Will Burnett Or Hughes Throw A Clunker To Remember This October?
Posted by Steve L. on September 23rd, 2010 · Comments (8)
I was just looking at what many would consider to be the 25 worst post-season “starts” by a Yankees pitcher in the Wildcard Era – meaning since 1996. (See the list below.) And, I noticed that two of A.J. Burnett’s starts for the Yankees last season ranked among the 20th worst for the Yankees (since ’96).
What are the odds that Burnett or Phil Hughes have a start this October which also cracks the Top 20 (or 25) here?
Me? I’m thinking the odds are pretty good. How about you? Have a lot of faith in Burnett and/or Hughes this post-season? Yes? No? Why?
| Rk | Player | Date | Series | Gm# | Opp | Rslt | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | GSc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chien-Ming Wang | 2007-10-04 | ALDS | 1 | CLE | L 3-12 | 4.2 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 2 | David Wells | 2002-10-05 | ALDS | 4 | ANA | L 5-9 | 4.2 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 3 | Andy Pettitte | 2001-11-03 | WS | 6 | ARI | L 2-15 | 2.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 4 | Andy Pettitte | 1996-10-20 | WS | 1 | ATL | L 1-12 | 2.1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| 5 | Andy Pettitte | 1999-10-26 | WS | 3 | ATL | W 6-5 | 3.2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 6 | A.J. Burnett | 2009-11-02 | WS | 5 | PHI | L 6-8 | 2.0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 22 |
| 7 | Andy Pettitte | 1998-10-09 | ALCS | 3 | CLE | L 1-6 | 4.2 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 22 |
| 8 | David Cone | 1997-09-30 | ALDS | 1 | CLE | W 8-6 | 3.1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 22 |
| 9 | Randy Johnson | 2005-10-07 | ALDS | 3 | LAA | L 7-11 | 3.0 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
| 10 | Andy Pettitte | 2000-10-08 | ALDS | 5 | OAK | W 7-5 | 3.2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 23 |
| 11 | Andy Pettitte | 1997-10-02 | ALDS | 2 | CLE | L 5-7 | 5.0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 23 |
| 12 | Roger Clemens | 1999-10-16 | ALCS | 3 | BOS | L 1-13 | 2.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| 13 | Kenny Rogers | 1996-10-23 | WS | 4 | ATL | W 8-6 | 2.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| 14 | Kevin Brown | 2004-10-20 | ALCS | 7 | BOS | L 3-10 | 1.1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 15 | Chien-Ming Wang | 2007-10-08 | ALDS | 4 | CLE | L 4-6 | 1.0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| 16 | Mike Mussina | 2005-10-10 | ALDS | 5 | LAA | L 3-5 | 2.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 28 |
| 17 | Andy Pettitte | 2002-10-02 | ALDS | 2 | ANA | L 6-8 | 3.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 28 |
| 18 | Kevin Brown | 2004-10-16 | ALCS | 3 | BOS | W 19-8 | 2.0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 31 |
| 19 | A.J. Burnett | 2009-10-22 | ALCS | 5 | LAA | L 6-7 | 6.0 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 32 |
| 20 | Roger Clemens | 2000-10-07 | ALDS | 4 | OAK | L 1-11 | 5.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 32 |
| 21 | Roger Clemens | 2003-10-16 | ALCS | 7 | BOS | W 6-5 | 3.0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| 22 | Jaret Wright | 2006-10-07 | ALDS | 4 | DET | L 3-8 | 2.2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 |
| 23 | Mike Mussina | 2001-10-27 | WS | 1 | ARI | L 1-9 | 3.0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 34 |
| 24 | Jimmy Key | 1996-10-21 | WS | 2 | ATL | L 0-4 | 6.0 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| 25 | Kenny Rogers | 1996-10-12 | ALCS | 4 | BAL | W 8-4 | 3.0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 34 |
.
A lot of bad memories on that list..
Corey Italiano wrote:
Amen brother.
of course theres a chance. Andy is on that list 7 times and everyone considers him a big game pitcher. Clemens is considered one of the best pitchers in history and hes on that list 3 times. theres a chance CC could throw a bad game. its baseball it happens.
Ummm….
I can’t help but notice that six (6) of those eleven (11) worst starts were hurled (pun intended) by Andy Pettitte, as recently as last post-season.
So then, why does everyone seem to be so confident about #46?
@ Molon Labe:
Because we have seen him succeed in the big games more than we have seen him fail in the past 14 years we have been watching him do this.
@ BOHAN:
@ Molon Labe:
This is 100% subjective and not based on any data, but, I would swear that there’s a line for Andy Pettitte in the post-season and it’s drawn at 2003.
It just SEEMS like Andy Pettitte the post-season pitcher since 2003 is a different animal since Andy Pettitte the post-season pitcher before 2003. And, there’s more reason to trust Andy now, since 2003. But, then again, I’m a self-confessed Pettitte fanboy.
I think every team in the playoffs could ask this question of their starters outside of their ace. Look at the Rays…could Garza, Shields or Neimann throw a clunker in the playoffs? I think we saw this current series that is as real a possibility as Hughes or Burnett…maybe even more so. Bottom line as long as Yanks stay healthy the rest of the way they have the best team in the AL…Rays just don’t have the offense but you never know that is why you play the games. I’m not excited about having to face Lee in a short series either…anything can happen!
Andy’s PS stat’s are 18-9 w/ a 3.90 ERA. I’ll take him any day of the week.