Kuzul

A.J. Burnett will be the first to admit his season was nothing short of disastrous.

In his second year with the Yankees he posted a 10-15 record with an ERA north of five over 180 innings of work.

The first Yankee pitcher to do so.

This following an impressive run during the second half of last year including an impressive postseason stint.

After his performance this year, it is easy to forget that it was Burnett who kept the Yankees’ World Series hopes alive when he won Game 2 of the World Series against the Phillies after lefty ace Sabathia took the loss in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

Throughout his career, Burnett has shown he can be as dominant as he can be terrible.

He was responsible for a blowout loss to the Boston Red Sox last year in which the final score was 14-1. The same Burnett that shut out the Red Sox for seven-plus innings that ended 2-0 after Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 15th.

After sitting out the American League Division Series, Burnett is not rested, not relaxed, but anxious to start in the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers beginning Friday, October 15th on TBS.

(Note: The National League Championship Series, San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies begins Saturday, October 16th on FOX)

Burnett is expected to start Game 4 at Yankee Stadium on October 19th.

Aside from workouts and simulated games, this will be Burnett’s first start since October 2nd. While there is a chance this could cause him to be rusty, there is a greater probability he will hit the rubber in the first inning at Yankee Stadium and feel he is home.

Fans of the Yankees expect him to step up and prove himself worthy. Burnett also knows he has to regain the trust and respect of the New York crowd.

It is important not only that he gets a start in the ALCS, but that it comes at home. As brutally honest the Yankee faithful can be with their players, they want another championship and will sooner push Burnett forward than they will harass him while he is on the mound.

He has had more than his fair share of boos from his home crowd, but October is the time to erase everything from the regular season, be it failure or success.

In 2009, Alex Rodriguez was the Yankee under the microscope. All eyes were on him to perform and contribute in order for New York to claim their 27th title.

A.J. Burnett is in the spotlight this year for the Bombers.

Whether he gets a win or loss, whether or not he factors into the decision is somewhat irrelevant.

His mission first and foremost is to get the win, yes, but to also keep the Yankee bats and fans in the game. His start is also pivotal to give the New York rotation the rest needed to minimize the need to pitch on short rest.

The Yankees have already overcome the doubt concerning their pitching in the ALDS. They are now faced with the uncertainty of Burnett who should be capable of performing admirably considering he will be focusing all of his abilities over the span of no more than two or three starts depending on if the Yankees advance to the World Series.

New York will not win another series this year without Burnett eating up innings and keeping his club relevant.

Keeping him out of the rotation in favor of a spot starter will not do. Using a spot starter such as Dustin Mosely or Ivan Nova essentially means a game pitched entirely by the bullpen as Girardi will be compelled to pull them from the game at the slightest hint of trouble that usually arises in the fourth or fifth inning when the lineup sees a starter the second time.

Do not discount the prize that comes with Burnett starting: catcher Francisco Cervelli behind the plate. It is no secret that Burnett and veteran Jorge Posada struggle to agree on strategy and pitch selection, so it is nearly a certainty that Cervelli will be receiving Burnett.

Cervelli may not have the power of Posada with the bat, but he has a greater ability to neutralize the Texas running game with right-hander Burnett toeing the rubber. Cervelli has also shown earlier in the year that he can hit the fastball and hit in the clutch. During late May and early June he carried an average around .300 with RISP.

Cervelli also adds another spot in the lineup the opposing Texas pitchers need to supervise as he his not shy of distracting the pitcher and attempting a steal when on base.

While Cervelli’s bat may have cooled down of late, and he has yet to enter a 2010 postseason game, his service allows Posada a day of rest as well as serving as a powerful, energetic spark plug to keep morale high in difficult situations.

Cervelli’s enthusiasm of pounding the mitt for location and pumping his fist at inning’s end may be the atmosphere and mindset Burnett needs to defeat the Rangers rather than himself.

Burnett may get into trouble, but he has the foundation and ability to power through it. And he knows that the Pinstripe offense has a good chance to make up for a few mistakes when playing at Yankee Stadium.

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After a brilliant performance in Game 3 from Phil Hughes, Joe Girardi has decided to switch him and Pettitte in the playoff rotation. And not only that, A.J. Burnett is getting the nod in Game 4. 

This may come as a surprise to a lot of people after Pettitte’s good outing against the Twins in Game 2, and A.J. Burnett’s horrendous regular season. But you have to trust the decisions your manager makes and I’m sure Joe Girardi knows what he’s doing. 

Phil Hughes pitched seven shutout innings against the Twins in the first round the MLB Playoffs, striking out six batters in the process. He looked to be in command the entire game with very few places for concern.

