Over at the YES Network, Jack Curry thinks it’s time to kick A.J. Burnett out of the starting rotation:
When Girardi removed Jorge Posada as the regular designated hitter and turned him into a reserve on Sunday in Boston, he said he was doing what was best for the team. Posada had not hit a homer since June 29 and had driven in four runs in his last 78 at-bats. After Eric Chavez returned from the disabled list, the Yankees spoke internally about how he could eventually take Posada’s at bats at the DH slot. Now Chavez has done that. Posada is a glorified pinch-hitter, a player who seems unlikely to make the postseason roster.
So what about Burnett’s status? The Yankees recognized how Posada’s unproductive at-bats were hurting them and made a change. It was decisive. The Yankees see how Burnett’s disappointing starts are hurting them, too. They need to be just as decisive with Burnett as they were with Posada. Since Ivan Nova has pitched much better than Burnett, and since Phil Hughes looked superb in his last start, why should they lose potential starts to Burnett? The answer is simple. They shouldn’t.
Amen.
[Photo Credit: N.Y. Daily News]
Hear, hear.
Hard to disagree after last night, but Burnett has still been better than Phormer Phranchise Phil over the season. Let's see some more.
I thought this was going to be about Michael Westen, Sam Ax, and Fiona.
yeah, i don' know about this...i can't get on the anti-AJ wagon here. i wanna, i just can't, not yet. even his game last night was better than most all of hughes starts. the ugly blip is the white sox game. everything is just kind of "meh". AJ's starts are like a .260 average for posada. i would have taken that. he has been much, much better than posada this year in my eyes. if AJ wouldn't have thrown the wild pitch yesterday we'd be feeling a lot better....but he did. phil hughes has been remarkably shitty this year. one start against an insanely bad team will not get him out of my dog house. he gave up two rockets to three hitters in boston and yes,i know it was an unwinnable situation for him, but i need to see two more good ones at least before i trust him. i don't buy any DL stuff with him. he was throwing meat balls, never hitting his locations, missing up...just bad. velocity or no velocity...tell it to freddy or cory wade...hit your spots, pitch with control or you will never be a good major leaguer. if i had a start to make and had to choose between the two, it's AJ for me. i know, i know....i'll see the horrors soon enough, but until than i kind of have his back.