Hughes Clues

Much ignored in wake of the deaths of both Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner is the success of the Yankees' pitching rotation. Of course, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte have produced as always, but Phil Hughes (right) has emerged to infuse youth into the staff.

He grew up in California, just minutes away from Angels Stadium. Hughes, the son of a Vietnam War veteran, was instilled with the values of hard work from a young age. Heading into his sophomore season in high school, unfortunately, he rode the bench. Hughes was small, scrawny kid, and the consensus of coaches believed that his future was certainly not in baseball. All such opinions changed during that spring, however. Hughes grew six inches, and he would go on to lead his high school team for the next three seasons.

In 2004, Hughes entered the draft as a surefire first round pick, and the Angels had the 12th overall pick. With this in mind, Hughes’s dad had told Anaheim's front office that his son would sign immediately following his selection. The Angels, on the other hand, decided to draft star college pitcher Jered Weaver from Long Beach State. Needless to say, the entire Hughes family was crushed.

The 6 foot 5 inch pitcher dropped to the New York Yankees at number 23 in the first round. Although the family was noted Red Sox fans, Hughes signed with the club soon after.

In his first three professional seasons, he excelled in the minor leagues, to say the least. Averaging over 10 strikeouts per nine innings, Hughes drew comparisons to fellow Yankee great, Roger Clemens. Added New York slugger Jason Giambi in 2006, “He's young, but that fastball, it's late. I don't care what the radar gun says, it seems like it's on top of you. He's got good stuff."

Come 2007, Hughes was producing on the major league level as a starting pitcher. Yes, his ERA was 4.46, but the power right hander struck out 7 batters per nine innings. His walk totals weren’t too high, as well, especially for a then-21 year old rookie. Nevertheless, Hughes began the subsequent year in the minor leagues. He again made his way into the Yankees’ rotation by September, but various injuries caused Hughes to struggle in 2008. He walked almost as many batters as he struck out, and the Mission Viejo native had an ERA upwards of six. At season’s end, the Yankees decided to send Hughes to the Arizona Fall League for extra repetition.

Hughes found a role on the major league roster in 2009. He was responsible for the 8th inning, acting as a bridge to Mariano Rivera. Obviously, Hughes did his job well enough. The Yankees went on to win their 27th World Series Championship, but the once hailed prospect failed to dominate big league hitters. In short, Hughes seemed to not be living up to his hype.

All questions were answered this season. Hughes found himself as the team’s number five starter on Opening Day, and he has relished the role. Through 91 games, the former setup man is 11-2 with a 3.65 ERA. Hughes, furthermore, was named to the American League All-Star team. The game itself this year was played in Anaheim, just minutes away from Hughes's hometown. Granted, the best indicator of his dominance is that Hughes has totaled more strikeouts than hits allowed in 2010.

So, why has Hughes suddenly broken out in his sixth year of professional baseball? Well, the answer is maturity, in my opinion. At 24 year old, he has learned to truly pitch to hitters, manipulating them with his pitches. In terms of pitching repertoire, nothing has changed. Hughes’s location might be a bit improved, yet his trio of fastball, curveball and changeup had always been tough to handle. In the words of manager Joe Girardi, “He has become a man.”


-Hamzah Raza

College Football Countdown Team Spotlight: LSU Tigers

LSU Tigers

2009 Record: 9-4

Highest/Final Ranking: 4/17

Bowl: Capital One Bowl, Lost 17-19

They're getting restless in Baton Rouge. After winning the 2007 National Championship, Coach Les Miles and LSU have yet to get another 10 win season or bowl victory. The Fighting Tigers and their fan base are yearning for another try at a National Championship after two relatively "down" years. This year in a weakened SEC they should first concentrate on winning the conference. With a strong recruiting class coming in, and returning talent on both sides of the ball, the Bayoux Bengals should absolutely be in the conversation with Alabama for the SEC West.

