Australian cricket player Phil Hughes dies after being hit by ball: Report

Australian cricket star Phil Hughes, who suffered a head injury during a Sheffield Shield game at Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, has died.

Hughes collapsed face first on the ground after being hit by a ball thrown by bowler Sean Abbott two days ago. The 25-year-old batsman was stretchered off the pitch before being put in a medically-induced coma at a hospital.

Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said he passed away at St. Vincent's Hospital, never regaining consciousness.

Hughes — batting for South Australia — had been wearing a helmet but the ball unintentionally struck him at the top of the neck, causing the freak injury.

Injury that killed Phillip Hughes was so rare doctors at hospital hadn't seen if before. http://t.co/GFqdwjjXNM pic.twitter.com/8Hnw7K2V1c
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) November 27, 2014

Medical staff administered CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the stadium field before Hughes was taken to the emergency room, where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve pressure on his brain.

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes dies in hospital 2 days after being struck in head by ball http://t.co/Zun9nMfdX7 pic.twitter.com/sOUcYvjtU1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 27, 2014

The injury has re-ignited debate about short-pitch bowling in the sport and the level of protection offered by helmets that first came into popular use in the late 1970s. 

Head injuries in cricket are more common than one might think, and there have been six other recorded deaths in cricket related to them since 1958.

R.I.P. Phillip Hughes.

Aussie cricket star in coma after being hit by ball (VIDEO)

Australian cricketer Phil Hughes is in critical condition after being struck in the head by a ball during a match at the Sydney Cricket Ground Tuesday.

The 25-year-old South Australia batsman was knocked unconscious and reportedly stopped breathing as doctors attempted to resuscitate him on the field after being hit by the "bouncer" on the side of his head, according to BBC.

A medivac helicopter landed on the field, but Hughes would eventually be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He's currently in a medically-induced coma following surgery for a head injury.

A bouncer is a type of delivery in cricket that often results in the hard ball flying toward the batsman's head at over 100 mph. It's heavily regulated due to its chances for injury.

Hughes staggered a bit before collapsing face first on the pitch after he was hit by the ball bowled by New South Wales' Sean Abbott during day one of the Sheffield Shield.

WARNING: Video might be disturbing to some.

Pray for a speedy and healthy recovery.

Longoria concedes strike after knocking helmet over eyes (VIDEO)

Evan Longoria takes a strike from Phil Hughes after knocking his helmet over his eyes while at the plate Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. The Rays' slugger apparently tapped the back of his lid with his bat right before the pitch.

Hughes is the one who should have been hiding his face after two disastrous innings.

Longoria?  He went 3-for-5 and blasted two home runs to help beat the Yankees 8-3.

Ichiro's outstanding catch robs Jaso of lead-off home run (VIDEO)

Ichiro Suzuki has finally started to pick it up at the plate this season but it always seems like the rifle-armed Yankee outfielder's skills never diminish in the field.  Just ask Oakland's John Jaso after the nimble Ichiro cleanly snatches this ball over the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium and robs the A's catcher of a sure-fire lead-off home run.

Nobody was happier to see the 39-year-old reach over the padded wall and save a run than Phil Hughes. It was only Hughes' third pitch of the game. The Yankees starter ended up holding the A's to four hits over eight innings and got his first win of the season. Yankees win, 4-2.

Ich-i-ro!

Yankees bench A-Rod and Swisher for Game 3

With the New York Yankees offense continuing to sputter, manager Joe Girardi will attempt to jump start his flatlining team by bringing in the bench.  Does he really have a choice?

The Yankees manager made a few radical changes to the lineup — for tonight's Game 3 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander — and announced that he will bench Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher for Eric Chavez and Brett Gardner, respectively.

Throw in Eduardo Nunez — who will play shortstop for the injured Derek Jeter — and ALDS hero Raul Ibanez in the designated hitter spot, and you have to wonder if old George Steinbrenner is rolling in his grave.

The $29 million A-Rod is batting an anemic .130 in the playoffs and has looked hopeless at the plate.  He already rode the pine during Game 5 of the ALDS.

Swisher isn't much better with a .154 average under his playoff belt and a costly error in right field in Game 2.

Gardner will bat leadoff despite only three plate appearances since April 17 — before he underwent elbow surgery.

Here's what tonight's Yankees lineup will look like with Phil Hughes on the mound.

Brett Gardner, LF
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Raul Ibanez, DH
Russell Martin, C
Eric Chavez, 3B
Curtis Granderson, CF
Eduardo Nunez, SS

Hopefully, for Yankees fans, Jeter will there in spirit.

Joba Chamberlain shaky in first Yankees appearance in 14 months

Joba Chamberlain— who expected to pitch his final rehab game in a Double-A Trenton game before returning to the Yankees— suddenly found himself being called up to the New York bullpen instead on Tuesday.

The Yankees' righthander— who was rehabbing from June 2011 Tommy John surgery when he broke his ankle in a freak trampoline accident  during spring training this March— made his first appearance on the mound in Yankee Stadium in over 14 months.

Like a swarm of Cleveland midges, those things circling inside Chamberlain's head could have been the collective doubts that the one-time starter would return this year or ever even pitch again.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chamberlain— who vowed to return this season— silenced the skeptics and pitched 1-1/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles to fulfill his promise, if not his potential.

Bolstered by a good outing by starter Phil Hughes (11-8) and an 11-1 lead, manager Joe Girardi saw the perfect opportunity to acclimate his comeback kid with the major leagues again.  He called for Chamberlain from the bullpen in the seventh inning.  The big rightie got a nice hand from the rain-soaked crowd but wasn't at the top of his game.  The kinks showed and he promptly gave up a home run before allowing four more hits over the five-out stint.

