All About the Arms

As the Pitching Goes, So Does the Yankees

By: Akino Yamashita
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
April 8, 2004

Those who were lucky enough to be at Yankee Stadium today for Opening Day witnessed the first home game for Alex Rodriguez in pinstripes. But while A-Rod seemed to be getting most of the pre-game attention, I was more impressed by starter Javier Vasquez, who pitched masterfully into the eighth inning, giving up only three hits and one run. One of the question marks surrounding the Yankee rotation was whether Vasquez, acquired from the Montreal Expos, would be able to handle the "white-hot glare" of New York. Opening Day is certainly be a great example of such a pressure-packed game, but Vasquez proved himself to be equal to the task. It is to be hoped that Jose Contreras will also rise to the occasion for tomorrow's game...as well as against the Red Sox, a team that gave Contreras some trouble last season.

Looking at the five games the Yankees have played so far, the pitching seems to be as important as it always has been. The Yankees are now 3-2. The two games they lost were both noticeable for puzzlingly flat performances by Mike Mussina, whose current ERA is an eye-popping 11.00 after giving up 11 runs and 19 hits over his first two starts (9 total innings). Mussina gave up 5 runs over 5 innings in the season opener in Tokyo against the Devil Rays. This Tuesday, in Tampa Bay, despite being given a 4-run cushion before he even took the mound, he gave up 6 runs over 4 innings -- and threw 82 pitches. While he threw more strikes than balls (54: 28), Mussina seemed to have trouble throwing the third strike. Did the overseas trip and the extra days off between his starts throw "the Moose" off his routine? Is he feeling the pressure of being one win away from 200...or being the ace starter? Hopefully Mussina should be crisper when he starts against the White Sox on Sunday.

Kevin Brown, the #2 starter (although he was #1 in L.A.), has been impressive in his two starts, giving up one run over seven innings in both of his starts against the Devil Rays. His win on Wednesday leaves him one win away from 200 as well. Jose Contreras will be called to the mound tomorrow, in the second Yankee home game. Hopefully, he will be more consistent this season now that his spot in the rotation is secure. Donovan Osborne is somewhat of a wild card, who unexpectedly made the club as a starter due to the injury to John Lieber. Since Osborne is the only lefty in the Yankees' rotation, he may have a chance to stay in the rotation even after Lieber recovers.

While the strength of the rotation (and bullpen) for the 2004 Yankees has yet to be fully tested, the games played so far seem to indicate that pitching, as always, is what wins championships. In the three games they have won, the Yankees' offense has been pedestrian except for the 12-1 drubbing of the Devil Rays in their second game in Tokyo. The Yankees beat the Devil Rays 3-2 on Wednesday, and won 3-1 in today's game against the White Sox. What's important is the number of runs scored against the Yankees in their wins; 1, 2, and 1. The total runs scored against the Yankees in their three wins is 4; less than half the runs they allowed in their 2 losses. It remains to be seen whether the "four aces" era of Yankee baseball will revive in 2004, but the pitching is something I'll be paying a lot of attention to this season.

(c) 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

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