The Tigers have possibly more unearthed potential on offense than any other team in the country. Sophomore converted wide receivers Russell Shepard and Rueben Randle were Rivals.com top ten blue chips coming out of high school, and the gems of LSU's 2009 recruiting class. Both are former quarterbacks who have size (Shepard is 6'1", Randle is 6'3") and explosive playmaking ability. Shepard, in particular, can also kick return and play tailback as well. NFL scouts are already projecting Randle and Shepard as future high first round picks. The cornerstone of this very talented receiving corps is veteran Terrance Toliver. The 6'5" senior was LSU's second leading receiver last year, catching 53 passes for 3 touchdowns and 735 yards. Look for Toliver to be one of the SEC's leading pass catchers by years end thanks to his crisp route running and physical stature. The Bayoux Bengals' ground game will be headed up by the former prep Parade All-American Michael Ford. Ford will be a redshirt freshman this year, and is fast and exciting to watch. Keep an eye on five star recruit and true freshman Spencer Ware though. A 5'11", 225 pound power back, Ware might be used in goal line situations and on third downs.

The talent of the Tigers' offense will shine through only if junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson (right) is able to step up his game this upcoming season. Last year, the 6'5" Jefferson was brought along slowly but was efficient, throwing for 2166 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. New wide receiver coach Billy Gonzalez will not only be counted on to manage the high pedigree pass catchers LSU has, but also add life to a Tigers' passing game that finished 97th in the FBS last year. The offensive line protecting Jefferson has been shifted around by coordinator Gary Crowton to compensate for player departures. This unit is anchored by senior Joseph Barksdale, while talented sophomore Alex Hurst has used a strong showing in the spring game to be the leading candidate at right tackle.

The Bayoux Bengals defense doesn't lack star power, but might not be as effective as it should be this year. Leading the squad is one of the best players in the nation, cornerback Patrick Peterson (above). Standing at 6'1" and weighing 220 pounds, Peterson can play physical on a wide receiver at the line of scrimmage or tackle a running back in the open field. His 4.2 hand timed 40 yard dash proves that he has blazing speed to accompany his strength. Also, Peterson has ball skills and soft hands, as his 2 interceptions and 15 passes defended from last year show. NFL Scouts stoutly believe he is the best defensive back in all of college football, and a future top 5 draft selection. The rest of the LSU secondary are speed merchants, too. The junior cornerback opposite of Peterson, Ron Brooks ran a 4.23 40. The safeties Jai Eugene and Brandon Tyler are both veterans who will assure that nobody will be passing over the top of the LSU defense. The Tigers' front seven isn't nearly as deep or skilled as the secondary. Middle linebacker and All-America candidate Kelvin Sheppard might be the only bright spot in a depleted linebacking corps and defensive line. Three of the four starters on the defensive line have departed, as well as two of Sheppard's partners at middle linebacker. The 6'3", 239 pound Sheppard will have to be the vocal leader of an inexperienced group, and try to keep them organized.

Les Miles in his first five years as the head man in Baton Rouge has already placed himself third on LSU's all time wins list with 51. Now, with an offense littered with young stars ready to break out and a defense that has talent but little experience, to get this group to working as a unit could be his most challenging job yet. If Miles is able to get LSU out of a difficult month of September undefeated, with games against North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and West Virginia, the Tigers could very well find themselves in the nation's top ten once again and ready for another run at college football glory.


-John Stoller

Some Buried Pirate Treasure

If you are a Pittsburgh Pirates’ fan, you already know that the pitching in the City of Champions has recently, well, been terrible. As a whole, the staff is easily the worst in the league, in my opinion. Considering that the Pirates haven’t had a winning record since the early 90’s, many people have been wondering what can be done to fix this glaring weakness on the team. The answer, in the short team, is bleak, but very promising in the years to come.

The Pirates need to find their defacto ace of the staff, and currently, Zach Duke (left) is not the answer. He has a 5.49 ERA, which is the worst of any headline starter in all of baseball, and the Clifton, TX native has really struggled with runners on base. In such cases, Duke’s entire mindset on the mound completely has shifted to anxiety. On a positive note, his progress, thus far, has to be a bonus for the Pittsburgh organization. He was drafted in 2001 in the 20th round, 594th overall, so expectations were initially nonexistent.

Coming in 2010, Ross Ohlendorf, the team’s number two starter, was supposed to dazzle. The potential is certainly there, but such national hype has not been met by results this season. Although he has struck out more batters per 9 innings than last year, Ohlendorf has walked 3.74 batters per 9 innings, among the worst marks in the entire national league. Furthermore, opponents are batting near .300 against the Pirates’ second best pitcher. The only potential hope for Ohlendorf is that he will eventually figure out the science of pitching. I mean, he graduated from Princeton with a near perfect GPA. If anyone can learn how to succeed in the major leagues, the man would be Ohlendorf.

