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03/02/09 6:00 PM EST
Wang shows no rust in first game back
Months removed from foot injury, righty tosses two shutout innings
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. --
The greatest praises of Chien-Ming Wang's performance came from those with
slightly different perspectives.
"He's nasty," outfielder Nick Swisher said, recalling his days in Chicago
and Oakland. "I've been on the other side. Anybody who throws a 94-mph
power sinker has a good chance to be successful."
So it's no wonder that Wang was successful on Monday -- about as much as
the Yankees could have hoped for in his first start since the right-hander
tore a tendon in his right foot last June. The team feared after that game
in Houston that Wang would miss several weeks. Instead, he skipped the rest
of the season, finally pitching in Monday's Grapefruit League game against
-- of all teams -- the Astros.
And so it was certainly refreshing for the Yankees to see Wang breeze
through two innings with 23 pitches, the only blemishes coming on two-out
singles in the first and second. Wang threw all of his pitches -- 12
for strikes -- and despite complaining that his sinker stayed too high
in the zone, he came out of the start feeling optimistic.
"I feel good," Wang said. "I feel nothing wrong."
From the perspective of Wang's manager, the outing was even more encouraging
than that. After the game, Joe Girardi ignored the fact that Wang had
produced two outs on the ground and four through the air, a sign that his
sinker did not have its typical bite. Instead, Girardi focused on the fact
that Wang came out of the game healthy and, apparently, on track to start
the 2009 season in vintage form.
Yet managers do worry a bit more than most, so Girardi couldn't help but
cringe when Wang sprinted over to cover first base on Matt Kata's ground
ball in the second inning. But after he looked up and saw that Wang was fine,
Girardi exhaled.
"There's always that little bit of reservation when they have to make that
sudden movement or push off," Girardi said. "But now that we're on the other
side of it, I'm glad I got to see it."
Wang said he never once thought about the injury, nor about the fact that
his 2008 season was derailed against this same team -- which means that
the next time Wang starts, in five days against the Braves, his teammates
can also quit worrying about the injury and simply focus on how well he
pitches.
And Wang, if you recall, can certainly pitch.
Wang was 8-2 in 15 starts before the injury last year, well on his way to
a third consecutive 19-win season. Wang's other numbers were all in line
with his career norms. And discounting the possibility of injury, there
was little reason to believe he was going to fade.
"He was pitching real well at the time he got hurt," catcher Jorge Posada
said. "He's very valuable. He's a guy that we need out there. He helps our
defense because he keeps everybody on their feet. He throws fast, quick
innings. He does a lot of things for us."
Posada should know, having caught Wang more than any other catcher over
the years. And he was nearly able to observe Wang from that perspective
again on Monday. Originally scheduled to catch Wang's warmup bullpen
session prior to the game, Posada instead played long toss from about
100 feet, continuing the rehabilitation of his surgically repaired right
shoulder.
In lieu of catching, Posada started at designated hitter, finishing 1-for-3
with an RBI. He'll DH again in Tuesday's exhibition against Team USA -- a
misfortune as far as Posada is concerned.
That game, designed to help Team USA prepare for the World Baseball Classic,
will give the longest-tenured Yankees a chance to see shortstop Derek Jeter
in an opposing dugout for the first time. So Posada spent his clubhouse
time on Monday joking about the plan to call for inside fastballs to Jeter,
"on the ribs."
Naturally, Posada regrets the fact that he won't start at catcher until
much later this spring.
"It's too bad I'm not behind the plate," Posada said, "to really mess with
him."
Yes, the Yankees were in a joking mood on Monday, knowing that everything
was proceeding according to plan. Their ace, CC Sabathia, had thrown a
28-pitch bullpen session earlier in the day and looked sharp. Their former
ace, Wang, had shut down the Astros with aplomb. Their right-field hopeful,
Swisher, had made a crashing catch near the foul pole, earning Wang's
praise.
And though their defense stumbled at game's end, resulting in a 5-5 tie,
the Yankees' perspective on the day could not be dampened.
"It was great to see Chien-Ming Wang throw today, and it was great to
see CC," Girardi said. "[Wang] is comfortable with the way he feels. And
if he's comfortable with the way he feels, then we're obviously a lot more
comfortable."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to
the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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