Schilling: Vazquez Won’t Succeed In Yankeeland
Red Light Schilling offers some opinion/analysis on Javy Vazquez –
“I never ever thought the move to New York the first time was a good one [for Vazquez]. And I didn’t think this [move] was good as well,” Schilling said. “I don’t think he suddenly learned how to pitch when he went back to Atlanta and dealt last year. He’s a phenomenal National League pitcher. It’s hard to say this without sounding disrespectful and I don’t mean it that way — the National League is an easier league to pitch in, period. And some guys aren’t equipped to get those same outs in the American League, and he’s one of those guys.”
“[Vazquez] thrived in Montreal and he thrived in Atlanta, and those are both second-tier cities from a baseball passion perspective. He’s not a guy that I’ve ever felt was comfortable in the glow,” Schilling said. “You’re seeing what you’re gonna get from him consistently all year. Having said that, he could turn around next week and throw a one-hitter with his stuff. I just don’t see him being a consistent winner in the American League.”
It’s interesting to see this…just one week after Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman said that he has faith in Vazquez: “I wouldn’t have traded for him if I didn’t,” Cashman said.
OK, I’ll just hang up now and listen to your reaction…
Who cares what Schilling says
Corey Italiano wrote:
Not me.
YankCrank wrote:
Me neither.
I suppose fans from “second-tier cities from a baseball passion perspective” might want to ask Schilling what he meant by that. That’s a pretty ignorant statement right there.
I figure…Schilling is just getting his feet wet with ESPN and needs a big splash to get some attention…and this is a perfect subject matter and team for him to target…to that end.
But, that said, he also knows a lot about pitching and performing on a big stage…as well as the difference between pitching in the NL and AL…so, maybe there’s something to what he’s saying too?
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Could there be something to what he’s saying? Sure, there can be. But that doesn’t change the fact that i’ll never want to listen to him talk about any subject matter – even if he happened to be 110% right about it.
What team was Vasquez pitching for during the first half of 2004?
bfriley76 wrote:
Sorry…Vazquez
Steve Lombardi wrote:
I don’t see any correlation to Schilling’s success and any knowledge on the subject of pitching “on a big stage.”
Schilling succeeded because he’s one of his generation’s best pitchers, not because he was armed with some innate knowledge into how to perform in Boston.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Maybe, maybe not, but it should be noted that Vazquez pitched 3 years in Chicago and 4+ years in the AL.
“The big stage” isn’t the reason his velocity’s down or his walks are up. 3 of his starts have been in “second-tier cities” such as TB, LA & OAK, so I’m not sure as to what he’s getting at.
Pitchers slump. It happens. I mentioned before that Verlander and Lester have been getting hammered, their track record says they’ll be fine. I’d be willing to wager the same with Vazquez.
The bigger issue may not be better hitters in AL lineups but the added pressure of playing in NY for the NYY. Now that the media and fans are smelling blood, can he block all that out and get back on track?
@ ken:
Yes, that’s the big question now.
ken wrote:
@ Steve Lombardi:
How can you guys still believe this stuff?
MJ Recanati wrote:
90% of the game is half mental.
Ask A-Rod about the post-season of 2006. Once this stuff gets into your head, most guys are cooked.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
So you think it wasn’t in his head last year? Come on
I think something was in A-Rod last year, but, that’s up to the Feds to find out about…
MJ Recanati wrote:
Are you questioning whether state of mind matters or if Vazquez specifically has such a problem? There’s not doubt that this is an issue for some players. The only question is whether it is affecting Vazquez. The jury is out on him.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Rodriguez has had good postseasons, he has had bad postseasons. Doesn’t mean that someone has gotten into his head, it means he has had a bad postseason.
ken wrote:
There’s plenty of doubt. There are players that have failed in other venues as well, is it because they couldn’t handle the pressure of playing in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Cleveland, or wherever?
100% agree with schilling. said when they made this move. he’s a NL pitcher. and hes to mentality soft to pitch in the big city.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
ask the rest of lienup about the post-season of 2006 no one did anything
minus jeter abreu and posada
BOHAN wrote:
Funny, 2007 was a pretty darn good year and I do believe he pitched for the Chicago White Sox of the American League.
hate schilling all u want but hes right about vazquez
Again, I’ll ask…which team was Vazquez pitching for again in the first half of 2004? So he was able to handle NY then, but isn’t able to handle it now?
Jake1 wrote:
Because you say so?
MJ Recanati wrote:
congratualtion he pitched one good year in the AL…. on a team that doesnt get a quarter of the media scrutiny that NY does.
bfriley76 wrote:
he pitched well when he wasnt under the microscope of being in a tight race. first half is easy to pitch. second half proves who the real pitchers are. how do you pitch when the pressure is on you? and now that the pressure has been on him since he was traded here he’s once again pitching like shit.
BOHAN wrote:
The fact that he pitched well in the AL even once disproves your assertion that he can’t pitch well in the AL.
And, as bfriley76 said, the fact that he pitched well in the first half of the ’04 season should adequately address the misguided notion that Vazquez somehow can’t handle New York.
Frankly, I’m amazed that people actually believe in the idea that New York is somehow a harder market to play in. It’s such antiquated, self-serving BS.
BOHAN wrote:
The Yankees had a 101/2 game lead through mid-august in 2004. Vazquez started pitching poorly well before then, so I don’t think the “tight race” is what did him in.
MJ Recanati wrote:
Ut’s not MJ, ever been to a Cubs game. The homerism there is almost as bad as it is in St Louis. Ever hear HAwk Harrelson call a White Sox game? The Sox are the good guys and the other team is not! MJ you are in denial about how hard it is to play in the DEvil’s Triangle of baseball, Philly-NYC -Boston. even Schill the Shrill mentioned how the pressure is different in NYC and Boston. and you should know better BECAUSE you lived in St Louis right? The fans down there and the press is so civilized compared to what goes on in the Northeast.
If you look at Jubior Varsity’s metrics as a whole, he’s a worse pitcher in the AL vs the NL. Period. Even with the White Sox his stats were decent truth be told but not mindblowing.
However I must say this much,JV is not cut out for The Yankees. The BS story about the injury in 2004, it comes out now? where is there verification from a doctor? That was total horseshit. Look at JV’s comments and demeanor after games this year…he’s soft! Ozzy Guillen is a Madman BUT he was right about JV.
*facepalm*
Raf wrote:
http://waswatching.com/2005/05/16/javy-vazquez-now-you-tell-us/