Regarding the future of the pitching staff, Pirates’ general manager Neal Huntington first looks to right hander Brad Lincoln (right). Ranked among the best prospects in Pittsburgh’s organization, he should be in the major leagues by the end of 2010. I love his fastball that touches 95 miles per hour with movement, and his curveball can be tough to handle. Lincoln needs to refine his changeup more to truly excel in the major leagues, yet his ability to throw strikes is always a bonus. He is often compared to star Rangers’ pitcher Cliff Lee, in terms of mindset on the mound.

Further down the road, expect to see Zack Von Rosenberg and Colton Cain in Pittsburgh’s starting rotation. The 19 year old Von Rosenberg does not have overpowering stuff on the mound, yet his skills are polished to the point where scouts believe he could be in the major leagues by next season. Cain, on the other hand, is a power pitching left-hander. If he can really develop both his curveball and changeup to complement a wicked fastball, the Pirates’ 8th round selection last year should excel in the major leagues.

For now, Pirates fans will have to endure their 18th consecutive losing season, a feat in which no one take pride. I guess Paul Maholm, who has been the team’s best pitcher all year, will continue to anchor a staff that contends with many Triple-A affiliates.

-Zach Parnes

Who's Next ... Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson

Height/Weight: 6'6"/200 lbs

Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

School: Washington State

Year: Junior

Klay Thompson is best 20 point per game scorer you've probably never heard of. One would think that the talented son of a former NBA number one overall draft pick (Mychal Thompson) would have a bigger following from scouts and fans around the country, but that's not the case. The tall wingman hailing from Los Angeles is low-key, quiet, and lets his explosive game do the talking. At Washington State, he is lighting up the conference with his well rounded skill set, and drawing comparisons in the process to former Player of the Year, Evan Turner.

Thompson was unanimously ranked by scouting powers Rivals and Scout as a 4 star recruit coming out of Santa Margarita Catholic High. As a prep senior, the wingman averaged 21 points per game and lead his school to a California Division III state championship. The accolades began to come in fast in furious for Thompson: EA Sports Second Team All America, Divison III State Player of the Year, and League MVP. With so much attention from the media, you would imagine that Thompson's skills would demand the attention of major college hoops programs far and wide. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Michigan was the only storied power to offer him a scholarship, while Washington State, Pepperdine, and Notre Dame tried to get in the mix for the Los Angeles product as well. Thompson didn't have too much to choose from, but in the end Washington State was the pick. Being a Cougar would give him a premier role on the team and an opportunity to shine in the Pac-10.

As a freshman, Thompson started very strong and carried his momentum throughout the season. He was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team, averaging 12.5 points per game while starting all 33 contests. His sophomore year, though, Thompson took his game to another level. He averaged 19.6 points and 5 rebounds a game, while having several simply dominant performances against the opposition. Thompson dropped 43 points on San Diego during a November home game, and 28 against Cal, just to name a few. Performances like these landed him a spot on the All Pac-10 first team.

Looking forward to the upcoming season, Thompson seems to be primed for another dominant stretch. This summer he showed off his game at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron Ohio, impressing many pro scouts and even King James himself. Thompson's a natural scorer, and can shoot the three as well as he can drive the lane. As mentioned before, everything about his game screams "Evan Turner", because of both their abilities to lead an offense at the "point forward" position. Even though Thompson only averaged 2 assists a game this past season, that doesn't reflect how good he was facilitating the Cougars attack. He drew almost all the pressure from opposing defenses, and was not exactly surrounded by elite talent to finish opportunities he created. Despite not being the best athlete, Thompson's ball skills allow him to slip through defenders. On the defensive side of the ball, he is stellar, always staying in front of his man and rarely letting them get wide open.

Scouts now view Klay Thompson as a potential top ten draft pick if he's able to carry the momentum from this summer into the upcoming year. Though not mentioned on many Pre-Season All American Teams, here at NextGen Sports we believe Thompson will crack the first or second team by year's end, and perhaps make a strong case for National Player of the Year in the process.

Link: Klay Thompson posterizes hapless Eastern Washington defender.

-John Stoller