Rothschild Leaves Cubs for Yankees

By Gabriela Moore
Nov 20 2010

The New York Yankees announced today that Larry Rothschild, the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs, would join the team for the next season.

This is a complete surprise to many in the MLB industry but for Rothschild it is a step in the right direction.

He had already expressed interest in working for a team that took their spring training closer to his home in Florida. That team is the New York Yankees.

Rothschild was not even listed on the outline of pitching coaches that the Yankees were said to be keeping. However, Rothschild, according to the statement released by the team owners, is everything that they need in a pitching coach.

He served as pitching coach for two World Series teams and also worked with some of the most difficult players in the league.

One of those difficult players was Carlos Zambrano. While Zambrano is known to have one of the best arms in the league, he was also just as well known for his hair-trigger temper.

He was suspended countless times for arguing with the umpires. During one fit of rage he was pulled from the team and ordered to undergo counseling after destroying a cooler in the dugout and getting into an altercation with another player.

Rothschild brings the needed stability to the Yankees. His first project will be AJ Burnett, a pitcher much like Zambrano, who has a lot of talent and skill on the mound but struggles with control and temper issues.