Could the Bronx be Too Much for A.J. Burnett?

Playing baseball in New York is different than playing in any other city in the country. The sheer amount of media and attention players get has the affect of building a player to greatness or tearing him down to nothing. We’ve seen common veterans like David Wells pitch a perfect game. We've seen Paul O’Neill, a corner outfielder who previously had about a .260 career batting average, win a batting title and lead the team to greatness. We’ve also seen Ed Whitson, Kenny Rogers, Jeff Weaver, Javier Vazquez, and Carl Pavano—pitchers with good track records and great potential—come in here and wither in the heat. Now Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says that the only thing the Yankees need to worry about now is that same pressure that got to some of the top pitchers in the game getting to AJ Burnett. “That’s the only thing you don’t know. New York is different from any other place to play,” Gibbons, an ex-Met catcher, told the New York Post.  ... (link)