Pettitte pitched very well also, letting up two earned runs in seven innings, while striking out four batters. He got out of a couple of jams and showed why he has more postseason victories for starters than anybody in the history of baseball. 

This is where you ask, did Hughes really do well enough where you needed to switch him and Pettitte in the rotation? Perhaps Girardi sees Game 3 as a must win and he trusts the veteran to be on the mound in that situation. Who knows what Girardi was thinking for sure?

The real question here is, did A.J. Burnett deserve to even crack the Yankees postseason rotation at all? Burnett rarely showed command during the regular season. Inconsistency plagued both him and the Yankees the whole year. Burnett went 10-15 this season with a 5.26 ERA. Are these numbers you can rely on when you’re just four wins away from making it back to the World Series.

Hopefully these changes payoff for the Yankees, otherwise Girardi may go running to that Cubs job. 

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Now that the ALCS matchup has been determined after the Texas Rangers sent the Tampa Bay Rays packing with a 5-1 victory last night in St. Petersburg, the Yankees have a decision to make. During the ALDS against Minnesota, a five-game series, the Yankees were able to go with a three-man pitching rotation of CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes.

In a seven-game ALCS, the Yankees will have to go with a four-man rotation. If they don’t, they’d have to start Sabathia, Pettitte and Hughes on short rest. For Sabathia, this isn’t a big deal. He has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to pitch on short rest during his time with the Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. But it’s a much bigger problem for Pettitte and Hughes.

The Yankees would be slow to force Pettitte, who answered a lot of questions with a great performance in Game 2 of the ALDS, to go on three days rest—mainly because he is coming off a recent injury. Also, Hughes has already thrown more innings this season than ever before.

Enter A.J. Burnett.

Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees would use a four-man rotation when the ALCS begins Friday night in Arlington, Texas and told fans to “be prepared” to see Burnett. Cashman expressed confidence in his pitcher, who struggled to a 10-15 record and 5.26 ERA during the regular season.

If C.C. Sabathia pitches Game 1 on Friday night, and the rest of the rotation stays the same, Burnett would pitch in Game 4 and Hughes would have to pitch a decisive Game 7 if the series went that far. Hughes looked good in his first career postseason start on Oct. 9 against the Twins, but at the age of 24, is a Game 7 start too much to ask?

Against the Texas Rangers during the regular season, Burnett went 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts and held their offense to a .232 BAA. If the Yankees are looking at the stats, then things are looking good for Burnett to get the start. Not that the Yankees have much of a choice.

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If it weren’t already evident that AJ Burnett’s big long-term contract was dictating the decisions made by the Yankees front office, it is now. 

After the Yankees cruised through the American League Division series with just three starters, the Yankees announced Monday morning that they will use a fourth starter in the American League Championship series. That fourth starter will be AJ Burnett.

Yankees fans have never been fed up with a pitcher more than they have AJ Burnett. And for a good reason. This season has been a disastrous one for the 33-year-old, and that is just one of the many reasons why this decision makes no sense.

First off, if the Yankees feel they need a fourth starter, why didn’t they initially have one in the divisional series? Furthermore, there was no evidence in the ALDS that a fourth starter was needed. After all, they never lost a game.

The Yankees have almost a week off between the last game of the ALDS and the first game of the ALCS. That rest will make it even easier for all the starters to get back into shape, especially CC Sabathia, who would potentially pitch three games.

If you insert Burnett into the fourth spot in the rotation, CC Sabathia would pitch Game 5, eliminating the possibility of him pitching a possible Game 7. If you can’t throw your ace in Game 7, you have something to worry about.

Then, there is the simplest argument of them all: Burnett is not the best the Yankees have. Even if they believe that a fourth starter is necessary, Burnett is not their best option.

With a 5.26 ERA on the season, and a 7.94 ERA in his final three regular-season starts, Burnett should be out of contention for a starting spot. The Yankees mistakenly left Ivan Nova and Javier Vazquez off the roster, but they still left Dustin Moseley.

Now, of course you would not be comfortable putting Moseley on the mound in the ALCS. He, too, has an ERA of almost five, and he has never started a postseason game. However, as bad a case as Moseley has, Burnett’s is worse. Bottom line: neither Burnett nor Moseley is fit for a postseason start, but if you really feel you need a fourth starter, Moseley would give you a better chance to win.

Although they likely don’t believe it, you will surely hear the Yankees sing the same song they have sang all year: “Burnett has great stuff, and he has potential to pitch a great game.” 

Sure, he has potential to pitch a great game. But so does Kerry Wood, or Mariano Rivera, or Joba Chamberlain, or Kei Igawa. It’s the postseason. You need starters who give you a chance to win nearly 100 percent of the time. Burnett is not that guy, regardless of what he can do.

