Hughes Down, Miller Out

So the other day we’re talking about Philip Hughes’ delivery. Then Hughes is on his way to tossing a no-no for the Yankees but is forced from the game due to injury. Then he’s out 4-6 weeks due to a strained left hamstring. Now strength coach Marty Miller has been fired.

You with me? Good.

Quoth Yankees GM Brian Cashman: “It got to the point where the perception is there’s a problem here.”

Well, yeah, I guess I can see that. The thing is, Hughes isn’t the only guy on the team to hurt his hammy this year. He’s just the latest in a long line that includes Hideki Matsui, Chien-Ming Wang, and Mike Mussina.

Well, Mussina is real old, so we’ll cut some slack there. But what about the others? Is there a pattern here, or is this just coincidence? I’ll bet Cashman has an opinion:

They’re all different. It’s tough to see if there’s a common denominator. Is it based on our strength and conditioning program? I would not say that’s the case.

So we’re back to perception. What could that mean? Ah, here’s a clue at the very end of the article:

Miller, 34, was unpopular with some players, and several opted out of his program. Miller had not worked in baseball for 10 years before Cashman hired him last winter. His previous job was director of fitness at the Ballen Isles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

That last bit about the country club isn’t terribly relevant, but I am easily amused at the type of detail that often shows up in these items. Really, and what color were his socks?

Anyway, the only bit of advice I have for the Yankees — not that they should care — is that they might want to rethink the title of the person who replaces Miller. Because when it comes to perception, I’m not sure you can do much worse than “director of performance enhancement.”

I’m just sayin’…