Denny Neagle had just given up a two-run homer to Detroit’s Deivi Cruz in a start Sept. 22. The inning was over and he was heading up the runway to the Yankees clubhouse.
Neagle ran into the video room to watch the at-bat over and over. “I was so ticked at myself,” Neagle said. “My head was spinning. I just kept thinking, `I’ve got to make adjustments.”‘
Neagle (7-6) began September with three straight wins, but after Wednesday’s loss he has been smacked around in his last three starts, allowing 15 hits and 18 runs in just 10 2/3. In the sour stretch, Neagle’s ERA has swelled from 4.39 to 5.66.
“I’m trying not to adjust too much,” Neagle said. “I couldn’t throw a strike [against Detroit] after I did (adjust) and I was just doing a bunch of things that just weren’t me.
“Adjusting is what your bullpen day is for. When you cross the white lines, you shouldn’t be making them. I’ve talked to hitters, like (Paul) O’Neill, about constantly tweaking when you’re not going well and he said that’s usually when slumps get worse. I talked to Coney (David Cone) about it too and he said he’s been doing the same thing all year, constantly adjusting.”
Neagle said he feels he’s been searching for too many quick fixes to his problems, which have mostly come when he’s pitching from the stretch position. He says he speeds up his windup with runners on base, which leads to him leaving pitches out over the plate.
Neagle planned to throw briefly in the bullpen and concentrate solely on throwing from the stretch.
“You try to take a page out of the books of some of the guys you’ve played with and I always watched (Greg) Maddux when I was with the Braves,” Neagle said. “Any time he throws his bullpen session, he throws out of the stretch. He always said that you get tense when there are guys on base, so he’s always working on it.
“That’s why he’s so good. He’s always relaxed in the stretch.”
Neagle was asked if his pending contract talks have become a distraction. His agent, Barry Meister, met with GM Brian Cashman last week to begin discussions.
“It hasn’t been anything that’s bothered me,” said Neagle, who said in July that he’s seeking a deal comparable to the $36 million over four years Brad Radke got from the Twins. “I’ll worry about it when the season’s over. There’s no rush.”
More Top Picks How To Choose A Tutor For A Child With Dyslexia
Neagle had said he wanted a solid start in his final outing of the regular season, but instead was the loser as the Yankees lost to Tampa Bay 11-1.
The struggle continues.