Impressions of Le Tigres

This is being posted during the first of three against the Motor City's greatly-hyped baseball team. Phil Hughes vs. Kenny Rogers, early on has the makings of about a 4-hour affair, as Phil struggled with his command in the 1st leading to 2 runs and The Gambler circumnavigated through a 2-on, 2-out situation due to Jason Giambi's overwhelming ineptitude.

Based on the way the Tigers have swung in the early stages, I think Phil's stuff is good tonight, so it seems as though location will be the key to his success in this outing. The runs in the first inning that he surrendered were not helped at all by Johnny Damon inexplicably getting a start in CF tonight.

Michael Kay was even borderline ripping Girardi for resting Melky Cabrera, something unheard of considering the love affair between the YES broadcasters and their former colleague in the dugout thus far this year. My problem isn't as much with giving Melky a day off, it's with the fact that by doing so you end up with Damon's vanished defensive skills completely exposed. Not only could he not track the line drive that Magglio Ordonez hit in the 1st inning, letting it fall a few feet in front of him, but his terrible throwing arm allowed the not-fast-as-lightning Placido Polanco to score. Normally, an average to above-average CF holds the 2nd runner at 3rd, but not Johnny.

The bench is so out of whack that you are forced into making Damon the backup center fielder, a role he should not be asked to fill. Brett Gardner is still at AAA, and if you want to rest Melky in CF, that's the only guy right now who should be patrolling the cavernous outfield in The Stadium. Starting Damon on the road in center, perhaps; but not in The Bronx.

As I write, Cano goes deep against The Gambler, right after Ensberg flirted with the left field wall. Rogers should be having those horrible flashbacks to his days in 1996 getting booed off the mound right about now, so I don't see him keeping this lineup at bay for too long in this game.

The key will be how Phil settles down, something that he seems completely capable of doing, even against a potent lineup such as Detroit's.