Joba threw 28 rusty pitches with a lot of breaking balls in  the mix.  His once 97 mph fastball hovered around the 92-93 mph range.

It was enough to get Chamberlain back into the mix.  More importantly, the 12-3 Yankees' win stopped the Orioles from sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx for the first time since 1986, halted a four-game skid and gave them a 6-1/2 game lead over the rising O's in the AL East.

After the game, Girardi had Joba's back.  "I expect him to be able to get out righthanded hitters," he said.  "He'll continue to improve as time goes on."

Umps blow call on Yankees catch but did fan try putting ball in fielder's glove?

Derek Jeter was celebrating his 38th birthday but it was left fielder Dewayne Wise who might have gotten the best gift of all last night after the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 6-4, in the Bronx.

Wise dove into the leftfield stands for a fly ball hit by the Indians' Jack Hannahan with a man on third during the seventh inning.  The umpires ruled a catch on the play for the final out of the inning but replays clearly show the ball falling out of Wise's mitt even though he mysteriously came up with the ball.

Upon closer examination of the play, it looks like one of the fans Wise plowed into could have— I said could have— popped the loose ball into his glove during the scrum even though a few of New York's Finest were right there.

That's hometown cooking.  Wise even got a police escort out of the stands as well.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes went eight shutout innings and benefited from the botched call and the Indians big chance at a rally.

Some Yankees fans might say Wise deserved credit for the catch based on effort alone. Apparently, Hannahan wasn't one of those and he was thrown out after getting into a heated argument with the umpires about the call.

The run ended up being more important later after reliever Corey Wade nearly coughed up the 4-0 lead when Cleveland rallied in the ninth.

Meanwhile, Jeter continued his climb up the all-time hits list and moved within one hit of his idol Cal Ripken Jr. for 13th on the list.

Fan snags Teixeira's home run ball with baby in arms

There was at least one New York Yankees fan smiling after last night's wild 9-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.  A man wearing a Yankees cap caught Mark Teixeira's home run ball in the left field seats at Angels Stadium while holding a baby in his arms.

The man— who was surrounded by a lot of other Yankees fans holding kids— managed to catch Tex's fifth-inning blast with his right hand after it bounced off a couple of other spectators. He held the prized souvenir in the air while holding the unimpressed toddler— standing only inches from the rail overlooking the bullpen.

Is it me or does it seem like there are a lot of guys catching home run balls with a kid in their arms these days?

                                    


Yankees' fans were thinking they caught a break after Angels starter Jared Weaver left the game with a lower back problems before getting a single out and the Yankees actually put more than a couple of runs on the scoreboard.

But New York starter Phil Hughes was just horrible and gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings and the Yankees blew a bases-loaded  opportunity to win in the ninth before the Angels Mark Trumbo hit a walk-off home run off Cory Wade to end the game.

At least the man with the baby left the game with a ball in one hand and the baby still in the other.

Mariano Rivera says Yankees need Pettitte back

The signing of Andy Pettitte— after a year of retirement — by the New York Yankees at the end of spring training was met with skepticism by most fans and a little bit sentimentality by the rest.  Now,  it looks like Brian Cashman's latest out-of-the-box pitching acquisition since Bartolo Colon might be the spark the starting rotation needs.

Remember how the surgically repaired, over-weight Colon supplemented the Yankees' rotation early last season— after missing two seasons— when the pitchers struggled?  He was the early favorite for Comeback Player of the Year until he slowed down in the stretch.  But it was enough to help carry the team into the playoffs.

With Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia throwing beach balls to opponents, Michael Pineda out for the season and CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda looking a little tentative, all eyes are now on Pettitte and no one knows it more than his old friend Mariano Rivera.

"I know how he's doing," said Rivera.  "I'm keeping an eye on him."

The closer is still reluctant to push Pettitte's comeback ahead of schedule.

"We definitely need him back," Rivera said of the 40-year old Pettitte.  "But we need him at 100 percent."

Pettitte is still working out the kinks and gave up three earned runs in five innings Wednesday for Double-A Trenton in his second start.  If all goes according to plan, Pettitte will be back with Rivera in the majors by mid-May as the No. 3 starter.

"He'll change the dynamic of the whole rotation," said centerfielder Curtis Granderson.  "We all know what a difference  he can make."

Rivera made it clear he isn't knocking the current state of the rotation and knows it's too early to throw in the towel.

"I'm not concerned at all," said Rivera.  "We have a lot of games left.  I'm happy it's happening now than later."

If any one knows when Pettitte will be ready, it'll be Pettitte himself.

CC Sabathia Likely To Opt-Out At Midnight

The New York Yankees have until midnight Monday night to sign pitcher CC Sabathia before he can opt-out of the last four years of his seven-year deal with the team.  When the clock strikes twelve tonight—and there is no last minute agreement—Sabathia and his agents will void the remaining four years and $92 million of his original seven-year, $161 million contract.

Call him CCinderella.

The Yankees are believed to have made a last-ditch attempt at signing Sabathia to a new deal over the weekend, but it seems likely the 300-pound ace will exercise the option making Sabathia a free-agent, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

The team hoped to strike a deal with the 19-game winner before it got close to the deadline but, as of Sunday, it hasn't happened.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman—who's expected to sign a new contract of his own on Monday—was unavailable for comment this weekend.

