Saturday, May 16, 2015

Is Michael Pineda Still The Yankees' Ace?

"Either there's something really interesting on the ground, or I just stunk up the joint."

When it comes to making a tribute video for Michael Pineda, I don't think anybody is going to use footage of last night's game.

The "ace" of the Yankees' pitching rotation had his worst game in a Yankees uniform, giving up ten hits and five earned runs over 5.1 innings.

While I haven't heard any overreaction to last night's start against the Royals, it actually surprises me. Yankees fans are not known for being patient people, and are prone to taking the smallest bit of bad news and exaggerating that to its negative extreme.

So I'm hear today to try and make sure that doesn't happen.

Michael Pineda's shoulder did not explode last night, causing that poor start. Pineda hasn't "lost it", and should be pulled from the rotation and put into the bullpen. I'll let Big Mike say it for me...
“It’s not my day,” Pineda said. “These games happen sometimes."
And "these games" don't just happen to mediocre and bad pitchers.

In 2012 David Price won the American League Cy Young Award, thanks to his only 20-win season along with an ERA of only 2.56. However, on August 27th, David gave up six earned runs and ten hits in just four innings of work.

Last season, on September 1st, AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber gave up five earned runs and seven hits. Earlier that season on May 7th, Clayton Kershaw, on his way to winning his third National League Cy Young Award in four years, gave up seven earned runs and six hits in just 1.2 innings.

My point is not to say Michael Pineda is on his way to winning the AL Cy Young Award, but that these games happen to even the best pitchers.

After Mike was removed from the game I didn't start begging for Masahiro Tanaka to return, as the Yankees no longer had a true anchor for the staff. I said "that sucks" and started thinking about the next game. Just like Pineda and every Yankees fan should do.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)