Chien Ming GONE

April 19, 2009

 

Daily News

Picture from the Daily News

Three starts into the 2009 season and Yankees’ pitcher Chien Ming Wang has not pitched more than 4 innings in a single game.  He has let up 23 runs on 23 hits in his six innings of work.

 Not exactly the all-star numbers we have come to expect from the steady Wang.  Usually, this early in the season I tell people to not press the panic button  and trade away slumping superstars for mere pocket change.  However, after watching Wang’s three starts I would have to say he is in trouble, big time.  

Over the past three seasons Wang has won 19 games twice and was 8-2 before a leg injury ended his 2008 campaign early.  After the leg injury, he was clearly not the same ace from yesteryears.  As a sinker ball pitcher, Wang relies on keeping the ball down and when he doesn’t have his “A” game, he lets up runs, lots of runs.  Wang was never a strikeout pitcher and did not miss many bats, but he relied heavily on the ground ball to get him out of trouble.  When he is not on his game, there are a lot of fly balls, meaning he is not keeping his sinker down. 

Now onto the fantasy perspective.  As it stands today, after a miserable 22-4 loss at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, I would take him out of your lineup immediately.  I think that trading or dropping him would be a tad premature, but I would instead go out and pick up Phil Hughes (and stash Wang on the bench).  Hughes is 2-0 for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.  Despite Joe Girardi stating that Wang will pitch his next start, it would not be out of the question for Hughes to be called up in the coming weeks.  They are both on the same pitching schedule (Wang pitcher yesterday, Hughes the day before.)  

With the new Yankee Stadium looking similar to Coors Field, 17 home-runs in the first three games, Wang’s time may be dwindling and a trip to the minors to rekindle his stuff could be in his future.

 

Side Note: Thanks to Sports Authority for the Headline and Wang’s new nickname.

-Bobby Holt

Written by Bobby Holt · Filed Under Player News | 5 Comments