Happ: No excuses for his lousy 2019
TAMPA — J.A. Happ heard all the rumors this winter. The veteran lefty, clearly frustrated by a 2019 season that was one of the worst of his 13-year major league career, made that clear when he reached out to his former Pirate teammate Gerrit Cole to welcome him to the Yankees.
“I sent him a message right away saying, ‘I hope we’ll be teammates again,’” Happ said with a laugh. “Obviously, congratulations to him. I think obviously, we’re excited to have him. Anybody would be excited to have a guy like that on your staff. But you know, we’re here now. Hopefully we’ll move forward from that talk.”
Happ made it clear on Friday that he wanted another season with the Yankees and he is “planning on being better,” than in 2019.
“Yeah, it’s exciting to be back and this is the place I’d like to be for sure,” Happ said before the Yankees pitchers and catchers worked out at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
He also made that clear to Yankees GM Brian Cashman this winter when he had a talk with them about the rumors he could be gone. With his time in the big leagues and having played for six different teams, Happ knows that there are no guarantees in the business of baseball, but he could read the situation.
His role, in question last September, was made clearer this offseason when Domingo German was dealt a suspension for violating the MLB and MLBPA joint domestic violence policy that will reach more than two months into the season and then James Paxton had to undergo back surgery.
“I don’t think I felt one way or another. I was just preparing regardless, so I understand that that’s kind of the nature of the business,” Happ said. “But I’m certainly happy I’m here.”
In reality, Happ has been here the whole time. With a home in Clearwater, Happ was at the Yankees complex pretty much from the end of last season trying to figure out how to adapt for the 2020 season. Happ was stung by baseballs that were more lively in 2019 than any previous year. Happ pitched to a 4.91 ERA in 30 starts and one appearance out of the bullpen. He struck out 140.
Happ allowed a careerhigh 34 home runs in 161.1 innings pitched during a season that saw big league hitters crush a record-busting 6,776 homers overall.
MLB issued a 27-page report that admitted that “inconsistent seam heights,” on the balls contributed to the offensive explosion in 2019.
Happ said he was aware of the report, but not using it as a crutch.
“That’s just a hard thing to say. I don’t like to make excuses. So I think any answer other than I need to be better, it’s not the right answer. I do need to be better and I plan on being better,” Happ said. “But to the effect that that report came out and affected a lot of players, not just myself, that was disappointing. But it sort of is what it is and we try to move forward from it, I think,”