Yanks AAA Pitching Coach: Kennedy ‘Very Good’ & Hughes ‘OK’ So Far
Via Baseball America’s Prospect Blog today –
The phone call reached the visiting clubhouse at Triple-A Buffalo on Monday morning, and the voice on the other end of the line sounded haggard and tired and soldiering through the day.
Which was to be expected following a trip from Allentown, Pa., coupled with an early rise and quick turnaround in a new locale for a 1 o’clock matinee.
But for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitching coach Scott Aldred, that was OK, considering the Yankees’ Triple-A pitching train smoked through Lehigh Valley (Phillies) over the weekend and sounded an unmistakable opening salvo to the 2009 season.
Remember Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes?
With all eyes on the David Price-Matt Wieters battle in Triple-A Durham, the two Yankees pitchers made quite the racket themselves in serving notice that the disappointments of last season will not carry over into a new one.
Matched opposite Lehigh Valley’s Carlos Carrasco, who was pretty good himself, Kennedy punched out 11 in six innings on Friday night. Hughes took the hill on Sunday and, though his stuff didn’t completely wipe out the Lehigh Valley lineup, it was still good enough for six innings and a victory that completed a four-game sweep.
“They both threw pretty well, and pounded the zone,” Aldred said. “Ian was very good. He was ahead of every hitter and threw quality strikes.”
And Hughes?
“Phil had a fastball yesterday and mixed in a few breaking balls,” Aldred said. “He’s a typical slow starter in April, but he pitched OK yesterday.”
Remind me again…which ones were Hughes and Kennedy? (Just kidding!)
The Hughes/Kennedy Experiemnt that bad band from the 70s!? I’d almost forgotten about them. Hey as a plan B those two are one thing but a plan A?The Yanks have CC,Wang,Joba, Burnit and Ap up on the big team….as much as I have misgivings about AJ’s consistency ,health, makeup and the duration and money they paid to him, I’d rather have him on the team right now rather than those two kids. Last year still leaves a bad taste in my mouth……
hughes better step it up, according to Cone during Pettitte’s game, Andy might not call it quits after this year
I’d rather have [Burnett] on the team right now rather than those two kids. Last year still leaves a bad taste in my mouth…
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They weren’t good last year, no denying that. But at some point you just gotta let it go and move on. They’re still young, they’re still talented, and they could still have very good careers for the Yanks.
If we need to call up a long-reliever, I’d be interested in seeing Kennedy come up. No sense in letting him stay down if he continues embarrassing hitters at AAA; he won’t be learning anything.