It might be up to Phil Hughes to salvage that once great trio of Yankee potential

Go back five years. You'll see a Yankiverse drunken with hope. We're talking about three young pitchers and saying that it won't happen again: This won't be another Generation K.

Remember Gen-K? Paul Wilson, Jayson Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher? The boys of 1995? Nope, we said: Our pitchers will be different. We will have a great staff, with Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain.

Well, let's not belabor this. With Joba's recent Joe Theisman-moment, it's now up to Phil to salvage what has become our Generation Zero. As it stands, only Kennedy made it through the door, and he's in Arizona. (Reminds you of Isringhausen's career, eh?)

OK, I know that you're screaming: But we dealt Kennedy for Curtis Granderson; the trade turned out! You're right. But my point is, we expected those pitchers to lead us through 2020. We got one out of three.

Bump forward three years, and I direct your attention to our so-called Killer B's: Andrew Brackman, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. Brackman's toast, Betances might go to the bullpen, and Manny got busted for Empire State early in camp, for lack of command.

Just remember this: With pitchers, there are no Killer Bs, no Generation Ks, no amber waves of talent. Now and then, one salmon-jumps upstream, and you find a great pitcher. Our best hope this year might be David Phelps, or some guy toiling at miserable Trenton. It's fun to give names to groups of prospects. But right now, it's up to Phil Hughes to save the past.