Where in the World is Chuck Knoblauch?

For whatever reason, federal agents have not been able to locate Chuck Knoblauch. They want to provide him with his subpoena, but apparently they’ll have to find him first.

Even when they do find him, I’m sure Knoblauch will just throw the slip into the nearest garbage can (although he’d probably miss the can completely).

Phil Hughes Explains Dip in Velocity

 

During the 2007 season, we were all wondering why Phil Hughes wasn’t throwing as hard as he could. Granted, most of us attributed such wonders to his injury issues, but, for those of us who weren’t sure as to why this was occurring, who better to explain it then Phil Hughes himself?

The following is from a Q&A on Phil’s blog:

metalboy15 asked:  Your mechanics/delivery seemed to get a lot closer to where it was before the hamstring injury (first 2 starts) upon the arrival of Dave Eiland back in September of last years, do you credit your late season success to this
After coming back from my injury last season my mechanics were a little out of whack. This led to a little loss of velocity and command. When Dave arrived in September we were able to work out some things and I think that had a lot to do with the success I had at the end of the season. It was nice to finish off the year on a good note so I have something to work toward to get back to my normal self in 2008.

So, in August (after the no-hit bid), when Hughes had returned to the club after spending a few months on the DL, his overall numbers indicated a problem.

32.1 IP  32 H  23 ER  6 HR  15 BB  29 K  6.40 ERA  1.45 WHIP

Now, due to testimony directly from Hughes, we can simply attribute these figures to mechanical problems related to his previous injuries. When September rolled around with Dave Eiland and fixed mechanics, we had a much better line:

29.2 IP  25 H  9 ER  2 HR  10 BB  18 K  2.73 ERA  1.18 WHIP

And of course, we all know what Hughes did in the playoffs. So, with all of this stuff figured out, and with Dave Eiland as the club’s pitching coach, let’s expect bigger and better things from Hughes come 2008 (as a Yankee, not a Twin). Also, as long as Jose Molina gets a few days in with Hughes, we should be even better.

Blog Bounce: NoMaas’ Best Young SP Combos

NoMaas (a great blog) has posted a list of what they believe are the best young starting pitching combos in all of baseball. Joba and Hughes are in there, along with some guys that may surprise you if you haven’t checked out the NL.

One duo that could be missing however, may be Tom Gorzelanny and Ian Snell of the Pirates. In 07, Gorzo (24) posted solid numbers despite being hampered by some injury issues. Snell (25) also performed extremely well (K/9=7.66). Actually Snell was doing a tremendous job in the first half (2.93 ERA), but later faded (4.98 ERA) in the second half (although he did rebound at the season’s end).

B.J. Upton VS. Robinson Cano

The MVN Network featured a nice statistic-based battle (by the great EJ Fagan and Eric SanInocencio) between our very own Robbie Cano and the tremendously impressive B.J. (“Bossman Junior) Upton. To be honest, I’d take Upton over Cano if I had to choose. I mean, Cano is great and I’m glad that the Yankees have him and will likely keep him, but, in terms of potential, skills, speed, everything, Upton has it.

Who would you choose? Upton or Cano?

The Record That Nobody Wants

When you don’t win bring home a World Series trophy, hearing that you spent a record-setting $218.3 million on payroll just doesn’t sound too great. Unfortunately for us, that’s exactly what happened to the Yankees in 2007. The AP reports that the payroll would’ve fallen under $200 million, however the Roger Clemens signing added an additional $17.4 million to the already hefty sum.

The Yankees seem to be ready to partake in a new method for success though, and this method should decrease their spending (somewhat). Instead of giving out free-agent contracts to any and everyone (like ex-Yankee Jaret Wright, who just signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates), the Yanks will develop from within, allowing Hal Steinbrenner to keep a grin on his face (for now).

Mets Lead, Twins Still Trying to Move Santana

La Velle E. Neal III (damn) reports that the Twins are “stepping up their efforts” as they attempt to trade Johan Santana before Spring Training. He also states that the Twins have spoke with the Yankees recently (along with the BoSox and Mets) about the lefty. Meanwhile, in relation to Santana, Jon Heyman at SI says that the “Mets may actually be the favorite now,” which isn’t necessarily anything new.

Props to MLBTR for the news.

Loose Ends for the Day

Some final things to wrap up the day.

• Kat O’Brien is reporting that Robinson Cano (arbitration) wouldn’t be against signing a long-term deal with the club. Cano isn’t eligible for free-agency until after 2010 and it would probably be smart for the Yankees to lock him up.
• Also, our friend Chuck Knoblauch was subpoenaed by Congress in order to discuss the allegations featured in the Mitchell Report. Why this man is even a central figure in this whole thing is beyond me (let’s move on already).
• Finally, PA at the Lohud Blog is still hosting guest writers this month, and I’ll be posting on there tomorrow night. Rivera’s Cutter (a blog) was the guest blog for tonight, and I encourage you to check it out (and tomorrow of course).

Yankees to Play Virginia Tech in March

The Yankees, who wanted to offer more than just their financial support after the tragic shootings which took place at Virginia Tech, will be playing the VT baseball team in an exhibition game on March 18. This story has been reported before, although the exact date and the validity were questionable.

The game will take place at Virginia Tech’s own English Field. In order to accommodate the expected increase in fan attendance, the team will revamp the field’s seating. However, no tickets will be offered to the general public. Other than that, I don’t really know much more about how the game will work or who from the Yankees organization will actually be playing.

Really, I cannot say how great this is for Virginia Tech. Yes, the Yankees are providing an amazing and extremely creative (and classy) level of support here, but the real story is the inherent good such an experience will have on the students who get to be a part of it all. Great stuff, indeed.