Girardi: A.J. will bounce back
January, 19, 2011
1/19/11
2:22
PM ET
By
Wallace Matthews | ESPNNewYork.com
Count Joe Girardi among the believers. The Yankee manager, an avowed "positive thinker,'' sounded absolutely positive A.J. Burnett will rebound from his horrendous 2010 season (10-15, 5.26 ERA) and be a valuable part of the 2011 Yankees rotation.
"I think A.J. is a competitor,'' Girardi said. "I think he really cares. I think he knows the importance of when he goes out there every fifth day, how important it is to our club. I think he understands it. He was frustrated last year, there's no doubt about it.''
Girardi said Burnett "has spoken'' with new pitching coach Larry Rothschild but it was unclear whether the two have done anything more than just talk so far. "I just really think A.J. is going to have a bounceback year, I do,'' he said. "But I tend to look at the positive side of things.''
"I think A.J. is a competitor,'' Girardi said. "I think he really cares. I think he knows the importance of when he goes out there every fifth day, how important it is to our club. I think he understands it. He was frustrated last year, there's no doubt about it.''
Girardi said Burnett "has spoken'' with new pitching coach Larry Rothschild but it was unclear whether the two have done anything more than just talk so far. "I just really think A.J. is going to have a bounceback year, I do,'' he said. "But I tend to look at the positive side of things.''
Wallace Matthews
ESPNNewYork.comWallace Matthews has covered New York sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com after working for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and 1050 ESPN New York.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Wallace Matthews
Wallace Matthews has covered NY sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He joins ESPNNewYork to cover the Yankees, which he's done since the days of Stump Merrill for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and ESPN 1050.
Andrew Marchand
Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork.com. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, 1050 ESPN New York and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years as a sports writer at the New York Post.
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