This should have been nothing but celebration for Michael Pineda, satisfaction delayed, but ultimately realized.
However, a little “dirt” came between Pineda and untarnished joy.
Pineda was not only making his Stadium debut, but doing it as a Yankee and doing it as part of the first Rivalry game this year. He did it spectacularly, should have been basking in euphoria two years in the making. Except for the discoloration that was caught by cameras on his right hand.
Pineda insisted he did not use an illegal, foreign substance such as pine tar to get a better grip on a cool night, and that the discoloration was dirt mixed with sweat. However, once the pictures became an Internet sensation early in the game, the “dirt” — poof — disappeared over the final few innings of Pineda’s six-inning effort.
Really, the story should disappear, as well. It is basically understood that on a cool night, pitchers will use some kind of sticky substance — pine tar, thick sunscreen, some combination of items — to grip slick baseballs. For the most part, hitters approve because the last thing they want are pitchers who throw as hard as Pineda not knowing where the pitches are going.
Generally, teams don’t make a stink because often their own pitchers are guilty, too. Boston’s starter against Pineda was Clay Buchholz, who was accused last year of using foreign substances to gain grip in a game against Toronto.
After the Yankees’ 4-1 triumph, members of the Red Sox said they either did not see the discoloration or know that the rules of engagement on a cool night are to add some sticky substance and were, um, cool with it. The umpires said they were not aware of it and, I was told, without a stink from Boston executives, MLB officials are unlikely to even look into this.
The only minor fuel to give what should be a non-story life was how Joe Girardi handled the matter in the postgame. Seven years into his Yankees managerial tenure, he should really have better defusing skills. Instead, he offered a mix of Sgt. Schultz from “Hogan’s Heroes” — “I know nothing” — and Mark McGwire before Congress not wanting to discuss the past, even if the past just took place.
He was uptight about a subject he knew was coming, saying at one point he wasn’t aware of the spot on Pineda’s hand — which is dubious for a smart manager working for a wired team. If Pineda were innocent, Girardi just would have said that. But what he offered several times was, “I don’t have anything to say on this subject. He pitched great and we are glad to have him.”
That last part is true — finally. The Yanks are ecstatic — “dirt” on this parade or not — to have Pineda.
Keep in mind that to ease Masahiro Tanaka’s transition to the American majors, Yankees officials rigged what was under their control.
They kept Tanaka away from AL East opponents in spring training. They installed him in the No. 4 rotation slot, which maximized days off and — wow, look at that — assured not having to deal with either of the Red Sox-Yankees series in April. No Big Papi. No extra Rivalry scrutiny. Not yet, anyway.
The Yankees offered fewer feathery pillows to Pineda in his transition away from injury, questions about his conditioning and the sense he was a bust.
The stocky righty had missed the last two major league seasons, yet the Yanks did not attempt to keep him a mystery within the division as he faced Baltimore, Boston and Toronto in spring. And, slotted behind Tanaka, Pineda was lined up to start this opener against Boston and the one April 22 at Fenway.
Yet, all Pineda has done from the outset of spring training is encourage and remind everyone why the Yankees were so darn excited to acquire him. He now has two, the hard way, in the regular season — a pair of six-inning, one-run outings against divisional competition: Toronto, now Boston. Against the Red Sox, he threw strike one to the first eight batters, didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, rocked them back and forth with his fastball/slider combo, and when some heat (which was up to 96 mph) dissipated from his fastball, his changeup was a legitimate weapon.
We will see what kind of endurance he has, not losing sight that he is returning from a serious shoulder surgery. We will watch how he handles success — whether he stays hungry in all the right ways and not those that expand his waist and sense of entitlement.
But Jesus Montero went into Thursday hitting .235 with one homer for Triple-A Tacoma as a half-time DH, half-time first baseman while Pineda is now a valued member of the Yankees rotation, even more valuable after whiffing seven Red Sox, not giving up a run until Daniel Nava homered leading off the seventh.
He entered The Rivalry in style — even with a little “dirt” on this parade.