The disgraceful performances of Kei Igawa and Colter Bean at the Stadium last night pushed the Yankee pitching staff even further into the doldrums. The team ERA stands at 5.06, only 13 starts have made it five full innings and relievers are being used like trench soldiers on the Somme. They keep getting sent out into the breach where certain doom awaits while General Torre and Major Guidry look for answers that may actually swing the tide of the war. Injuries and ineffectiveness prove that there are I's in poor pitching.
The strange thing is that these problems haven't been unique to pitchers currently in the Yankee organization. Guys who used to be in the Yankee system aren't faring much better than those currently in pinstripes. Take a look:
Randy Johnson - 0-2, 6.50 ERA, missed the start of the season with a back injury.
Bob Wickman - Started well but blew two saves in his last three outings. Wickman gave up three earned runs in the other appearance and is now on the DL.
Jaret Wright - 0-3, 6.97 ERA, currently on the DL.
Jose Contreras - 2-3, 4.88 ERA
Mike Stanton - 1-2, 7.71 ERA
Eric Milton - 0-4, 4.85 ERA
Jake Westbrook - 1-2, 7.90 ERA, left last start with injury and could be headed to DL.
Sidney Ponson - 2-3, 6.67 ERA, remains Sidney Ponson.
Orlando Hernandez - Has pitched well, 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA, but on the DL at the moment.
Tom Gordon - 3 Blown Saves, 4.82 ERA, currently on the DL.
Tony Armas Jr. - 0-2, 8.66 ERA
David Wells - 1-1, 6.23 ERA
Jeff Weaver - 0-4, 18.26 ERA
Randy Keisler - 5.65 ERA
Tanyon Sturtze - 60-day DL after shoulder surgery.
Kenny Rogers - On DL after developing blood clot in shoulder.
Octavio Dotel - On DL all season.
Yhency Brazoban - On DL all season.
Esteban Loaiza - On DL all season.
That's quite a butcher's block of woe. There are a few bright spots. Al Reyes, David Weathers and Armando Benitez have done a nice job as closers in Tampa, Cincinnati and San Francisco respectively and Ted Lilly's doing a nice job as a starter in Wrigley Field. Overall, though, being a Yankee or having Big Stein as a reference on your resume isn't doing much for anybody these days. If there's a silver lining it's that the days of Jay Buhner, Willie McGee and Doug Drabek leaving the Bronx for brighter tomorrows are well behind us. It's hard to imagine Frank Costanza getting too pissed about missing out on the Tony Armas Jr. era.
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