Cashman offered the former-Cy Young winner the opt-out clause in 2008.  It gave Sabathia the option to leave the Yankees if things didn't work out in New York.

Sabathia has said in the past his family is happily settled in New Jersey and is satisfied where they are living.  Now, it looks like the 31 year-old pitcher is just looking for more money and a longer contract.

This is a problem which the Yankees brought upon themselves.

The Yankees starting rotation is pretty unsettled after Sabathia and last year's rookie sensation Ivan Nova.

A.J. Burnett is undefeated in April but a head case after May, Phil Hughes struggled through "dead arm" and Bartolo Colon's return is improbable since the 38 year-old wore down in the second half of 2011.  The team may bring back Freddy Garcia—who won 12 games last season—but that's not a given either.

Sabathia, the hefty lefty, led the Yankees to a World Series title in 2009 and began last season 25 pounds trimmer, but his expanding girth matched his fattening ERA down the stretch last season and he was less than overwhelming during the last two postseasons.

The Yankees are one of a handful of teams that could afford signing Sabathia.  He is expected to ask for a new deal with a minimum of five-years at $125 million (more likely seven years at $150 million) which would leap-frog him over the $120 million that 32 year-old Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies last year.

The Yankees will probably go all-out in making a deal with Sabathia today.  The free-agent market for top-notch starters is slim and Sabathia would be hard to replace.

C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt lead the pack, but are all considered No. 2 starters and Yu Darvish—the Japanese phenom—has yet to prove himself in the U.S..

If Sabathia flies the coop, Cashman will be thrust into a difficult position.  He may have to trade one of his prize prospects like Jesus Montero for a No. 1 starter.

Well, if any time is a good time to turn into a pumpkin, it's the day after Halloween.

A.J. Burnett Will Get Third Spot In Yankees Rotation By Default

It's a good bet A.J. Burnett will be the New York Yankees' No. 3 starter in the playoffs, unless he totally gets blown out of the water in tomorrow's start against the Boston Red Sox.

After CC Sabathia and rookie Ivan Nova, the Yankees will have no other choice but to give the job to Burnett due to old injuries and older age to the other starters.  The pivotal spot won't be awarded to Burnett based on his performance, as much as by default.  

It's more like a Two-and-a-Half Men rotation with Burnett being as welcome as Charlie Sheen on that show's set-- with a paycheck to match.

Only difference, Winning is definitely not in Burnett's vocabulary.

Everything was looking pretty rosy for the Yankees and their six-man rotation up until only a few days ago.

Leading up to the playoffs, Phil Hughes had thrown three strong games and was ready to take over the No. 3 spot until an MRI showed that the back spasms which forced him from pitching on Wednesday were an old spine injury flaring up again.

Up until then, Hughes (5-5, 6.00 ERA) had been the most consistent starter after Sabathia and Nova and appeared to be the logical No. 3.  Now, a herniated disc injury from seven years ago has reared its burning head and has to be a concern to the team regarding Hughes' long-term prognosis.

The Yankees are confident he can make one more start in a meaningless game before the playoffs, but they need a fully healthy Hughes on the mound and probably won't take a chance on the disc flaring up during a pivotal playoff game, so it looks like the bullpen for the 25 year-old.

That leaves Burnett, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia looking for on spot behind Sabathia and Nova; and none of them have been spanking any teams over the past few weeks. 

It looks like Colon and Garcia have just plain run out of steam.  The two veteran pitchers played beyond any one's expectations and carried the Yankees for a good portion of the season but it looks like Father Time has come a calling.

Colon's chances of making the New York Yankees playoff rotation took a big hit last night when he was pounded by the Tampa Bay Rays for seven runs (five earned) in three innings.

The one-time No. 3 front-runner, Colon (8-10), is winless in his last nine starts and has an ERA of 5.09 since the All-Star break.

Manager Joe Girardi has already hinted at being unsure about Colon's future and it looks like the pitcher's stock has fallen off the chart.

The 38 year-old Colon was, at times, brilliant this season and the Yankees off-season pick-up exceeded all expectations.  The beefy hurler came back after almost two years of inactivity and hasn't pitched a full season since 2006 due to injuries. 

Garcia is more of a mystery.  The other bargain basement pick-up was consistent up until a few weeks ago.  The 35 year-old was always hittable but seemed to pitch himself out of any jams until recently.  Now, opposing players are using him like a batting tee and that won't do in the third game of a playoff series.

Over his last two starts, Garcia has been rocked for 11 earned runs in seven innings.  Not good enough for a short-- or long-- series.

Which leads us to Burnett.  What hasn't been said about the $82 million dollar enigma that wasn't a headline on the back page?  From funny haircuts, cussing out the manager and mound meltdowns, the tattooed Burnett has done it all-- and badly.

The inconsistent pitcher has been given a second life by Girardi, oh...  about half a dozen times.  Two weeks ago it looked like the bullpen for the cantankerous righthander but, like some pinstriped vampire, he keeps arising and sucking the life from the team. 

Over his last 10 starts, Burnett has been lit up like a Times Square billboard.  He has allowed 46 earned runs over 52 innings and it would have been more if Girardi didn't yank him in the fifth the other night.

Through it all, Girardi has come to bat for Burnett too many times to let his whipping boy stew in the bullpen.  After all, the Yankees are already loaded in that department.

So it comes down to attrition after the big gun Sabathia (19-8) and the white-hot Nova (16-4).  

Expect Girardi to go to Sabathia in a game 4 on short rest--  even if the ace of the staff has not been a sure thing over the past month.

