In two straight games, two Cy Young contending starting pitchers put up these numbers:
Sabustia: 4.1 innings 8 hits 6 earned runs 5 walks 0 strikeouts
Wang: 3.2 innings 9 hits 7 runs 3 walks 0 strikeouts
When do we stop blaming the players and start taking a hard look at the coaches? Is Girardi REALLY a competent manager? Is Dave Eiland REALLY able to prepare his pitchers to perform at their best?
Last season it was sometimes hard to tell who was in control of the team; the veteran leaders or the coaching staff. In an infamous conference on the mound, Posada once overruled Girardi's decision to replace a pitcher. If Posada was so comfortable questioning authority in front of the fans, one can only assume that he and the other veterans are even bolder behind the scenes.
Girardi may be a good coach. He got a lot of accolades for being "good with the young pitchers" during his short tenure in Florida. But could we have really expected Girardi to be able to come to this team, an extraordinary group full of talent, experience, salaries, and egos...not to mention players who used to be his teammates, and lead them? Or was that foolish?
Well, I thought it was foolish. I thought this team needed a Phil Jackson type, an old veteran coach, who was also once a top player, with a proven ability to motivate his players, command respect, and excel in the postseason. The question is not whether Girardi fits this mold. The question is whether he meets ANY of these criteria. To make matters worse, it now makes sense to take a second look even at Girardi's supposed strength. If he was so "good with the young pitchers", then how does one explain the complete collapse of Hughes and Kennedy in the first two months of last season, a collapse that cost the Yankees the wild card?
Ok so maybe Hughes and Kennedy "weren't ready". But guess what? Sabustia didn't look ready on Monday. And Wang didn't look ready to pitch tonight. So I ask again, whose responsibility is it to prepare the players? Sure, it is partly the players'. But never underestimate the role of a coach in this matter. And I think we need to start asking questions about who this Dave Eiland guy really is. Let's start with Wikipedia's entry on Eiland and go from there.
Sabustia: 4.1 innings 8 hits 6 earned runs 5 walks 0 strikeouts
Wang: 3.2 innings 9 hits 7 runs 3 walks 0 strikeouts
When do we stop blaming the players and start taking a hard look at the coaches? Is Girardi REALLY a competent manager? Is Dave Eiland REALLY able to prepare his pitchers to perform at their best?
Last season it was sometimes hard to tell who was in control of the team; the veteran leaders or the coaching staff. In an infamous conference on the mound, Posada once overruled Girardi's decision to replace a pitcher. If Posada was so comfortable questioning authority in front of the fans, one can only assume that he and the other veterans are even bolder behind the scenes.
Girardi may be a good coach. He got a lot of accolades for being "good with the young pitchers" during his short tenure in Florida. But could we have really expected Girardi to be able to come to this team, an extraordinary group full of talent, experience, salaries, and egos...not to mention players who used to be his teammates, and lead them? Or was that foolish?
Well, I thought it was foolish. I thought this team needed a Phil Jackson type, an old veteran coach, who was also once a top player, with a proven ability to motivate his players, command respect, and excel in the postseason. The question is not whether Girardi fits this mold. The question is whether he meets ANY of these criteria. To make matters worse, it now makes sense to take a second look even at Girardi's supposed strength. If he was so "good with the young pitchers", then how does one explain the complete collapse of Hughes and Kennedy in the first two months of last season, a collapse that cost the Yankees the wild card?
Ok so maybe Hughes and Kennedy "weren't ready". But guess what? Sabustia didn't look ready on Monday. And Wang didn't look ready to pitch tonight. So I ask again, whose responsibility is it to prepare the players? Sure, it is partly the players'. But never underestimate the role of a coach in this matter. And I think we need to start asking questions about who this Dave Eiland guy really is. Let's start with Wikipedia's entry on Eiland and go from there.
No comments:
Post a Comment