Once again, Phil Hughes has become Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack

Remember when Phil Hughes was the Yankees solid #2 starter?
It seems a lot longer ago than last summer, doesn't it?

He was so bad in the second half of last year and in the playoffs that some people thought that maybe he wasn't all he was cracked up to be.

He has been godawful this year. So bad that the Yankees have put him on the disabled list, even though it isn't 100% clear why.

Chris DeLuca, creator of What Sucks, wrote on his Twitter page:

Breaking: Yankee doctors about to diagnose Phil Hughes with "sucking".

It's funny and it is also familiar.

I wrote about the same thing happening in 2008.

Hughes was pitching awfully for the Yankees and suddenly he was on the disabled list with what looked like a case of the "We can't send him to the minors because we'll look stupid for not including him in a trade for Johan Santana" syndrome.

Cut to 2011 and he has the "This will make it look even worse that we couldn't sign Cliff Lee and Phil Hughes sucks"-itis.

2 times in four years Hughes has been so bad that they had to shove him on the DL.
So if you are keeping score, he has one mediocre year in the bigs (2007, his rookie year.)

He has one good year as a set up man (2009, his World Series year.)

Half a year as an All Star starter (2010.)
Half a year where he was a below average starter (2010.)

And two seasons where he simply didn't look like a big leaguer (2008 and 2011.)

The ace half year could have been a Dontrelle Willis level fluke.

Meanwhile he is going on the DL after once again reenacting the "Ow My Arm!" scene form Caddyshack.

Rodney Dangerfield IS Phillip Hughes

So the Yankees phenom Phil Hughes has stunk so far this season.

Nothing to be alarmed about... a lot of terrific pitchers start off horribly.
Greg Maddux finished up his rookie status with an 8-18 mark and a 5.59 ERA.

Between Tom Glavine's debut in August of 1987 and the end of the 1988 season, he compiled a 9-21 record and a 4.76 ERA.

And not to let their parter in titles get away Scott free... John Smoltz started his career 2-7 with a 5.48 ERA.

All three are going to the Hall of Fame.

Who knows if Hughes will join them, but right now he seems like a guy who is overwhelmed by the pressure and is 0-4 record with a 9.00 ERA and allowing 34 hits and 13 walks in 22 innings (less than 4 innings a start).

The Yankees have only 2 options:

1. Stick with him and gut it out and say "Hey, it's a transition year. There's nothing left for him to do in the minors. These are growing pains."

or

2. Send him to the minors to get his confidence back and to take him out of the glare. He WILL be an ace... he's just not ready yet.

Well, of course I forgot the third option... the Joe Borowski option.

Pretend he is hurt!
Yeah... that's it.
They aren't sending him down... that would make Prince Hank Steinbrenner even more angry that the Yankees didn't send Hughes to Minnesota for Johan Santana.

We didn't rush him up... he's hurt. Yeah, that's the ticket.

When I read he was being sent down (a day after saying he felt fine) all I could think of was the scene in Caddyshack when Rodney had the ball hit him on the arm while he was playing lousy. I almost expected Hughes to pause awkwardly and say "Ow my arm!"