Substitute Blogger!

I have unfortunately been a busy bee and haven't been as up-to-date on baseball so my friend Kyle offered to write in a post for me so that my blog doesn't go dry. I do have some sweet pictures though that I will be adding tomorrow. I can't say it will definitely be the bikini photos that were suggested by a few folks. Would that be wrong to add on a baseball blog?
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First off, I want to start by thanking Christina for letting me be a guest on the blog. (No prob, Ky)

In this post, I will give my input on the Wang and Hughes situation.

Wang has been abysmal, horrendous, dreadful, and just flat out awful. This surely is no revelation to most fans. It seems that the Yankees called up Wang too quickly. I understand that at the time they were worried that Joba might miss a start. For situations like that, we have Aceves to make an emergency start. It is different if someone went on the DL. As a result, the 1st few Wang starts might be similar to spring training or rehab starts. Not exactly the ideal situation.

Right now Wang is hurting the team, but the hope is that he can straighten himself out long term. He has the velocity and he is regaining arm strength. The command will come in time. He can be a huge asset to this team in the 2nd half and come playoff time if all goes as the Yankees hope. The Yankees need to commit to a plan. They cannot just judge Wang on 1 or 2 starts. He does need to show progress, but he also needs regular work.

Also, the team in general is in better shape than they were back in April. Yes, the Yankees are 0-7 vs. Boston, but they are only 1 game out of 1st place and leading the wild card. As a result, the Yankees can afford to start Wang. The potential upside and improvement to the team makes it wise to let Wang start. Not only can Wang help the rotation, but he can also improve the bullpen by pitching more innings. Thus, the bullpen is used less and becomes more effective.

There are other reasons why it would be beneficial for Wang to become a fixture in the rotation. One is that Hughes and Joba are on innings limits. Thus, it’s unlikely that either will start in the playoffs. Pettitte wore down the last couple months last year. AJ has been inconsistent and has never had back to back healthy seasons. Wang might not return to his old form, but the Yankees have to at least try to get him straightened out.

As for Hughes, he should not stay in the pen for the rest of the season. He can stay in the bullpen for the time being. An injury to someone or Wang still pitching poorly in a month will send Hughes back to the rotation. Hughes likely goes back to Scranton once Wang proves that he is an effective starter again. Then, Hughes probably gets called back up later in the season. Hughes is a promising young starter. He will get his chances.