Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Boos for Hughes' Return

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Boos for Hughes' Return: Boos for Hughes' Return A totally different outcome for Phil Hughes in his return to the Bronx By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 2- ...

Bronx News Sports: Boos for Hughes' Return

Bronx News Sports: Boos for Hughes' Return: Boos for Hughes' Return A totally different outcome for Phil Hughes in his return to the Bronx By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 2- ...

Fordham News: Boos for Hughes' Return

Fordham News: Boos for Hughes' Return: Boos for Hughes' Return A totally different outcome for Phil Hughes in his return to the Bronx By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 2- ...

Highbridge News: Boos for Hughes' Return

Highbridge News: Boos for Hughes' Return: Boos for Hughes' Return A totally different outcome for Phil Hughes in his return to the Bronx By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 2- ...

Boos for Hughes' Return

Boos for Hughes' Return

A totally different outcome for Phil Hughes in his return to the Bronx

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 2- Phil Hughes was booed mildly at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon when his name was announced before the first pitch as the starting pitcher for the visiting Minnesota Twins. He was the second former Yankee starter making a return to the Bronx this season. Fans get one more opportunity to greet and boo Robinson Cano of the Mariners Monday night in the Bronx, a makeup game of an April 30th game that was postponed by rain..

When the Yankees decided to not bring back Hughes, their first round pick in 2004 after seven seasons, where he compiled a 56-50 record with an ERA of 4.53, it was, as they say, all about business. The fly ball pitcher was not fit to pitch at Yankee Stadium after a miserable 4-14 season of 2013 that went with an ERA of 5.19.

But, baseball has become a business. The Twins have a healthy and happy Hughes and it showed Sunday after a masterful eight-inning outing against his former team. The 27-year old right-hander never looked more comfortable on the mound at Yankee Stadium holding his former team to two-runs, three hits, and striking out six.

The Twins with six runs in the ninth inning, including a home run off Yankees closer David Robertson went on to win 7-2, taking the series and Hughes (6-1), won his sixth straight game.

Best part of it, the knock about Hughes was his tendency to throw the home run ball at Yankee Stadium. He was more of a ground out pitcher. After his best outing of the season perhaps the Yankees, with a depleted and injured pitching staff have second thoughts of not bringing him back to the Bronx.

“I had pretty good stuff pretty good fast ball. “Tipped my cap to Larry Rotshchild as I was coming out,” said Hughes about his former pitching coach. "It was a little strange but after the first inning I was hoping I wasn’t walking towards their dugout.”

The fans, he said, by the bullpen area did not give him a Bronx cheer. He also threw a ball to one of them. And as the game went along, Hughes got into a groove after giving up a run in the first inning.

“Got into my game routine and did not think about it,” he commented. “I had pretty good stuff and pretty good fast ball.” The three hits were all consecutive in the fourth inning and then he would retire his final 15 batters.

The obvious question is, did his win in the Bronx have any type of vindication, this after a season of discontent and the Yankees making little effort to bring him back? Though Hughes wasn’t one to show emotion and he showed no change in his demeanor.  

“Doesn’t mean any more,” Hughes said about the win being more significant against the Yankees. He signed a three-year contract with the Twins last December 5th and has been part of a pitching staff that has a combined 4.41 ERA.

He added, “Looking at last year, obvious there was emotion before the game… It was easy. I had a few wandering thoughts as I was warming up. Once I threw the first pitch it was all business. I won four games last year. I know how precious these are.”

In his seven seasons as a Yankee, Hughes' career record at the new Yankee Stadium was 28-21 with a 4.82 ERA and 71 HRs allowed in 356-1/3 innings. The problems of the home run ball also hindered his efforts but the Yankees said it was all about business and nothing to do with his command in their decision to not re-sign him.

“You make pitches in this game you get people out,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire commented about his starter. “What we hoped would happen, happened. He was relaxed. He’s under complete control and moving the ball in and out. He never stopped attacking, made some pitches and that’s what baseball is all about.”

Gardenhire added, “You come back, you want to win…Its baseball. He wanted to come back here and win a game for this baseball team.”

Hughes certainly came back and won a game for his team. The Yankees at this point may be questioning after this return to the Bronx, why did they let Phil Hughes go?

Comment Rich Mancuso: ring786@aol.com  facebook.com/Rich Mancuso  www.newyorksportsexaminer.com  

Highbridge News: Baby Giraffe

Highbridge News: Baby Giraffe: Baby Giraffe Makes his Zoo Debut Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © Wildlife Conservation Society BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 29- A mal...

Baby Giraffe

Baby Giraffe Makes his Zoo Debut

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © Wildlife Conservation Society

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 29- A male Baringo giraffe calf is one of the newest animals at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.

The young giraffe was born during the winter and lives in the zoo’s African Plains exhibit.

The giraffe’s mother is Margaret Sukari, and the father is James Michael. The Bronx Zoo names all of its giraffes in memory of Mr. and Mrs. James Carter, benefactors for whom the Carter Giraffe Building is named.

Newborn giraffes are approximately six feet tall at birth and can weigh more than 100 pounds. As adults, they can be more than 17 feet tall and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. Giraffes are the tallest animal in the world and have an 18-inch-long tongue that they use to grasp branches and pull leaves from trees.

The gestation period for a giraffe is 14 to 14.5 months. The newborn calf stands and starts walking within the first couple of hours of birth. The calf will nurse for approximately one year, but will begin eating some solid food at three months old.  Eventually it will transition to a diet of leaves, alfalfa, hay, kale, pelleted grain, and other produce.

Giraffes are native to grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands in central, east, and southern Africa. The Baringo giraffe (aka Rothschild’s giraffe) is found in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. While some populations are still robust, the overall population is declining. The Wildlife Conservation Society works across the globe and throughout the giraffe’s African range to save wildlife and wild places. WCS is working to protect giraffes in key African landscapes like Zakouma, Chad, Murchison Falls, Uganda, and in the Sahel of South Sudan.

To plan your trip, visit bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.