Garcia will get one more shot against a reeling Red Sox tonight in a desperate bid to win the No. 3 spot.  Unless he throws a perfect game, expect to see old A.J. warming up for Game 3 in two weeks.

Funny, the Yankees started the season worrying about their starting pitching and head into the playoffs with the same concerns.  How did they manage to win in between?

Girardi Sticking With Yankees' Six-Man Rotation

It looks like the New York Yankees have finally made a decision on who will be left off the five-man starting rotation and it is...wait for it...no one.  That's right, chopping a pitcher from the overcrowded rotation-- which seemed so important just last week-- is now a non-issue as far as manager Joe Girardi is concerned.

On Sunday, after the Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-3, Girardi said he'll stick with six starters at least for another week and maybe longer at his post-game interview.

Girardi said he spoke with all parties involved before Sunday's game and claims he is in "no rush to make the decision."

"I let them know who was pitching and when.  People like to know where they're going to be every five days, six days,' Girardi said.  "Life's not always like that.  The good thing is they're getting another chance."

For A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes, who've had more chances than Lindsay Lohan in court, D-day could come by next weekend.

Girardi denied any of his starters are on the bubble, but referred to those two pitchers' last outings at his press conference.

"We want to see it again," he said.  "We liked what we saw in Boston.  I know Hughes gave up some runs but threw better than he did.  We liked what A.J. did and want to build on that."

Girardi commented on Burnett's new mechanics and thinks the erratic pitcher is on to something.

"I love what I saw in Boston," he said.  "He had a tough August.  It took guts, but he went out and did it."

The manager addressed his concern about keeping CC Sabathia (19-7) on his regular five-man turn.  The Yankees ace, who won today's game,  is pretty adamant about keeping his routine, so Girardi may adjust the six-man rotation accordingly.

"It's designed so if we want to give CC an extra day, we can do it, said Girardi.

What CC wants, the big guy gets.

"It's possible I might keep him [Sabathia] on his normal turn," said Girardi.  "Or move him back to Saturday.  I'll see how he feels."

Girardi announced his starters for the upcoming home series against the Baltimore Orioles and Burnett (9-11, 5.25) and Hughes (4-5, 6.75) will give it another shot.

Freddy Garcia (11-7, 3.09) will start on Monday followed by Hughes on Tuesday and Burnett on Wednesday.

There has been speculation about Bartolo Colon (8-9, 3.72) being sent to the bullpen.  Questions about the 38 year-old running out of gas have been swirling about during his past four starts.  The rotund righty is 0-3 in those last four outings after getting a no-decision yesterday, but it looks like Burnett and Hughes are the ones on the hot seat.

Whatever Girardi decides to do, it looks like the six-man scheme has been working.  The Yankees have won seven of their last eight and are tied for first place in the AL East.  The manager said nothing is set in stone...for now.

"I am allowed to change my mind," he explained.  "I may want to go to a five-man, but we'll see."

Here we go again.

Moth Blamed For Phil Hughes' Walk To Red Sox Batter

Joe Girardi must be buggin' out when it comes to figuring out his starting rotation.  After last night's 9-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees manager blamed the game's turning point on a moth which flew into starting pitcher Phil Hughes' eye.

Hughes (4-5) delivered a 3-2 pitch to Josh Reddick-- a ball-- setting up Jason Varitek's double where Reddick scored the tying run.

The Yankees had finally showed some measure of success against Red Sox starter Josh Beckett and were leading 5-4 when the moth ball incident occurred.  Hughes was even up 0-2 against Reddick before walking him.

If you look closely at the video, you can see a lone moth buzzing around Hughes' head before the fatal toss and the pitcher wiping something from his eye as Reddick jogs towards first base.

Yankees fans might recall Joba Chamberlain and the "midge" attack in Cleveland in 2007.  Those little buggers swarmed the sweaty pitcher and were blamed for the Yankees loss to the Indians and early playoff exit.  At least you could see the bugs covering Chamberlain that night.

"From what I heard a moth flew into his [Hughes] eye when he made the 3-2 pitch," said Girardi.  "You can't stop it and can't get a redo."

Call it The Mothman Prophecies  because it may be a prediction of things to come.

Hughes showed signs of improvement last night but his fastball, which started out at a crisp 95 mph, wilted to 91 mph before he was pulled in the sixth.  It still looks like he runs out of steam.

The struggling Hughes may have just pitched his way out of the starting rotation-- and not because of the moth.


"I really didn't want to tell you guys that, but, yeah, a moth flew in," said Hughes.  "That's when I yanked it."

The Yankees might want to invest in some bug spray tonight when A.J. Burnett pitches because there's sure to be a lot of flies-- some of them over the Green Monster, as well as,  that other little pest called Dustin Pedroia.

Yankees Beat A's With Record Three Grand Slams and Posada Playing Second Base

Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson each belted a grand slam as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Oakland A's, 22-9, at Yankee Stadium today.

The three bases-loaded home-runs are a MLB record for most grand slams by a single team in one game.

Phil Hughes started the game and was hit hard early.  He went 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs.

After a rain delay of almost an hour-and-a-half, the Yankees were looking up a 7-1 A's lead.  After four innings, the home team then scored 20 runs to rally for the victory.

Cano hit the first grand slam off A's starter Rich Harden, in the fifth, to knock the deficit down to one and Russell Martin followed up with his slam in the sixth to put the Yankees in the lead.  Granderson put the game in the record books with his home-run in the eighth.

The wild and lengthy game ended with the appearance of Jorge Posada grabbing a mitt and playing second base in the top of the ninth inning.  It was garbage time, with a big Yankees lead, and there was no chance of blowing the game because A.J. Burnett was no where near the mound.

