Am I the only Yankee fan that thinks Chan Ho Park sucks? Probably not. I can’t be the only fan that gets that feeling of agita when he comes out of the bullpen. Usually it’s because my boys are either losing, or are about to lose because I know Chan Ho Park is going to surrender runs. It’s reminiscent of a feeling I used to get a few years back whenever Kyle Farnsworth would enter the game. It made me even more crazy that such an intimidating guy—with a 100-mph fastball to boot—couldn’t keep his team in the game by getting the necessary outs. I believe my fellow Yankee fans and I received a bit of foreshadowing on Opening Day when Chan Ho relinquished the lead to the Red Sux. (No—that is not a typo.) He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, earning the loss and losing whatever faith we-Yankee-fans might have had in him.
Park was so bad right off the bat giving up 12 runs in his first 10 appearances as a member of the Yanks. Now we’re halfway through the season, and it’s just too hard to defend a guy with an ERA just under 6. In his 30.1 innings pitched, Park has given up 21 runs. Opponents are batting .282 against him; that’s just way too high for my liking. As a reliever, what kind of “relief” is this guy really providing me? He has had ample opportunity to redeem himself, since Girardi keeps throwing him out there. He has not delivered, and with the trade deadline so close, I think changes need to be made.
I think I’m pretty fair, and I’ll give credit where credit is due. Chan Ho had a good season for Philly last year, along with other winning seasons. Over Park’s 16-year career so far, he has only finished 3 seasons with a losing record. But then again…this is New York. Some guys simply cannot play here—and if you can’t play here than DON’T play here. You know what else really makes me cringe as a Yankee fan and a New Yorker? Chan Ho Park has been quoted saying “I don’t think I’m struggling”, on multiple occasions. Again I must return to: this is New York. If you can’t be honest here, where will you then? I can respect a guy who knows and admits when they suck (ahem…AJ Burnett). I think it is time for Park and the Yankees to go their separate ways.
Some may think I’m being a little harsh on Chan Ho. Well if he stays in New York continuing to pitch the way he has so far, the New York media will chew him up and spit him out way worse than I ever could. However, I will recognize the fact that the Yankee bullpen as a whole has been ineffective—for lack of a crueler word. With Alfredo Aceves and Damaso Marte on the DL, the only reliable force has been the immortal Mariano Rivera. Everyone else has been or been less than mediocre. Chan Ho Park needed to be singled out because he seems to give up runs when they actually matter. And as a true baseball fan, that uneasy feeling I get when he comes in the game is my gut instinct telling me this: he sucks.
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My sentiments on Chan Ho are identical to your analogy regarding Farnsworth; he’s giving up at least one run if he’s coming in during a close game. Javier Vazquez is also on this list for me, as he 100% cannot be counted on for any important pitching performances in a Yankee uniform (flashback to 2004, ugh). As you said before, some players can handle the Bronx Zoo and some can’t. Chan Ho Park and Javy Vazquez cannot. If Joba can get his sorry act together, maybe the 2nd half won’t be as I think it will.
be as bad*