Time To Stop Sucking Up To Burnett
October 11, 2010 by Jess Coleman · 1 Comment
If it were ever more evident that AJ Burnett’s big, long-term contract was dictating the decisions made by the Yankees front office, it is right 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 five, eliminating the possibility of him pitching a possible Game seven. 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 can prove 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 mistakingly 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 you could make for Moseley, it wouldn’t be very hard to make a worse case for Burnett. Bottom line: Neither Burnett or 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.â€
Sure, he has potential to pitch a great game. But so does Kerry Wood, so does Mariano Rivera, so does Joba Chamberlain, so does Kei Igawa. It’s the postseason. You need starters who give you a chance to win nearly 100% 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 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 teams success. That’s fine in April, that’s even fine in August. But in October, it should not be tolerated.
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I’m a little torn on this one myself, but also a little confused by your stance. First of all, the Yankees obviously didn’t need a fourth starter in the ALDS because they only played three games. If it went further, they were going to pitch Sabathia on three days rest in game four and Pettitte on full rest in game five, because of another travel day.
In the seven-game series, it comes down to the fact that Sabathia is the only pitcher they’re confident can go on short rest. Pettitte did it in last year’s World Series, but he’s a year older and, despite his excellent performance in the ALDS, only four starts removed from a two-month layoff. They’re supposed to be trying to minimize Hughes’s innings this year, so pitching him on short rest is out of the question as well.
In last year’s ALCS, an extra off day allowed them to use Burnett and Pettitte on normal rest, while Sabathia was the only starter who went on short rest until the World Series. So, the Yankees definitely do need a fourth starter in the ALCS this year. Maybe you don’t agree, but I would like to hear your answer to the question: if you had to choose a fourth starter, who would it be?
I don’t blame you if your answer is not Burnett, but given that the other options are not great either (Vazquez, Nova, Moseley, Mitre), I think the Yankees feel Burnett has the best chance to come up big. I don’t think, even for a second, that their decision to go with him has anything to do with placating his feelings.
I’m wondering why they’re not planning on pitching Sabathia on short rest in games 4 and 7, using Burnett for game 5, with Pettitte going 2 and 6, and Hughes pitching game 3 only. That’s the only questionable decision, in my opinion.