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Yanks' Hughes has R.I. roots |
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Thursday, 04 September 2008 |
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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer PAWTUCKET – The memories might be fuzzy, but there are still parts Phil Hughes, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees pitcher, can recall from his vacation trips to Lincoln.
Not Lincoln as in where the University of Nebraska is located. Rather the same Lincoln that’s up the street from McCoy Stadium. Raised a California boy, Hughes always made it a point to fly across the country to visit his grandmother, Gertrude Brennan. Hughes’ father hails from New England, so naturally he passed the gift of being a Red Sox fan off to his son.
“I was pretty young at the time, but I knew the neighborhood,” said Hughes. “Sometimes my sister would come. Usually though I would come out by myself. Sometimes they were during Christmas break but mostly they were during the summer.”
Hughes’ excursions included taking in games at McCoy Stadium and Fenway Park. The Ocean State stays also included day trips to the beaches in South County.
“It’s kind of the small things that you remember as a kid,” said Hughes. “but they’re faint memories because they happened so long ago.”
Hughes’ grandma passed away when he was 15. He returned to McCoy for the first time as a professional last season. Last month saw the 22-year-old start a game here, limiting the PawSox to two runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Asked if he’s been afforded the opportunity to reconnect with his childhood roots, Hughes said McCoy is the only scenery he’s taken in. “We don’t have the transportation means to venture around.”
Lost in the trip down memory is the fact Hughes is currently pitching for the Junior Yankees instead of the big boys from the Bronx. Hughes was one the young arms New York was counting on coming into the season, but injuries (Hughes is currently listed on the 60-day disabled list) and inconsistencies (zero wins in six starts and an ERA of nine) turned a promising campaign upside down.
“The season has been a little bit of everything. All you can take are the positives,” said Hughes. “You’ve got to put the (adversity) behind you and focus on what you can do from this point on.”
Monday was the first day major league teams could add recruits from the minors. New York, like Boston, chose to let their Triple-A affiliates remain largely intact. Scranton’s roster included five starting pitchers – Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, and Victor Zambrano – who have service time the bigs. The most notable name from a position player standpoint is Melky Cabrera, who was optioned to the minors last month.
“We know we have a good team and have as good a shot as anyone to come away (with the Governors’ Cup title),” said Hughes. “We’ve got to play well when it matters.”
Should the need for a fourth game between the PawSox and Yankees arise, Hughes would get the start. He still holds out hope of returning to the parent club before the season is over.
“That’s the goal, but we’ll see what happens,” said Hughes, who mentioned he’s heading to the Arizona Fall League.
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Thanks to the compliment paid by Michael Bowden, Adam Mills is off to a good start with his new team. Mills is slated to pitch Friday for Pawtucket when the series shifts to Scranton. An eighth round pick from 2007, Mills made 26 starts between Single-A Lancaster and Portland.
Bowden and Mills were teammates awhile in Portland this season, so when Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson went to solicit an opinion on the newest PawSox, he knew exactly where to turn.
“Just watching him in spring training and Portland, he throws five pitches and they’re all for strikes. You can’t ask for much more,” said Bowden, who is scheduled to follow Mills with a two-inning relief stint. “He usually works fast so there’s a good tempo.”
The scouting report on Mills is that he’s a groundball pitcher who keeps his defense on its toes. Mills’ record is 7-9 with a respectable 4.24 ERA. He compiled a 0-5 record in 11 starts with the Sea Dogs.
“I’m a control guy. I don’t throw 95 but I have movement,” said Mills. “One good think about being (quick to the plate) is that you keep the defense involved.”
Mills reflected on Pawtucket being the third minor-league level he’s scaled this season. “It’s very unexpected. I thought I would start out in (Class A) Greenville and hopefully work hard and get to Lancaster,” said Mills. “That’s not what happened, but I’d rather it happen this way.”
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 13 September 2008 )
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