The Yankees made this decision without any regard to winning. They instead made this decision because they are afraid to hurt Burnett’s feelings. He will be here for another three years, and the Yankees don’t want to upset someone who will likely be essential to their future success.

In the Yankees’ history, only one pitcher has finished the season with at least 30 starts and an ERA above five. That pitcher is AJ Burnett. The Yankees have treated him better than ever, regardless of his horrible numbers. They have made sure he is happy and comfortable without any regard to the team’s success. That’s fine in April, that’s even fine in August. But in October, it should not be tolerated.

E-mail me at jess@jesskcoleman.com, follow me on Twitter @jesskcoleman, and check out more at jesskcoleman.com.

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Cliff Lee is flat-out dominant in the postseason.

Lee had a historic 2009 postseason for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts. He was 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his two World Series starts against the New York Yankees. He earned the win in game one of the World Series in Yankee Stadium, and in his two game one starts last season he threw two complete games with a 0.50 ERA.

He was only the second pitcher in history to throw a complete-game victory with double-digit strikeouts and zero walks. He also was the eighth starting pitcher in postseason history to win at least four games with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Lee made his sixth career postseason start today in his win against the Tampa Bay Rays and was phenomenal. He only gave up five hits and one earned run in the seven innings that he pitched. He also had 10 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA.

Lee is just what the Yankees are missing.

New York is in desperate need of consistent pitching after CC Sabathia. They have pulled A.J. Burnett out of the starting rotation for the postseason, going instead with Andy Pettite and Phil Hughes. If Cliff Lee was in that rotation there isn’t a team in the American League that has the pitching to match.

The Yankees have been and continue to be the most likely destination for Cliff Lee’s talents next season. But the cost of his services continue to rise with every playoff pitch he delivers from the mound.

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With the postseason set to begin on Wednesday, the Yankees announced their roster for the American League Division series against the Twins. As expected, AJ Burnett is on the roster––although he is not in the starting rotation––while Ivan Nova and Javier Vazquez has been left out.

Now, it would seem to be a ridiculous decision to not include your fifth highest player on your postseason roster. However, looking deeply into the decisions made, the Yankees may have surpassed that would-be ridiculous decision by including Burnett.

The starters for the Yankees are set. CC Sabathia will pitch Game one, Phil Hughes will pitch Game two, and Andy Pettitte will pitch Game three. Don’t bother thinking that the Yankees might add someone into that mix; the Yankees feel this is their best chance to win, and they will be eliminated before they are forced to change that plan.

Burnett’s place on the team then becomes a relief pitcher. His 5.26 ERA in 33 starts this year would be enough to stop me from even considering putting him in a game, but that doesn’t seem to jive with the Yankees organization. 

Then how’s this for a change: Burnett has pitched in 281 games in his career. Just four of them were in relief. In the past six years, he has pitched in just two games in relief, facing an insignificant 14 batters.

Vazquez and Nova, on the other hand, have both pitched in relief this season. Vazquez is certainly no stranger to the bullpen this year, and Nova is young enough to adapt to any position where he is needed. (In fact, Nova has had more relief appearances in his rookie season than Burnett has had in the past six years.)

This is not to say that Vazquez and Nova would be great go-to guys out of the pen. But, Burnett is not that go-to guy either. Vazquez and Nova are much better equipped to succeed in those situations than Burnett is.

For arguments sake, let’s assume that the Yankees included Burnett on the postseason roster for a possible starting role. 

In this case, you would be taking a significantly larger risk with Burnett than you would with Nova. Burnett’s ERA in his past three starts is pushing eight, while Nova’s is just south of five. Again, neither of them are opening eyes, but Nova would give you a better chance to win. 

What’s my point? Burnett is useless on the Yankees roster at this point. By adding Vazquez or Nova over Burnett, you would at least give yourself a better chance to win. 

The only suitable reason Burnett is on the postseason roster is due to the fact that he is making a lot of money, and will continue to for three more years. Vazquez, on the other hand, will be gone next season, and the Yankees have zero monetary obligation to Nova at this point.

As hard as it may be, the Yankees need to put money aside and make the right choice. In any given context––as a starter or reliever––Vazquez and Nova present you with either more experience, or a better possibility of success. This is not 2009; the Yankees are not going to cruise through the playoffs. They need all the help they can get, and Burnett simply falls short.

E-mail me at jess@jesskcoleman.com, follow me on Twitter @jesskcoleman, and check out more at jesskcoleman.com.

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It’s being reported this morning that A.J. Burnett will not be part of the Yankees‘ plans in the ALDS against the Twins.

Not exactly shocking news, I know. Dudes who lose 15 games and and post 5.26 ERAs don’t typically inspire the faith of their manager come playoff time.