Posada, the former-catcher, appeared rusty.  In the game's final at bat, he fielded a routine grounder and almost, single-handedly, made it look difficult.  It seemed like he was gunning out a base-stealer at second from behind the plate, after he drilled the ball into the dirt in front of the first baseman.

Nick Swisher, playing first, scooped up the ball and rolled over the base for the out as the hitter jumped over him.

Posada and Swisher had a good laugh afterwards.  Posada, who played second base in the minors, volunteered to take the position in the top of the ninth and the Yankees leading by 12 runs.

"I wanted to give Russell [Martin] a break and grabbed a glove and said put me in," said Posada.  "It's been a while since I've been in the middle of the infield."

Martin had two home-runs and the catcher recorded a career-high six RBI's in the game. 

Too bad Hughes couldn't have reaped the rewards of this historic slugfest.  He had won his last two outings but it took 78 pitches to get eight outs in this game.

Derek Jeter got his 3,056 hit to pass Rickey Henderson as No. 21 on the all-time hits list.  He is now batting .299.

The game lasted four-hours and 31 minutes.

A.J. Burnett Has Words For Girardi: Could They Be His Last As A Yankees Starter?

A.J. Burnett had some choice words for Joe Girardi after the New York Yankees manager pulled the frustrated pitcher out tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins.  Girardi had seen enough after the ineffective Burnett had already given up four runs and left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning.

As Burnett walked towards the dugout, he turned back, glared at Girardi and let loose with a public diatribe directed at the manager.

Those words could be Burnett's last as a Yankee starter.

Girardi called in Luis Ayala to relieve the useless Burnett with two outs.  Ayala promptly gave up two hits to the Twins batters and padded the Minnesota lead to 7-0.

After a few moments of mulling over Burnett's verbal assault, and the yanked Burnett's bee-line to the clubhouse, Girardi himself made his way into the same Yankees lounge from the team bench.  Girardi returned to the dugout rail a few minutes later and, miraculously,  Burnett reappeared on the dugout bench a couple of minutes later-- pouting.

The snarling Burnett abruptly returned to the clubhouse after watching Ayala deposit the three runs into Burnett's already bloated ERA.

What was said in the locker room between Girardi and his frustrated pitcher to make him come out of the clubhouse is unknown, but it probably had to do less with Burnett's feelings than a spot in the starting rotation.

This isn't the first time Burnett (9-9 before the game) has showed up Girardi-- his biggest, and maybe only, supporter.  There have been other instances of Burnett barking at Girardi or slamming the ball into the manager's hand when he was being pulled from a game-- which has been a common occurrence this season.

Girardi has always defended Burnett from the fans and media who have called for the $82.5 million starter's head during his six-week losing streak.  Before the game the manager said he just wanted "A.J. to compete."

Now, Burnett pays back Girardi with an embarrassing display of self-entitlement.

Tonight, it looked like the maligned Burnett has totally lost his control, his temper and his manager's respect in one game.

I guess Burnett thought Girardi was supposed to let the underachieving starter-- who almost let a 12-run lead dissipate a couple of weeks ago-- continue to get clobbered until he found his groove.

The bad news for Burnett is he pitched badly after a serviceable outing last week.  The worse news is he probably yakked his way out of the rotation.  There is no good news.

Burnett might have just made Girardi's daunting and long-awaited task of trimming his starting rotation down to five men a lot easier, and Burnett has no one to blame but himself.

Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are veterans who have been consistent, if not overpowering, and young guns Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes look like everything the Yankees hoped they would turn out to be.  CC Sabathia is the ace, so that leaves Burnett as the odd-man out.

Odd man is the right term in more than one way.

Ivan Nova Makes Case For Permanent Spot In Rotation; Yankees Win, 9-3

Ivan Nova pitched six strong innings tonight and has made it almost impossible for the Yankees to send the pitcher back down to Triple-A.  Nova's workman-like performance guided the Yankees to a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels and snapped New York's three-game skid.  It was Nova's seventh straight win.

You can add the word "stopper' to the 24 year-old Nova's  resume.  He is 3-0 this season in games after a Yankees loss.  The only problem with Nova's victory, it didn't do anything to clear up the six man logjam in the team's rotation.

Nova was consistent, if not as overpowering as in recent games, through the first six innings.  He gave up a couple of harmless singles and a hanging fifth-inning slider cost him a solo home-run to Peter Bourjos.

In the seventh, Nova started to lose his fastball.  Up until then, it was clocked in the mid-90's and his slider was mostly good.

Vernon Wells' RBI single knocked in a run in the seventh, leading to Nova's exit with the bases loaded and no outs.  He received a warm ovation from the fans in Yankee Stadium as he exited the diamond.

Enter Rafael Soriano into the precarious situation.  The former-closer has been lights out since returning from the DL.  Soriano didn't disappoint.  He got the first batter to hit into a run-scoring double-play and the next batter, Jeff Mathis, popped up to end the threat.  He threw a total of four pitches

Since returning from the DL, Soriano hasn't allowed a single base runner in four appearances.  He pitched a critical inning in last Friday's win against the Red Sox and tonight, quite possibly, saved a trip to the minors for Nova.

"He's back to himself," said manager Joe Girardi when asked about the difference in Soriano at the beginning of the season and his appearance tonight.  "Sometimes, coming here could be an adjustment.  What he did tonight was huge for us."

