What’s Up With Ian Kennedy?
Seems like Ian is inconsistent with his breaking stuff – despite his great numbers at Triple-A.
Via Pete Caldera -
Meanwhile, Ian Kennedy hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in eight of his nine games at Scranton, but the Yankees want him to become more consistent with his slider and curveball.
Via Mark Feinsand -
Kennedy has been posting some impressive numbers in Triple-A. He has allowed just four runs over 27 innings in his last four starts for Scranton, going 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA, but Girardi said Kennedy still needs to be more consistent with his breaking stuff.
…Ian Kennedy hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in eight of his nine games at Scranton…
…He has allowed just four runs over 27 innings in his last four starts for Scranton, going 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA…
Here’s a question: How can Kennedy be this good at Triple-A without decent breaking pitches?
Sounds like there’s more to it than this…no?
From what I have read, it sounded like his velocity was down in the upper 80s and they basically thought his stuff was good enough to “dominate” AAA hitters but not yet MLB hitters.
Kennedy doesn’t have the mental makeup to handle NY yet. They could crush this kid forever if he coems up again and fails. He is very weak of mind. Not what I thought he would be.
Here’s a question: How can Kennedy be this good at Triple-A without decent breaking pitches?
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It could be a combination of weak competition and doing a hell of a job spotting his pitches.
Kennedy doesn’t have the mental makeup to handle NY yet. They could crush this kid forever if he coems up again and fails. He is very weak of mind. Not what I thought he would be.
–Good to know that Freud is here in the WasWatching comments section. So do tell me, oh PhD in Psychology, what exactly does being “weak of mind” mean? IS he mentally handicap? Or is it more of just a “lower IQ” issue. Or perhaps he has “stage freight,” what you would probably term a “social phobia?”
Its good to know, though, that Kennedy simply “doesn’t have the mental makeup to handle NY.” Have you alerted Brian Cashman to this? Its something he should probably know, and coming from a seasoned, professional expert such as yourself, I am sure he will realize his mistake and immediately trade Kennedy and Melky for Roy Halladay.
“Kennedy doesn’t have the mental makeup to handle NY yet. They could crush this kid forever if he coems up again and fails. He is very weak of mind. Not what I thought he would be.”
Jake, you should do your homework before you talk out your —. If you had, you would know that Ian has pitched in pressure games/situations since his teenage years, playing in the CABA world series, CIF (high school) championships twice, USC Fri. nite pitcher breaking records, US National Team in a gold medal win vs. Taiwan (I think it was) and then pitched well for the Yankees in Sept. last year. A pitcher is not “weak” of mind or of anything having these past accomplishments. Did he need to make mental and physical adjustments? Looks like he has made the adjustments to me and when, not if, they put him back up to MLB level when Girardi is done making his point (as seems what he is doing), whether that is this season or next, then you will see that neither mental or physical weakness is his problem. He is the kind of kid who is energized and more determined when things do not go his way and does what is necessary to be sure they do next time. He will learn from past mistakes to be sure.
PS-His velocity has always been 88-94, so his velocity is not down. He is a control pitcher.