Kevin Baker's book is here!

Kevin Baker's book is here!
"... an exemplary sports book..." Kirkus Reviews

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Dare we even think that Hughes has turned it around?

It's been two solid starts since the Armaggedonoutahere in Anaheim, when Jered Weaver cracked, and Phi Hughes butchered the lead. The Yankiverse brooded, even discussed sending him to our Thruway team, the baseball version of how Syria treats dissidents.

He crushed Detroit, and last night he figured out the mighty Mets. His record looks like a needle print-out of John Edwards' answers in a lie detector test. There's no reason to think in his next outing, he wouldn't give up six home runs against the Morningwood School for Wayward Girls. But hell, he's still only 26. He's younger than David Robertson.

The trouble with Hughes is expectations. Ours, not his. When he get whacked, it's the most frustrating Yankee experience aside from watching the Big 3 leave the bases loaded.) We've watched him for seven years. We've seen him in the All-Star game. We've seen him bridge to Mariano. We've seen him miss half a season with a dead arm. Long ago, they dubbed him Phil Franchise, which was ridiculous. His nickname should be "WTF?"

But Hughes is the missing link between first place and fighting for the one-day wild card.

Take away three clunkers - two of which came in April - and Phil Hughes is having a solid year. Dare we believe?

1 comment:

Kei to Walk said...

If you take away all the strikeouts, popups, and groundouts, Alex is having a monster year offensively.

If you take away all the drops and throw aways, Nunez was having a Gold Glove year.