Nova's final line read:  six innings, three runs, three walks and no strikeouts.  In his last outing, Nova dominated the White Sox and struck out 10.  Still, since returning from the minors on July 30, Nova (11-4) has three quality starts under his belt but Girardi did notice a slight change from Nova's last outing.

"He [Nova] had to work a little harder tonight," said Girardi of his pitcher's adjustments.  "It's a sign of maturity.  He's made great strides as a starter since last year.  He's more consistent and developed another pitch."

Nova agreed.  "My fastball wasn't there, my slider wasn't there," he told the YES Network.  "I battled to the end and got the win."

Luis Ayala came in to pitch the eighth and ninth innings.  He allowed three hits and struck out three.

Offensively, the Yankees didn't make Angels pitcher Garrett Richard's major league debut a red carpet affair.  The newbie walked the first two Yankees batters he faced,  before Curtis Granderson hit the first of his two home-runs on the evening.  Welcome to the big leagues Garrett.  It could be Grandy was trying to atone for his base-running gaff which ended the game last night.   Robinson Cano came up one single short of hitting for the cycle.  He had a double, triple and home-run.

The Yankees victory was the first against a pitcher making his debut in seven years.  Oddly, the team has lost the last six meetings to starters making their debut.

Nova's victory-- with Soriano's assist-- is sure to keep Girardi awake at night thinking about how to slim down his six-man rotation.  Or at least until Saturday, when Phil Hughes goes to the mound.

How can the manager send Nova-- who has the second most wins (11) on the team, behind CC Sabathia (16)-- back to the minors?

 Hughes got rocked by the Red Sox, in a relief role, last Sunday, and hopes to rebound this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.  The righthander needs a good outing to keep him from returning to the bullpen.

Meanwhile, Sabathia has been grumbling about the over-stocked rotation, and the extra day between his starts, and wants Girardi to "make a decision on who to pitch."

Tonight, Nova didn't make it any easier.

Is A.J. Burnett the Villian of Yankees Six-Man Soap Opera

For all the baseball fans who have been following the soap opera which is the New York Yankees six-man rotation saga-- otherwise known as Search For Tomorrow's Starter-- tonight's episode brings us another cliffhanger.

A.J. Burnett, who is the the Yankees' version of Susan Lucci at the Emmys-- because it seems like he has one win in 23 tries-- faces the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium tonight.  The struggling righthander is winless in his last six starts and the fan's cries for rookie Ivan Nova to take Burnett's spot in the rotation are getting ominous.  Now, they're basically just screaming.  Tonight's game is Burnett's version of One Life to Live.

For all the fans of the soaps and the impending disappearance of the dying format from television, the Yankees can always be counted on some bring drama in to your mundane lives.  Even if you think Peyton Place plays for the Colts or  Lever Brothers are the Jewish siblings who played on the 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers, things are never dull in Dallas--I mean the Bronx.

The spirit of Jock Ewing (played by George Steinbrenner) has been passed down to the unscrupulous J.R. (Brian Cashman) and earnest Bobby (Joe Girardi).  TV Guide says tonight's episode should be a good one:

'Burnett is trying to rebound from an almost disastrous last outing, when he didn't get a win after the Yankees batters fronted him with a 12-run lead against the weak hitting Chicago White Sox.  Burnett proceeded to allow seven run and didn't qualify for the win because he was pulled from the game before five innings.  He was last seen ripping the jersey off his body while hitting the locker room.'

Yesterday, Burnett told the New York Post he vowed to reverse his fortunes on the mound and said, " I have to find a way to have fun."

Wait...did he just say, " I have to find a way to win one?"  What?

Sounds like the erratic No. 2 pitcher, Burnett, is living in Another World  because he hasn't seen a 'W' in 40 days, after starting the season 4-0.  The only thing bigger than Burnett's ever-growing ERA is his $82.5 million contract and, as every one who follows their daytime stories knows, the rich always get away with murder.

Right now, if Joe Girardi had to fill out his rotation in a five-game playoff series, Burnett would be lucky to be throwing out of the bullpen in a game five.

In reality, Girardi would open with CC Sabathia, then Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Nova-- with Phil Hughes waiting in the wings.

Tomorrow, 24 year-old Nova gets the start against the Angels and a chance to make a statement.  Call him The Young and the Restless.

The rookie is having a breakout year, since his return from the minors to make room for Hughes in July.  Nova's last outing was an outstanding 7.2 inning, 10-strikeout win.  He gave up one run and no walks and has won six straight.  Nova is 10-4 with a 3.81 ERA this season.

Only on the sound stage that is called Yankee Stadium could a pitcher with Nova's fine stats be fighting for a job in the rotation against a pitcher with Burnett's losing numbers.

Hughes and Nova are like the Luke and Laura of this whole drama-- two young faces the fans really want to see together in the rotation.  Will they, or won't they.  It's been a long and heartbreaking journey.

The 25 year-old Hughes looked like future ace they Yankees protected from trades since his arrival.  Last year's breakout 18-8 season put him in the rotation until-- cue the downward-turn-of-fate music-- an undiagnosed and debilitating "dead arm" injury (it even sounds like a soap opera ailment) put him on the DL after losing his fastball early in the season. He has lowered his ERA to 7.11 from a sky-high 13.94  before going on the DL.

Hughes' comeback had been slow and steady until, finally, a brilliant (six innings, three hits, no runs) outing last week brought his recovery full circle.  Cue triumphant music.  But then, a failed relief appearance and game-winning hit against rivals, the Boston Red Sox, made his future unsettled again.  Cue doom-and-gloom music then cut to commercial.

