Via Pete Abe, comes Sam Borden's in-depth profile of Phil Hughes, a righthanded pitcher scouts fell in love with last year and Yankee fans begin to worship today. Borden's piece is an extensive look into the pitcher's personality, drive and humble beginnings.
Here are a few tidbits I found interesting:
Shortly after Hughes was drafted in 2004, the Yankees invited him to throw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium before an interleague game.
Hughes was so focused that when pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre told him not to pay any attention to the catcalls coming from nearby Dodgers fans, Hughes replied that he hadn't even noticed there was anyone booing at all. This impressed Stottlemyre and manager Joe Torre, and the incident became a go-to anecdote for the two men when they were asked about Hughes in the future. He was so mature, even at 18, they would say.
And, on Hughes as a high schooler deciding to bypass college to turn pro:
"I was so against it," she said of Hughes turning down a full scholarship to Santa Clara so he could enter the major-league draft. "I remember we were at a game somewhere when PJ was in high school, and the field had a radar gun and one of those boards that showed how fast he was throwing. He threw the ball, and it said 100 mph, and right after that happened, one of the scouts who was there came up to me and said, 'Well, Mom, he won't be going to college.'
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