The only reason Hughes will start in AAA is because Johnson and Pavano has guaranteed contracts. If they can’t move/dump one of those guys, there just might not be room for Hughes.
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They managed to make room for Duque in ’98.

Also, I don’t see any reason Hughes couldn’t start the year in the pen, eventually working his way into the rotation when someone gets hurt (and you know it’s going to happen with this staff)

I don’t think Torre had much he could do in this series, the team just didn’t perform, point blank. I had higher hopes this year for this team then the past 2-3 years because the team just seemed different with Melky in there and Abreu, but something happened between the regular season and the playoffs, but Sheffield, Giambi, and AROD killed us in the middle of the lineup and the Yankees couldn’t move runners because Pudge was behind the plate which basically turned the Yanks into a HR hitting team again.

Philip Hughes is going to skip Triple-A all together, pitch 200 innings in the Bronx, and help carry the Yankees to a ring? Really?
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I’m assuming that comment was directed at me. If you look at what I wrote, I didn’t say anything of the kind. What I said was: “Matsuzaka needs to arrive in America and don a Yankees’ jersey, and Philip Hughes needs to be with the team from spring training and take over the fifth-starter’s role.” Five-starters don’t normally throw 200 innings, and you don’t count on them to win you a ring. The guy who would do that in this scenario is Matsuzaka, who’s currently the ace of his team in Japan and struck out thirteen in a complete-game shutout in the first playoff game.

The difference between AA and AAA is minimal. This team needs youth and power in its rotation. Mats and Hughes bring that. I sat a few feet away when Hughes struck out thirteen in six innings in the first game of Trenton’s playoffs. He has total command of his fastball, which he throws hard (91-95), and his curveball (the one he throws out of the zone that comes out looking just like his fastball) often looks unhittable. (Which is not to say he’s going to come to the bigs and dominate. Just that he’s very good.) I don’t really see the point of sticking him in AAA for half a year. He doesn’t need any more seasoning. But the Yankees do need him. The worst aspect of this team — and it has been for years — is the pitching.

The only reason Hughes will start in AAA is because Johnson and Pavano has guaranteed contracts. If they can’t move/dump one of those guys, there just might not be room for Hughes.

But if we went into the season with a rotation of Wang/Mats/Moose/Pavano (or Rasner)/Hughes, we’d finally have a rotation to match the lineup and we might actually get beyond the first round.

Unless you’d rather have Wright and Johnson throwing with the season on the line.

I can see Hughes being called up after the All-Star break but probably not before, though it will be awfully tempting for them not to take him north come April.

I like Joe, but he’s done. He’d make a nice pairing with Kenny up in the YES booth.

Philip Hughes is going to skip Triple-A all together, pitch 200 innings in the Bronx, and help carry the Yankees to a ring? Really?

I’m not sold on Lou, Jeremy. Everyone talks about how good Lou is, but what did he ever win? One ring. He had the winningest team in baseball history and didn’t even get to the World Series. (We beat the snot out of them that year, 4-1, with a staff of pitchers I think we all go to sleep dreaming about nowadays.)

And hiring a manager simply to appease A-Rod is the LAST thing I think they should do. A-Rod being bigger than the team is one of its problems. It’s all A-Rod, all the time. More than anything I think the media attention he engenders gets on other players’ nerves and distracts them. The modern Yankees have always been about winning and not anything individual. A-Rod can’t help but stand out — negatively. I don’t really have anything against A-Rod, but he seems miserable here, and I just think it’s better for him and the Yanks to move on.

Not to mention that it’ll be nice to get his and Sheffield’s contracts off the books, and the Yankees can actually get something for A-Rod in a trade. Many other teams have built their future around trading their superstars. The Yankees should do the same.

bailey, I agree with everything except that A-Rod needs to go. After this series, it’s clear (to me) that A-Rod and Torre do not get along–at the very least he’s not one of Torre’s guys. I think a new manager could possibly do wonders for A-Rod, and that new manager is of course Lou. I realize he quit on the Rays, but he won’t do that to the Yankees. I doubt that Jeter, Posada, Mo, etc. will have any problem playing for Lou either.

Anyway, I’m hoping that Joe will graciously move up to some joke job in the front office and allow another manager to take charge.

I was thinking about this before. Go back to 2001. Yanks won three games — but had no right winning two of those games (two huge home runs in the ninth innings). So Torre hasn’t done squat — with good pitching and without — since 2000.

But think about the way the team continues to get worse: 2001 — eliminated in the World Series in seven games; 2003 — eliminated in the World Series in six games; 2004 — lose in ALCS in seven games; 2005 — lose in the ALDS in five games; 2006 — lose in ALDS in four games.

What’s next? Not even making the post-season?

Aside from moving A-Rod and firing Torre, two things need to happen: Matsuzaka needs to arrive in America and don a Yankees’ jersey, and Philip Hughes needs to be with the team from spring training and take over the fifth-starter’s role.

If that happens, this team is not dead; if those things don’t happen, and this team remains the same, we’re in trouble.

I’m upset. Stunned too.
But, part of me sorta had a hunch not to have high expectations after 2002-2005.

I don’t understand how you’re not upset. This looked like the year the Yankees would finally win number 27. The Angels and Red Sox were nowhere in sight, and we were playing a stumbling Tigers team we kicked the crap out of in the regular season. We were the favorites because we DESERVED to be. Everything was in order, and it all fell apart with a horrible suddenness. If this doesn’t upset you, then I don’t know what would. This was a horrendous and stunning collapse.