Yankees' immediate prospects & villains--NY Times

George Vecsey, 4/26/07 NY Times says,

• "With some Yankee fans growing restive, blaming Torre for the injuries to three starting pitchers, Hughes will try to stop the slide that has reached five straight losses."

Those who've "blamed Torre" have usually done so about his use of the bullpen. The same people understand he has no choice since the starting pitchers haven't done well, but if any blame has come into it for the starters, it's been the new conditioning program, its administrators and Brian Cashman for being in charge of the whole thing.

• Next of course is baseball media's obsession with Roger Clemens. I don't want Clemens, I'd rather lose than have him on the team (as someone else has said). But baseball media speak with mostly 1 point of view as there is 1 source that "defines the daily discourse" in sports. Vecsey:

"Then there is a broader issue: everybody must do their part to make this a Yankee team that Roger Clemens could be proud of."

• I wasn't aware this was the case. Has anyone from Yankee management said this is so? Or does the media just say whatever it wants knowing the Yankees won't do anything about it? But I do agree with Vecsey on the following point:

"Right now the Yankees would settle for the second coming of Aaron Small."

• Then Vecsey provides insight you won't find in the pea brains of chronic complainers:

"Then the fans are itchy because Torre has used Pettitte twice in relief, which indicates exactly what Torre thinks about his bullpen at the moment. If Casey Stengel or Billy Martin sprang a surprise on everybody, that would be a sign of genius, or at least flexibility.

• •Martin was known to use a certain left-handed starter named Guidry from the bullpen for an out or three. Guidry, who made 27 relief appearances from 1977 through 1988, some of them under Martin, is now the Yankees’ pitching coach who had something to do with Pettitte’s brief and apparently harmless relief appearances."

Items from NY Times article by George Vecsey, "Is Yankee Prospect Holding Place for Clemens?" 4/26/07, Times Select

• Baseball scholars may be aware that NY Times employees are not allowed to vote for baseball awards. Also, Mr. Vecsey has written extensively about the NY Mets, the other team in town. Finally, the NY Times is part owner of a baseball team in another city. In case you were going to add or subtract weight for any of Vecsey's writings, these things might help.

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