<![CDATA[Phil Hughes shocked by Yankees Old-Timers’ Day invite: ‘I’m 33’]]> https://usagag.com/2020/03/19/phil-hughes-shocked-by-yankees-old-timers-day-invite-im-33/ Thu, 19 Mar 2020 06:00:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://usagag.com Phil Hughes shocked by Yankees Old-Timers’ Day invite: ‘I’m 33’ Former Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes could not have been more surprised by what was in his mail, and he didn’t waste any time revealing it to his Twitter followers.

It was an invitation by the Yankees to attend Old Timers’ Day on Aug. 9.

“Really guys? I’m 33,” Hughes tweeted on Wednesday.

Hughes, who retired in 2018 after a short stint with the San Diego Padres, may be one of the youngest players to be invited to the annual event. Yet the Yankees’ 2004 first-round pick made enough of an impression to get the chance to suit up alongside Yankees legends.

He began his career as a starter in 2007, but first made an impact out of the bullpen in 2009 as a setup man to Mariano Rivera. Hughts’ 8-3 record with 96 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched helped the Yankees win their last World Series that same season. Hughes switched to become a starter in 2010 and was named to the All-Star team, as he finished with a career-best 18-8 record.

Arm and back injuries the next few years halted Hughes from consistently returning to his 2010 form and he left for Minnesota in 2014 on a three-year deal. He rebounded to compile a 16-10 record that season but further injuries would eventually put a halt to his career.

Hughes has kept himself busy since retiring from baseball, raising a family with wife Sarah and child Harrison while professing his love of baseball cards and other things on his ‘Phil’s Pulls’ YouTube page.

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