Hughes thirteen-pitch outing cost him a start this week and, now, Nova is the pitcher who takes his place.

The irony.  Wow, General Hospital couldn't have scripted it any better?

As a sub-plot, there is the resurrection of Bartolo Colon in some sort of Dark Shadows theme. We're talking about Barnabas Collins-like mystical shoulder and elbow treatments in the Dominican Republic and Colon's incredible resurgence.  He even has a goth haircut.

The 38 year-old Colon made a miraculous return to the majors, after missing two years and still,  no one knows the circumstances.  Spooky stuff.

Now Girardi has to solve the mystery of getting six pitchers into five rotation slots or risk upsetting Sabathia's rigid five-day throwing schedule.

Cue announcer Macdonald Carey:  "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives."

Stay tuned for The Bold and the Beautiful starring Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly.

Nova Will Get Start Over Hughes When Angels Come To Yankee Stadium

It's official, but not really a shock.  Phil Hughes' 13-pitch relief appearance against the Boston Red Sox, when he gave up the winning run in the tenth inning,  cost the pitcher a start against the Los Angeles Angels this week.  Hughes' spot will be filled by Ivan Nova.

Manager Joe Girardi tweaked the starting rotation for the upcoming three-game home series because of Hughes short stint in Sunday night's game.  Hughes came in, after Mariano Rivera blew his fifth game of the season, and gave up two hits and Boston's walk-off score.

Hughes was set to open the series on Tuesday but struggling A.J. Burnett will be moved up one day.  The ineffective Burnett will try and rebound from a disastrous outing against the Chicago White Sox, when the Yankees batters staked him to a 12-run lead, that he almost couldn't hold on to.  Burnett gave back seven earned runs and was yanked before he could go five innings to qualify for a win.  He will square-off against Dan Haren.

Nova will start Wednesday and is coming off an impressive 10-strikeout, six-hit and  one earned run performance against the same White Sox team.  Nova has won six of his last seven starts.

Bartolo Colon will close out the series on Thursday after a shaky outing (six-hits and two earned runs) against the Red Sox.  He was pulled in the fifth after loading the bases and the bull pen took over.  The Yankees won that game, 3-2.

Girardi's biggest concern had to be giving CC Sabathia an additional day off.  Sabathia, who is notoriously fickle about throwing with extra rest,  will now open the series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.  Girardi thinks the rest is good for his ace after being banged up by the Red Sox on Saturday.

The manager said there wasn't anything in particular that presented itself to be a problem with Sabathia, but it seemed like a good time to give him a break.

Hughes, on the other hand, has to be wondering if the thirteen pitches he threw on Sunday are a bad omen.  In his previous start, he gave up three hits and no runs in six sparkling innings and his ERA has dropped to 7.11 from a dismal 13.94 when he came off the DL.

"It's always disappointing if you're no starting," said Hughes.  "I feel like I made some good progress in my last start, so if I have to wait around, it won't be something that's fun to deal with, but again, I don't make these calls or anything like that."

Yankees Still Have Questions About Hughes, Soriano and Posada After Red Sox Series

Things looked pretty good for the Yankees after Brett Gardner slammed a seventh-inning pitch over the centerfield wall in Fenway Park on Friday Night.  The hit gave New York a come-from-behind win over the Boston Red Sox and manager Joe Girardi looked like a genius for his bullpen moves.  The Bombers were riding an eight-game win streak and their best pitcher, CC Sabathia, was scheduled for the next afternoon.

Girardi looked like he had all the answers that night.  He made all the right moves by pulling Bartolo Colon with the bases loaded  and using his bullpen to almost perfection.  The Yankees were in first place for the first time since July 6.  Everything looked sweet for the men in pinstripes.

Two nights later, by the end of Sunday night's typical Yanks/Sox marathon, there were more questions than answers after the Yankees dropped the final two games of the series and got knocked back into second place.

Neither of those losses were pretty and now Girardi is facing big questions regarding the starting rotation, the bullpen and the DH roles.  How fast things change.

If Girardi thinks he had a bad weekend, think about old Jorge Posada.  The veteran catcher could only watch from the bench Sunday after he was replaced by off-season acquisition, Eric Chavez.  The newly-appointed right-handed DH went 0-for-4.  Chavez is deserving and batting .304 so far this season

Posada didn't take the news as badly as he did when he was benched in May.  After the first benching, he actually followed his temper-tantrum by hitting .326 with three home-runs and 12 RBI's over the next 32 games.  Since the beginning of July, Posada has slumped and is hitting .205 with no home-runs and four RBI's in 26 games.  He might not get a second chance this time.

Girardi's benching can't be going over good with the one-time power-hitter, who is slowly being forced off the roster.  Reality struck hard yesterday, after the manager told the 38 year-old Posada his services as DH would no longer be needed.  Girardi hasn't exactly been subtle when sending his message. In both instances, the Core-Four member was demoted to the bench before nationally-televised games against the Yankees bitter rivals, the Red Sox.  That's gotta hurt.

"We're going to see how this works," said Girardi.  "We're going to try some different things.  We'll see how this works, and I told Jorge, 'You're still going to be a big part of this, and we're going to need you.' We're just going to do some different things."

And the check is in the mail.  It sounds reassuring until Posada realizes that Triple-A slugger Jesus Montero is breathing down his neck.

The relationship between Girardi and Posada should be interesting the rest of the season.  And the final chapter doesn't look good for the ex-catcher who first lost his backstop gig in spring training.

The bullpen's performance in last night's game opens up a slew of analytic equations.