The good news? After this season, Mr. Burnett only has three years left on his five-year, $82.5 million contract! God bless capitalism!

It’s almost amazing to think how far Burnett has careened off the rails this season. Remember, it was only 11 months ago that the same Allan James Burnett essentially saved the Yankees’ season in Game Two of the World Series.

I remember having to medicate myself with cheap vodka in the hours leading up to that Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. Burnett had floundered against the Angels in his previous start, and after Cliff Lee shut New York down in the World Series opener, it almost seemed predetermined that the Yankees would have to pull out a 1996-type comeback to win it all.

Burnett stepped up, however. He struck out nine over seven strong innings in a 3-1 win that righted the ship and set the Yankees on their way to the title. But like always with Burnett, it was ultimately a tease. He was bombed by the Phillies in Game Five, leading to a post so scathing the FBI probably placed me on a no-fly list.

It’s been all downhill since for Burnett, who is no doubt embarrassed that it’s come to this. You can tell he cares, even if his natural demeanor sometimes seems to say otherwise. You know he wants to be more than the “pie guy” who occasionally pitches well. But at 33, he is what he is.

In a perfect world, there’s no way Phil Hughes is pitching at Yankee Stadium in Game Three, a place where he often resembled a Home Run Derby pitcher this season.

Unfortunately, the Yankees are in no position to be choosy. Concessions need to be made. With the help of a forgiving schedule, the Yankees were able to maneuver their way through the playoffs in 2009 without a back-end to their rotation. It was no simple feat.

The Yankees now have to try to pull that off again. Maybe it’s just me, but at some point it all starts to feel less like baseball and a lot like Russian Roulette.

Click … click … click … click … click …

Dan Hanzus writes the Yankees blog River & Sunset and can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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Via the NY Post:

Because of A.J. Burnett‘s miserable season, the Yankees will use [CC Sabathia], Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes in the best-of-five series that opens tomorrow night against the AL Central champion Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Even though Burnett was 1-0 with 1.54 ERA in two games against the Twins this year, it would be sending the wrong message to the players to give the right-hander a start considering he went 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA in his last five starts when hitters batted .291 against him.

Working on short rest if Game 4 is required is fine with Sabathia, one of the leading AL Cy Young candidates, who posted a career-high 21 wins.

“I told Joe [Girardi] and Dave [Eiland] I will be prepared to do that,” Sabathia said. “If I got enough rest I want to pitch.”

Burnett has been beyond bad for most of the season so this is a great move. No reason to tempt fate and give him a start. Last year the Yankees had to rely on him because there really were no other options. This year he has been more consistently bad and Hughes is available to step in and take his rotation spot.

Related Stories

• September 28, 2010 — Yankees Notes: CC, AJ, Posada, and More
• September 13, 2010 — Mapping the Pitching Staff for Remaining Games and 1st Round
• September 6, 2010 — Forget Derek Jeter, The 2010 Yankees Have A Bigger Issue
• September 2, 2010 — Day Game Dominance

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You can say a lot of things about the New York Yankees.  They’ve got the most money, their offense is unbeatable, the list goes on and on.  However, one thing you can’t say is that their starters are a lock every time they take the mound. 

A.J. Burnett has been up and down, Hughes has been shaky but good for the most part, and Javier Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen.

This has arisen many issues like, “Who starts Game 2?  Well they go with three starters like last year, or four?” 

Joe Girardi, who has already received much criticism from New York’s fan base, will undoubtedly receive more once he announces his choice.  They will play game 162 still trying for the division win, and they can do so if the Rays lose and they win, but manager Joe Girardi will most likely be worrying about his playoff roster.

The Yankees will be trying for their 28th title, and this is the how the playoff rotation should look like for New York.

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With three games remaining in the regular season, the New York Yankees likely need to sweep the Boston Red Sox in order to win the American League East. That’s not officially the case, it just seems like it will be needed.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost their series opener against the Kansas City Royals last night, forcing a tie atop the division with the Yankees. While the Yankees are in Boston for three games to close out the season, the Rays have three more against the Royals.

If the Yankees are to win two of the three games in Boston, the Rays would have to win just one of their remaining games. Does anyone really think the Rays will loss two of three to the Royals?

To win the division the Yankees must finish a game up on Tampa Bay. The Rays hold the season tiebreaker between the two clubs.

Tampa Bay will face Bruce Chen, Kyle Davies, and Sean O’Sullivan. Not exactly a fearsome trio. Of the three, Chen has the best numbers this season at 11-7 with a 4.45 ERA.

In the three games against Boston, the Yankees will face Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and John Lackey. New York has not announced its series finale pitcher, but Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett are scheduled to pitch the first two games.

Continue this article at Double G Sports.

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