Yanks' Kennedy has company

Yankees' prodigy Ian Kennedy was drafted in 2006 and rushed through the minors in 2007. His success in Tampa, Trenton and Scranton vaulted him to the Bronx. He displayed confidence not normally found in a neophyte.

Here's an excerpt from MLB, dated June 2006: "Kennedy has never been to New York, but he plans to get a first-hand look at Yankee Stadium in the near future.
As for his timetable to reach the Majors, Kennedy will leave that decision to the Yankees, but he plans on working as hard as he can in order to make the ascension through the Minors at a speedy pace.
"I'm just going to try to do what I know I can do, which is pitch," he said. "If they want to bring me up fast, that's fine. It's their decision, though obviously I would like to make it there quick." Be careful what you wish for.

That was than; this is now. Ian Kennedy is back in Scranton, licking his wounds after an early exit from the Big Apple. What happened? The search begins on the diamond: control, mechanics, fear of contact all the usual suspects. The list doesn't tell the whole story.

There is a long list of pitchers who couldn't handle New York City. Mike Mussina is an exception, let's hear from the Moose, "You can read about it; You can talk to other players who have been through it; You can tell yourself a thousand times that you can handle it. There is no way to walk into that atmosphere on a daily basis and be prepared for it and most important, accept it. You can't fight it. Every guy who has tried to fight it has failed."-- John Feinstein, Living on the Black.( A stark example of a failed Gotham fighter is Randy Johnson. The image of the Big Unit pushing a camera out of his way foretold an ominous story.)

Ian Kennedy's brief debut on the big stage taught him a lesson--if it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger. Time will tell if he's strong enough to survive.