Pick Em: Freddy Garcia, Justin Duchscherer, Mitre, Nova and Joba for 2 spots

[philleotardo]

You never liked him as a starter? Ever? Not even maybe once?

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3195354

Hahahahahaha, Youkilis.

[THEBOSS84]

I went with Joba and the Douche (which sounds like it could be a morning radio show)

The show's title seems a bit redundant.

[Bub]

You never liked him as a starter? Ever? Not even maybe once?

No. Even though he had a bunch of decent starts he just wasn't the same pitcher out there. To me it looked like he tried to stretch 2 innings of intensity over 7 and it made him look like just an average pitcher instead of a dominant one. In his bad starts he had that deer/headlights look and seemed non-confident. I'd rather we get a bunch of good years as a solid set-up man, and not even that's a given anymore. If the new pitching coach thinks that he can successfully be converted back to a starter then I'm certain they'll give him that chance since he would be much more valuable in that role, even if it was a No. 5 starter. I just don't see it though.

[sjb23]

No. Even though he had a bunch of decent starts he just wasn't the same pitcher out there. To me it looked like he tried to stretch 2 innings of intensity over 7 and it made him look like just an average pitcher instead of a dominant one. In his bad starts he had that deer/headlights look and seemed non-confident.

Do you think that might be because his manager and coaches told him he couldn't possibly go out to the mound as a starter with the same intensity he had as a one-inning guy? Do you think this might have possibly messed with his head? Do you think that just maybe he was "holding something back" to the point where it messed with his mechanics and got him hurt?

Do you think that just possibly the Yankees messed this boy's head up with all the hype and success followed by having to suppress his intensity? Can you imagine being about 22 years old and being on the big stage in NYC with thousands of people walking around with t-shirts bearing your name? Can you imagine being told "You're a starting pitcher.....no wait, we need you as a reliever...no wait! maybe we'll start you -- we'll keep you posted as we go."

This young man deserves a chance to be what he had always been before the Yankees threw him into the bullpen and he became the toast of the town -- a starting pitching prospect, who (by the way) was rated below Phil Hughes. Had he come up that way, perhaps this would all be moot.

[sjb23]

Here's an recap on the voting:

78% of the voters want Nova in the rotation, followed by 72% of the voters wanting Joba in there as well.

50% want Duchscherer in the mix....

I think Sergio Mitre visited this thread and cast a vote

[grizy]

I voted for Nova and Garcia but I really think it should be Nova, Garcia and Duch, with Nova as the long man to start the season. It works for him to get more PAs vs. MLB hitters and works for the team to get a legitimate long man.

Chances are Nova will start by the end of the season. If not, it means we're having one hell of a season or Nova's bombing.