Mariano Rivera blew his fifth save of the year--and at a most inopportune time.  Marco Scutaro laced a lead-off double against the Sandman which led to the game-tying run.  Getting to Rivera was instrumental in the Red Sox win.  It was a moral victory as well.  Sox manager Terry Francona put it bluntly," Getting that hit off Mo was big."

A situation which leads to the appearance of Phil Hughes in the 10th inning.  Girardi made it clear his righty would be available from the bullpen all weekend, if that what it took to beat the Red Sox.  After last night's game goes into extra innings, it gave Girardi the excuse he needed to use Hughes. The move ultimately takes Hughes out of this week's rotation, giving Ivan Nova one more chance to prove himself as a starter again this week.

Hughes showed nothing last night.  He followed his best start of the season by giving up a confidence-breaking game winner in the rubber-game for first place.  That 1/3 of an inning cost Hughes a shot at starting on Tuesday and possibly in the future.

Now Girardi has to decide what to with Hughes and Nova...again.

If Hughes allowed two hits and can't get three outs in relief, what does Girardi do now? The starting rotation and bullpen are both overstocked as it is and Hughes can't be feeling too secure.  It appears to be a situation Hughes couldn't win.  If he does well, he heads to the pen but that one out cost him a start.

This leads to the question of Rafael Soriano.  After a disappointing and injury-plagued first half of a season in New York, is the $35 million man finally showing his true talent?  Two perfect relief appearances in important games this weekend say 'I want a more prominent role.'

Since returning from the DL last week, the temperamental Soriano has retired all batters he has faced--including the 2-3-4 batters in the seventh last night.

The question surrounding Soriano is how long before the former closer mopes about his role on the team.  Last year's 45-save pitcher for the Rays has been demoted from that esteemed spot to set-up man and now middle relief.  After his fine performances this weekend, does Girardi move him up the pecking order to replace the All-Star Dave Robertson at times or even--this is blasphemy to Yankees fans--sometimes use him as an occasional closer?  He would have fared better than Hughes in the tenth last night.

Soriano has a history of erratic behavior, beginning with his days in Tampa Bay, when he refused to shag flies or take batting practice on Sundays, leading up to his slipping away from the New York media, because he refused to answer questions about a bad outing in April.

How long until Soriano's well-known frustration boils over into wanting more?  Girardi has to face the fact that Soriano could be a valuable weapon if the pitcher keeps his head.

Here's some extra credit questions for Girardi.  Will CC Sabathia ever beat the Red Sox this season?  The hottest pitcher in the American League--and the Yankees ace-- turns ice-cold against Boston.  The big man is 0-and-4 vs. the Red Sox this season and it's no secret how he dominates the rest of the league, as his 16-2 record will attest. 

Finally, where were all the fireworks between these two sworn enemies?  Fans want Charlie Sheen-Chuck Lorre acrimony, not Alec Baldwin-John Krasinski cuteness.

This Yankees/Red Sox series had it's share of intensity-- especially in games one and three-- but something was missing. There was too much mutual admiration. Sure, the teams were only playing for first place in the beginning of August and it looks pretty much like both teams are headed to the playoffs, but where was the nastiness... the Pedro Martinez knocking down Don Zimmer hatred? 

Oh, he was on the DL and his name is Alex Rodriguez.  This rivalry needs A-Rod like Obama needs McCain or Osi needs the Giants.  Every one's whipping boy is expected off the DL by August 15.  The next meeting between the two teams is August 30 at Fenway Park.

Hope the Yankees have answered a few questions by then.

Phil Hughes Headed to Yankees Bullpen This Weekend

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said today that Phil Hughes will be used out of the bullpen, if necessary, in this weekend's series against the Boston Red Sox.  Hughes, who is thick in the mix of the Yankees six-man starting rotation drama,  will be available from the bullpen for the next three days as insurance,  the manager told the YES Network.

According to the YES, Hughes is tentatively scheduled to start  Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels, but all that could change if he throws this weekend.

Meanwhile, Ivan Nova, who had a spectacular 10-strikeout performance against the Chicago White Sox last night, will be kept with the team and may start Thursday.  The team is 13-5 in Nova's starts.

The six-man soap opera just keeps getting better and better every day.

One thing was made clear by Girardi; the the team's least effective starter, A.J. Burnett, will not be going to the bullpen.

In his last start on Tuesday, Burnett had a chance to pick up his first win since June 29 after the Yankees staked him to a 12 run lead, but the struggling hurler didn't last five innings. He is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday.

"We are not going to jump to conclusions due to one good start or one bad start," said Girardi.

Meanwhile, it's hard to figure out why the manager would make Hughes available from the bullpen during a mid-season series, other than that's where the pitcher started his Yankees career.  The Yankees already have seven pitchers in the bullpen and Hughes threw a three-hit, six-inning gem in his last outing.

Girardi doesn't want anyone to start putting too much thought into which pitcher is the odd man out with these moves-- especially Hughes.

"I would love to get distance out of starters and not use him [this weekend]," said Girardi of Hughes.  "But as I said these series get a little crazy at times and you've got to protect yourself."

It's not really the DaVinci Code, if you believe Girardi, it's about beating the Red Sox.

Nova is still hanging around on pins and needles about being called into Girardi's office.


"It's hard, especially in a moment like what if they call you into the office," said Nova.  "I hope they don't call me today or the rest of the month because September is almost here."

If anyone thought last week's pitching performances by Hughes, Burnett and Nova against the White Sox cleared anything up, they were wrong.

Stay tuned for for more of the Yankees six-man drama for at least another week.