jacksonianmarch

Hughes wasnt hyped when he was drafted. Betances was hyped out of this world. Betances had a full page article written on him when he arrived at camp. Phil Hughes didnt get anything written about him in major media until late last season when his name kept coming up in trade ideas. The reasons are obvious. The Yankees send out RJ and they have a kid that throws like him and looks like him (size wise) in the minors. Anything to catch a readers attention. Doesnt mean I dont think he'd be fantastic, just that he has been hyped. Now onto Hughes. Cmon now ORS. For a guy who has essentially dominated, absolutely obliterated every level of the minors, I'd assume he'd have gotten more press than he did. Thankfully, he didnt cause he, Wang, and Cano could easily have been sent to ARI for Randy.

no. And with the sox rainout, DiceK is set to face the yankees 2 times in 5 days.

So Hughes hasnt been brilliant in the minors? As for Betances, the hype is all we have to go on right now as he lingers in EST instead of Charleston where he belongs.

Sean Henn will take Mike Mussina's slot in the rotation likely meaning that the yankees will not adjust their rotation for the off days. Please, Joe, go away.

You want to talk about hype, Hughes got NO hype until this yr. It was guys like me and other web sites who were touting his brilliance since he was in Charleston. As far as overhyping people, there are a few that come to mind. Two being Steven Jackson and Hmberto Sanchez. Both with loads of talent, but problems with control and really only one good minor league season under their belts. Clippard is underhyped in my opinion. He continues to be doubted when he comes out and throws double digit K/9IP on the board and hardly walks anyone. People seem to think that a pitcher needs a 95 mph fastball to be a major leaguer these days. But a guy like TClip is an innings eater with great breaking stuff (and his heat sits 88-92, which is fine) who could hold down the middle of a rotation.

Comparing anyone to Coco Crisp is an insult. And a heinous one at that.

but Tavarez is so good, I mean he was awesome at the end of last yr /sarcasm

they are actually. They redid the entire strength and conditioning department and now everyone has strained hammies.

Do we need another reason to think you have anything useful to give here? How much have you seen of Hughes. Really, how much. Cause if you are going to base a kids future on 3 appearances in the beginning of ST, then you are hopeless and stupid.

slobbin all over the NFL draft and barely mentioning MLB. And the draft isnt for another 16 days!

GAME CALLED Will be Made up in May prior to a twins series.

lucky for you if it did get rained out.

4:05

It is a very slow curve. Just like Zito's. One that is a nose to toes and is slow as hell. Thing is, Zito just throws his, while Hughes has been said to have better control of his than any other pitch. And Hughes is very accurate with his fastball, so that is saying a lot.

Guised better, it could have been shielded from its racist overtones. You figure those who have a higher propensity for criminal activity are those who are raised in high crime, low income areas. These areas are predominantly settled by minorities. So if you wish to make a loose assocation between minorities and criminal activity, the stats will back you up. But to call it a thug league is a problem. I think the NFL and NBA especially need to help these kids who come up with nothing, fighting for their lives on the streets and all of a sudden become millionaires. The kid can leave the city, but the city doesnt leave the kid.

http://www.nbcsports.com/cbk/1350909/detail.html?dest=rss| according to their AAU coach, all three will be entering the NBA draft this yr, leaving OSU with a depleted squad for next yr.

http://www.kansascity.com/159/story/67673.html Zach Greinke will leave the royals for a couple games to attend the funerals of his grandparents. They travelled to watch him pitch, then both died within hours of each other. It looks like natural causes too. So I was wondering, is this a sad story, or one of those Notebook-esque (yeah, I watched it with my wife and no I am not gay) nice moments.

back to Hughes, one thing that is interesting is his velocities. 4FB 92-95 2FB 90-93 Slider 80-85 Change 75-80 Curveball 65-75 He has a huge, loopy curve like Zito does and it is about 20mph or more slower than his heat. I have personally seen it (last yr at Trenton) be clocked in the 60s one pitch after Hughes hit the outside corner with a 96mph fastball.

Ahhhhhh I see. Hughes has the same arsenal taken a bit back with velocity. Nardi took away his slider as it was his best pitch when he came over. He knows the history on most fastball slider kids and wanted to avoid that (TJ surgery at a young age). Nardi taught him the curve and the change, and that curve is one of the best in the entire minor leagues. His change needs a bit of work. This offseason, Nardi allowed Hughes to throw the slider again. So he will work it in, so long as he throws about 20% changeups. Right now, he has his full arsenal at his disposal. Here it is. 4FB 2FB curve slider change The hope is that his primary breaking ball be the curve, and a K pitch be the slider. The change be good enough to go to if needed, but work as a show me pitch for the most part unless the curve or slider are off. Right now, Hughes has 5 pitches, yet has to throw one of them about 20 times a game, his weakest one (changeup). By the time he hits the Bronx, he will have 5 pitches at his disposal to be used at his discretion.