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Burnett blames Yankees for tinkering

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08:11 AM ET 02.22 | Russell Martin suggested that A.J. Burnett may have listened to too many influences during his Yankees days, something the pitcher conceded Tuesday. Burnett the Pirate took some blame for his failures with the Yankees yesterday at Pirate City, but also said he may have let too many people in pinstripes mess with his mechanics. "Without getting too far into it," Burnett explained, "I would just say I let a few too many people tinker with me and when you let that happen, you get out there, you start doubting yourself sometimes." ... [Dave Eiland and Larry Rothschild] tried their best to get Burnett straightened out on the mound -- with input from Joe Girardi but, in the end, for Burnett, it was too much tinkering.

New York Post

A.J. Burnett, Getty Images A.J. Burnett, Getty Images
February 22, 2012  08:42 AM ET

Strange that a teammate would say this about a pitcher. Also, given the photo, Burnett's highlight in NY was giving someone a creampie to the face.

February 22, 2012  08:44 AM ET

You don't even want to know what Cashman did to Burnett.

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February 22, 2012  09:20 AM ET

The Yankees obviously ruined him....be was a decent pitcher before arriving in the Yankee organization...I mean they must have saw something they liked to sign him to all that $$$...

February 22, 2012  09:22 AM ET

Solid bounceback year for Burnett in the weaker hitting NL, especially the NL Central with the departures of two of their best hitters and a 3rd likely out for 50 games.

February 22, 2012  09:32 AM ET
QUOTE(#4):

The Yankees obviously ruined him....be was a decent pitcher before arriving in the Yankee organization...I mean they must have saw something they liked to sign him to all that $$$...

Outside of his final season with Toronto where he won 18 games, he's never won more than 12 in his previous 9 seasons. He has always been a guy with great stuff who could never quite put it together on a consistent basis. That was true in Florida, Toronto, and New York. To say NY ruined him is nothing but an excuse.

February 22, 2012  09:33 AM ET

Yankees blame Burnett for underperforming

February 22, 2012  09:49 AM ET
QUOTE(#4):

The Yankees obviously ruined him....be was a decent pitcher before arriving in the Yankee organization...I mean they must have saw something they liked to sign him to all that $$$...

AJ has always been a mediocre pitcher. The only team he was good against was the Yankees. 121-111 with a 4.1 era. Why they went after him was they thought he was a better pitcher and that he lost games because the Blue Jays were that bad.

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February 22, 2012  09:59 AM ET

The content of the article is old news. The title of this T&R piece is designed to elicit a reaction. What-ever... it's ancient history.

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February 22, 2012  10:05 AM ET
QUOTE(#6):

Outside of his final season with Toronto where he won 18 games, he's never won more than 12 in his previous 9 seasons. He has always been a guy with great stuff who could never quite put it together on a consistent basis. That was true in Florida, Toronto, and New York. To say NY ruined him is nothing but an excuse.

games won in your measuring stick? His last season in Toronto he had his highest ERA and WHIP with the Jays. His middle season with the Jays was his best season, 3.75 ERA and a 9.6 K's per 9 IP, 1.19 WHIP and a .214 opponent BA. Problem was he didn't duplicate those stats again.

February 22, 2012  10:10 AM ET
QUOTE(#9):

And it begins......Obviously AJ just doesnt get it. He was a total flame out, one of the worst FA signings of the last decade. He should be happy he is out of NY and in a less intensive environment. Just shut up dude!

Total flame out? 2009? He was solid. If you want a total flame out, look at Carl Pavano's time with the Yankees. Lowest seasonal ERA was 4.76 with the Yankees and he pitched 146 innings in 3 seasons.

February 22, 2012  10:13 AM ET
QUOTE(#12):

Man up and fully admit it. Though he did say some of it was his fault by letting it happen...

Actually he never implied it was the "fault" of the Yankees as the title of the article suggests.

Bad journalism... but it elicits the response they want.

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