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CALL TO ARMS
By GEORGE KING
April 26, 2005 -- ANGELS at YANKEES Tonight 7:05 — YES
Whenever Joe Torre assesses his team, he always starts with the arms. It makes
no difference if Torre's club is on a 10-game winning streak or has the
disappointing 8-11 record the Yankees haul into tonight's game against the
Angels at Yankee Stadium.
"Everything we do is based on pitching," has been Torre's mantra since arriving
in 1996.
After last year's ALCS meltdown against the Red Sox, the Yankees made
rebuilding their rotation the No. 1 offseason priority. The price tag for Randy
Johnson ($57 million), Carl Pavano ($40 million) and Jaret Wright ($21 million)
totaled $118 million and had many believing the Yankees would go post to wire
in the AL East and cruise through October.
Of course, that hasn't happened. And now Wright is out at least four to six
weeks and there is a possibility his season could be over if surgery is
required to repair his latest shoulder problem.
With Chien-Ming Wang, a 25-year-old right-hander from Taiwan, on the way to
take Wright's spot and face the Blue Jays on Saturday, the Yankees have their
fingers crossed their top pitching prospect can plug a colossal hole at the
back end of the rotation.
Many looked at Wang as insurance for Kevin Brown's balky body. The theory was
that Wang would eventually take over Brown's No. 5 spot when the veteran righty
broke down.
Now, however, Wang will move in for Wright and Brown, who has pitched terribly
in two starts since coming off the DL, is still in the No. 5 hole.
And considering the other four starters at Triple-A Columbus behind Wang are
Aaron Small, Alex Graman, Ramon Ramirez and Pete Munro, the cupboard is bare
should further help be required. Since it's not yet May, the trading market
is far from being open.
While everyone is high on Wang, who developed into the pitching-thin
organization's top hurler in the second half of last year, the club is waiting
on Wright.
After leaving the game Saturday, Wright feared he had blown his shoulder out,
but an MRI taken Sunday revealed inflammation. He will receive a cortisone shot
this week and go to Florida. Yet, there is no guarantee Wright will avoid the
knife for the third time in his career.
"We are going the conservative road," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said yesterday.
"If that doesn't work and he doesn't respond and is experiencing pain when he
starts throwing, there is obviously more going on than we are aware of and that
could lead to surgery."
As for Wang, who was 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts for the Clippers,
pitching coaches throughout the organization believe he can help the Yankees
survive the loss of Wright.
"The two biggest things are that he throws strikes and isn't afraid of bat
contact," Columbus pitching coach Gil Patterson said last night. "And stuff
around him doesn't bother him. If a guy makes an error he says it's his job
to make a pitch. I don't anticipate him throwing any different there than he
has here. I anticipate him throwing very well."
Wang was hit on the left hand and right leg by batted balls in a start on
Friday for Columbus, but has shaken the blows off. What separates Wang from
other pitchers who have come through the Yankees system is that he can fire off
a 94-mph fastball.
"His next pitch is a slider, but he has a change-up and split-fingered fastball
," Patterson said. "If the slider is on, it can be a big help. He can throw
it down and away to right-handers and we have been working on a back-door to
lefties. He has four pitches and I would guess all four are major league
caliber."
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