Giants got out of the gate quickly last year only to limp to the finish line as injuries, poor attitude and underwhelming talent cost them games in the second half of the season. The team has been relatively quiet in the off-season and is looking to fill several areas of need in the draft. I expect the Giants to fill holes at these four positions:

Giant’s team needs:

Cornerback: The Giants struggles in the secondary last year cost them a trip to the playoffs. No one player can shoulder all the blame, however, safety was a particularly glaring problem. In my opinion the Giants front office did a commendable job overhauling their safety positions with the addition of Antrelle Rolle in addition to the return of Kenny Phillips from injury. The Giants could use a cornerback in the first round to make their secondary complete, and the addition of a top flight corner could help turn a position of weakness into a position of strength.

Possible Pick: Junior Kareem Jackson from Alabama could be available to the Giants at 15 and would be a good fit in the revamped secondary.

Offensive Line: The offensive linemen were the unsung heroes of the Giants Super Bowl run in 2008 and are not necessarily a problem area for the team right now. With that said, they can’t be counted on to continue delivering elite level play as the memory of that magical run fades. There is some legitimate concern about the lack of depth and age along the O-line and an infusion of fresh blood would not hurt in the long term.

Possible Pick: Mike Iupati from Idaho could be a blue-collar contributor and a tempting choice for the Giants in the first round.

Running Back: With Brandon Jacobs on the downside of his career and Ahmad Bradshaw in and out of prison, it would be nice for the Giants to acquire a quality running back in the early rounds of the draft.

Possible Pick: If CJ Spiller of Clemson falls to the Giants at 15 every Giants fan will be ecstatic and the Giants will take him. If Spiller is scooped up earlier as most expect, look for the Giants to move up in the second round to select Ryan Mathews out of Fresno State.

Linebacker: The Giants linebacker corps faltered before vocal leader Antonio Pierce got hurt and completely fell apart once he was lost for the season. Despite the glaring issues, the team did little to address the weakness at the linebacker in the off-season. The Giants will have to draft at least two linebackers this year and would be wise to get a potential starter for the 2010 season while players of that caliber are still available.

Possible Pick: Ronaldo McClain of Alabama seems like the obvious pick at 15 and when all is said and done, will be the Giants first pick and starting middle linebacker next year.

* * *

Jets Will Look to Upgrade Already Great Defense

By Alex Wolff

Uneasy, nervous, ignorant, pessimistic and downright disturbed. That is how Jets fans typically feel around this time of year. When the rest of the National Football League is anticipating the next great star to come to their team, fans of gang green are wondering how the enigmatic franchise will mess it up...this time.

But this year the Jets are in an unfamiliar spot, and no, I don't mean drafting so late in the 1st round at 29. Methodically, the Jets have filled basically all of the needs that I or anyone else for that matter projected when their season ended. Here's how they've been filled:

Cornerback: Antonio Cromartie comes in to fill the void opposite Revis Island.

Wide Receiver: Braylon Edwards is back and in comes Santonio Holmes, after his four game suspension that is.

Defensive End: Love him or hate him, opposing quarterbacks should be afraid of him, Jason Taylor is the newest Jet.

The Jets return the best offensive line in the game and the best defense. They added Mark Sanchez as the franchise signal caller in last season's draft and have already filled out their roster with high priced and profile free agents, which poses a whole other set of problems for a team that has no crucial position to draft for.

ATTITUDE. Cromartie has fathered a million children by roughly that same number of women in the same number of states. How will his mind ever be on football? Edwards isn't exactly t he most clear headed guy either, in fact I seem to remember him getting booted out of Cleveland, and it wasn't for having bad hands around the football...Taylor's career is known for three things: sacking the QB, deriding Jets fans, and dancing with the stars. Only one of those is football related.

It's that simple, the Jets have a ton of talent, and a ton of personality, making the personalities work together is the single biggest need for the Jets, and I propose they address that on draft day. But how you ask?

"With the 29th selection in the NFL draft, the New York Jets Select... Dr. John F Murray, Palm Beach, FL!"

That's right folks; the Jets should select a noted sport psychologist. It's perfect. He'll follow the team around and deal with all the issues that are sure to arise. From dealing with Bart Scott, Jason Taylor, Rex Ryan, Cromartie, Holmes and so on, this is the perfect solution.

OK OK OK, I get it, you want to know what the Jets will really do. They really are in a unique position, they don't need any one player to fill a need so they can actually pick the best player available.

My best guess is that they will try to fill Free Safety, since they just signed Taylor. If USC's Taylor Mays falls to them, expect the Jets to grab him. An athletic safety from USC, Mays can fill the "void" that was Kerry Rhodes. Mays projects to be more of a project at this point, but he would see significant playing time in year one, and what better way to get it than in a defense that has such a strong secondary.

If Mays is gone, or I'm wrong (I know it seems impossible, but it does happen) expect the Jets to draft a DE. Despite the fact that they signed Taylor, he is more of a short term fix and will play mostly on third downs. This is a need they must address for the future and expect them to do so in the second round if they draft Mays in the first.

Tell me why I'm wrong with comments!

One More Time Anticipation Brews for Hughes

What typically is a time of turmoil and unrest in Yankeeland has been, well, quiet. This season's spring training and the first two weeks of real play have gone smoothly for the Yanks at a time when in years past, members of the media are haplessly spending their time negotiating solutions for the Yankees problems more full of potential than is reality.

However tonight, the seemingly one question facing the Yankees, will begin to get answered and as Phil Hughes, once depicted as the next Roger Clemens takes the mound this evening after beating out Joba Chamberlain for the rotations fifth spot. Yankee fans like myself are eager to see the answer.

It still seems like yesterday when I was sitting in my New Hampshire apartment, in 2007, a sophomore in college watching MLB TV to see 'the second coming' pitch against the Rangers. On his way to a no hitter, Hughes, who hit spots like no rookie I'd ever seen released a pitch, and limped off the mound.

The rest of the story is up and down. Hughes never regained his form that season, though he did have quite the playoff performance against the Indians. Hughes won a spot in the rotation in 2008, but injuries again limited him to just 34 innings. Last season, the right hander was mostly a reliever, and did well, however it is a far cry from what the Yankees fans thought they had when Brian Cashman decided against trading him and Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana two years ago.

In no way is tonight's start, Hughes' first of the year a last chance. But a solid outing would go a long way in restoring hope in the young right hander who is quickly shedding label of youngster and could find himself with that of bust if he doesn't pan out.

His stuff is good, we saw that in relief last year, 92+ fastball, great curveball and a solid change up, but commanding those pitches will be the key and in this league, command is typically what separates the men, from the boys, or this case, the questions from the answers.