The Hughes Move

by jscape2000 on Oct 8, 2009 9:01 AM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

Would you say Joe Girardi overmanaged the game last night?

Phil Hughes faced 3 batters and recorded 2 outs.

Phil Coke threw one pitch for a liner that went straight to Mark Teixeira.

Joba threw 2 pitches to get a ground ball to end the 8th.

Sitting in the bar last night I was rubbing my eyes trying to figure out why Joe G. was making so many moves (half price domestics slows down my thinking). So here's my sober take:

The Hughes move was the right one, and Joe G. deserves a little praise for going to his stopper at the critical point in the game, not the late point. If Joe Torre were still around, Hughes could not have pitched during the 7th inning because he'd be the 8th inning guy.

And if Hughes had been less successful, I can see how the ball could have gone straight to Mo in the 8th inning of a close game because of the offday today. Since it was a blowout, Joe G. gave Coke and Joba a chance to chase out the butterflies- if they get into trouble, Enter Sandman.

And I can see how (now) it's worthwhile to let Mo shake off any rust that might have started to accumulate in the last 4 days, and to make sure Mo doesn't go a week without pitching. Better to have Mo do what my brother called his 'human impression' now rather than in a tight spot.

Despite my first instinct to criticize Girardi, all of his bullpen moves last night were good ones.

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I agree

He got a Hughes, Coke and Joba a taste of action in a relatively safe situation ( 4-5 run lead), and let Mo shake the rust off. There is also the fact that it was Girardi’s first playoff game as the Yankee manager and he took advantage of some situational moves when there wasn’t any real pressure. So he got to practice too, without any real risk.

by fredny on Oct 8, 2009 9:25 AM EDT reply actions

Is it just me, or does Joba and Coke

sound like a drink? :-)

by pinstriper on Oct 8, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Hughes pitch selection

Was it just me, or did he not throw any breaking pitches? Looked like he just came at them with fastballs and cutters. Maybe Girardi or someone in the bullpen told him not to tip his hand the first time out and save the Philthyness for a K situation.

Also, Hughes has pitched in the postseason before, against the Indians two years ago.

by Sgurd0187 on Oct 8, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions

I think he threw a 3-2 breaking ball to Mauer, which was lined to center field. That was the only non-fastball I remember. I do think Hughes mixed the 2 and 4 seamers, though, as I vaguely remember a few pitches being clocked at 90-91 MPH.

I’ll stick by my opinion, as I have all year. Joe Girardi is a damn good manager. I don’t care what New York Sports Jerk says.

by murp0837 on Oct 8, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Likewise.

But you’ll notice I gave him credit in this very thread.

by New York Sports Jerk on Oct 8, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

half right

he threw one curve, which Mauer hit for a single. every other pitch was a cutter or 4-seamer. he doens’t throw a 2-seamer, afaik.

by Travis G on Oct 8, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought all the moves were fine...

If the yanks were playing back to back games…or even 3 in a row, I’d say rest some people and use one guy or whatever.

But the crazy (and un-baseball-like) amount of days off allows managers to use many guys more often because they will have so much time off. They play 3 games in 5 days!!! I can’t stand that and I think it ruins the flow of baseball and the reward/punishment of playing a great game or a bad game.

At first I thought it was nuts to bring in Mo with a 4 run lead…but then again….he won’t pitch till friday and then again on sunday. Again….TONS of downtime.

by Ragnar808 on Oct 8, 2009 9:42 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t think it was an attempt to get Coke and Joba past the playoff jitters.. Coke faced Kubel whose numbers against righthanded pitcher has been of mvp type quality this season while his numbers against lefthanders are below the mendoza line.. Additionally Hughes had already thrown 24 pitches including 10 in a incredible at bat by Cabrera.
good move by girardi to play the percentages.

by Jtmc on Oct 8, 2009 10:21 AM EDT reply actions

I had no problem with Girardi's moves...

With the off days he didn’t have to worry about wearing out the bullpen, and he got most of the key guys some work to keep them on their games.

That, and Posada made Girardi look like a genius for deciding to start Molina on Friday.

by New York Sports Jerk on Oct 8, 2009 10:44 AM EDT reply actions

+1

on all fronts.

by NumberSeven on Oct 8, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

He didn't need to use both Coke and Joba

But that’s picking nits. You don’t need a specialist to pitch to Delmon Young with one man on base and a 5 run lead, so I take the move as working Joba in as a reliever.

Bringing in Hughes in the 7th to put out CC’s fire was the best move, and as you say a sign that Girardi runs his bullpen better than Torre (which we already knew.) Leaving Hughes in to pitch to the heart of the Twins order (Mauer, Cuddyer) was also a good sign for Girardi. He recognizes that the Twins only have a handful of hitters who can do significant damage, and that he needs his best reliever working on them.

by DK Jr. on Oct 8, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

He just wanted to get all those guys

some playoff experience. Yeah, Hughes was needed to shut down that rally, but other than that it was just that everyone had been off for a while and it was a good time to get their feet wet without any major consequence.

by GMan83201 on Oct 8, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions