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Young Yankees Must Earn Their Spots

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The Associated Press

Published: February 16, 2009

TAMPA - Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy came to Tampa last spring with their names penciled into the Yankees' starting rotation.

Injuries and ineffectiveness combined to ruin both their seasons last year, as Hughes and Kennedy went a combined 0-8 with a 7.45 ERA for the Yankees. Following the offseason additions of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, Hughes (22 years old) and Kennedy (24) are back in camp with very little chance of making the rotation, barring injuries.

Despite the reality that Hughes and Kennedy are quite probably ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, they and those around them say they are preparing with the big leagues in mind.

"I like it," Kennedy said of needing to push his way in. "I like the competition part. I feel better now than I ever have as a pitcher. I just feel more complete than I ever did before."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland all insisted that they continue to have high hopes for Hughes and Kennedy. Hughes has had major injuries in consecutive seasons, which the Yankees hope he can move past. Kennedy surged in late 2007 before faltering last year.

"In terms of what they can be, they haven't dropped in our opinion," Cashman said.

Said Eiland: "In their minds, they need to feel like they're competing for a spot. We still have very high expectations for those two. We still look at them as we always have, that they're going to play a major role in this organization — if not today, not too far off."

Girardi noted that the Yankees aren't assuming their starters will remain healthy. That's obvious, after they rolled through pitchers in rapid succession last year. But the front five of Sabathia, Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain have the rotation on lockdown if healthy.

The goal, Girardi said, is for Hughes and Kennedy to improve no matter where they are. Improved command is a goal for both, with health a big concern for Hughes and consistent delivery a bigger focus for Kennedy.

"I think it was important that they learn from last year," Girardi said, "that they took something from it, that they understand what it takes to stay here for a long time . . . The biggest thing is that they get better. Wherever they do it, that's the most important thing for them and the organization."

Hughes pitched in the Arizona Fall League this offseason to up his innings total; he missed much of last season with a stress fracture in a rib. He then worked out at Athletes Performance near Los Angeles this winter. He added 10 pounds to get to 240, saying he pitched last year at his lowest weight since the middle of high school. He wanted to get stronger to help ward off injuries.

"This offseason, I was preparing to put myself in the best possible situation to maximize my ability and to stay healthy," Hughes said.

Working with Athletes Performance, where many professional athletes train, was helpful in that it gave Hughes a set program and challenged him daily.

The injury bug has gotten to Hughes several straight years. Cashman pointed to the Mets' Jose Reyes as someone who battled perennial injuries early in his career but has been healthy of late.

Kennedy spent part of his offseason pitching for the Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican winter league. There he went 2-2 with a 1.56 ERA in 34 2/3 innings. He worked on his curveball and on his delivery.

"He went down there with things that we wanted him to do," Eiland said. "He did them and he did them well. We want him to continue to do that and carry those things into the season."

Once back in California, Kennedy got personal coaching from Tom House, the pitching guru now at the University of Southern California. Kennedy has known House since high school, and thought House could help return him to things he used to do well but had gotten away from.

Cashman said his hopes for both are: "for good health and good performance."

In the Bronx or in Scranton.

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