Setting Wang Up To Fail

Let's not pretend that Chien-Ming Wang doesn't know how to win games. The guy has the most wins of any active player with 140 games started or less (according to Play Index). And Wang just started his 100th game last night, his 5th start this season without a win (so really he won 54 games in his first 95 starts). That's more wins that Justin Verlander (110 GS), Ervin Santana (119 GS), Erik Bedard (137 GS), Scott Kazmir (133 GS), Rich Harden (109 GS), Felix Hernandez (117 GS), or Zack Grienke (115 GS). He's got more wins than Chad Billingsly, Jered Weaver, Dice-K, Jon Lester, Matt Garza or Tim Lincecum. Actually, he has more wins that Matt Garza and Tim Lincecum COMBINED.

So before we throw him under the bus and clamor for his immediate release, let's remember this guy has won ballgames in the past. Yet everyone has seemed to want to distance themselves from Wang, including Wang's own pitching coach, manager and general manager.

Now let's not pretend he's been good at any point this year as a starter, but wouldn't you like to see if he can really get back to where he was? He threw 94 MPH yesterday with a sharp slider. He's shown promise out of the bullpen, albeit in mop-up roles. But I feel like he never had a good chance to succeed since coming back from the DL. He was banished to the bullpen in an ill thought out move (hey, let's put Wang out in the 'pen and worry about the consequences later) where he was forgotten about for days at a time. When he finally did pitch, it was only in mop-up duties--but he pitched well. So Joe Girardi decided that the way to ease him back into the starting rotation was against Texas and Boston? Any way you slice it, those are two of the five best offenses in the major leagues without a doubt. He couldn't have waited two weeks and brought him back against the Nationals and Marlins?

This is one of my 3 biggest criticisms with Girardi: 1) He's very inconsistent with his bullpen, 2) He makes very odd roster decisions (ie-Angel Berroa and Jose Veras over Shelley Duncan and Mark Melancon), and 3) He sets up guys to fail way too often. Mark Melancon is a rookie who was put it in a huge spot against the Red Sox and bases loaded against the Angels. And now he's gone. He brought in Phil Hughes last night in the middle of an inning which he said he'd never do and used Rivera multiple times for two innings which he also said he'd never do. And this whole situation with Wang just drives home my point.

One of the greatest things about Joe Torre with the Yankees was that he always found ways to put guys in situations they would succeed. Most Yankees fans never remember David Cone horrendous 2000 season because of the out he got against Mike Piazza in the World Series. He changed around pitching rotations to make sure guys who were more comfortable pitching at home got that luxury when it was available. When guys struggled, he almost never threw them under the bus (there are a few noted exceptions). And he was always defending his players against umpires and the media. 

My plan for Wang: I'd let him start against the Major-League-worst Nationals. If he can't do jack, then you move him to the bullpen. If he pitches well or OK or in any way you can describe as "solid", build off of it and give him another start. But if you do need to move him to the bullpen, use him in spots other than mop-up roles. Use him like Phil Hughes is being used: big spots for an inning or two or three. Build up his confidence that way. Wang pitched 8 innings as a reliever and had a 2.25 ERA with 7 Ks to only 2 BBs. That's not worthy of some confidence out there with the state of this bullpen?

The one thing you can't do is give up on Wang. The Yankees lack players who go out there and win. But from 2006 until he got hurt midway throw 2008 (via B-R), Wang was 46-15 (.754 W-L%) with a 3.74 ERA. He lost less than 19% of the games he pitched. This guy was very recently a very good pitcher. I hope the Yankees, the media and the fans, despite his struggles, don't forget that.