TAMPA – From Idle to Ace.
While starting pitching remains a colossal concern, the Yankees figure to be better on Opening Day this year than last. That’s because Chien-Ming Wang will climb the Yankee Stadium mound instead of Carl “American Idle” Pavano, who made two starts and didn’t work again due to elbow surgery.
Denied the precious assignment a year ago because a hamstring injury, Wang was anointed yesterday by Joe Girardi to face the Blue Jays on March 31 in the final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium.
“He has earned it,” Girardi said of the right-hander who will celebrate his 28th birthday on Opening Day. Wang has won a major league leading 38 games across the past two seasons. “He has won 19 games the last couple of years. I am comfortable with him starting Opening Day.”
Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will follow Wang in the rotation that has questions at every stop due to health (Pettitte’s elbow) age (Mussina is 39) and youth (Hughes is 21 and Kennedy is 23).
“They are veteran players,” Wang said of getting the nod over Pettitte and Mussina before the Yankees beat the Rays, 2-1. “It shows that the coaches trust me but I still have a lot to learn from those guys.”
How Wang bounces back from two spankings administered by the Indians in the ALCS and getting his contract renewed is the least of the Yankees starters’ concerns. However, it’s an issue that will be raised if he doesn’t pitch well at the beginning. Wang said before camp opened that it took him a month to get over the Indians tagging him with two losses and scoring a dozen runs and collecting 14 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
“I am glad it took a month,” said Girardi, who believes Wang will use the beatings as motivation. “That tells me he cares and wants to get better.”
“Those two losses make me want to better this year so they can trust me in the future,” Wang said.
In an effort to expand his arsenal that is fronted by a turbo sinker that often is clocked at 94 mph, Wang vows to throw a change-up more than he did last year and has tightened up the slider.
All the pitchers were on display yesterday in a Single-A game between Tampa and Vero Beach (Rays) at the Yankees’ minor league complex. In 52/3 innings, Wang gave up five runs (four earned), six hits, walked one and fanned three.
Wang was his normal ground-ball throwing machine through five frames when just four balls were hit in the air. However, the sinker didn’t move as much in the sixth and he paid for it.
“The pitches were up a little bit,” Wang said. “I was getting underneath the ball.”
Since the plum assignment has been handled by Hall of Famers Jack Chesbro, Red Ruffing, Lefty Grove, Whitey Ford and Catfish Hunter and future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens, it’s an honor that Wang takes seriously.
“I am very happy and very excited,” Wang said of the Opening Day deal. “For me it’s big.”