Shenanigans might actually have a point there. And no I'm not talking about Joba Chamberlain starting. I'm talking about the fact that, Hank Steinbrenner, George Steinbrenner and all the other Steinbrenner's need to shut the fuck up. Seriously Hank, all you do is undermine Joe #2 and that is never a good thing for your team. Challenging your coaches decisions, which Hank just did with his assertion that Joba must start now, is just asking for trouble and is just not needed. If I was Joe Girardi I'd be pissed and I would walk into Hank's office and tell him to keep his opinion in house for the sake of the team. PERIOD.
Now that is just my opinion on the situation of Hank Steinbrenner. Moving onto Mr. Chamberlain, I agree that the kid should probably be a starting pitcher. He has a nasty fastball that sits on the 90-95 mph range and as scouts say it has a ton of movement and zip to it. He also has a fairly nasty slider that sits in the 85-90 mph range giving him two solid pitches. He also can command his curveball and a changeup, and his curveball was was his best pitch in college. However since he has been in the major leagues, Chamberlain has relied much more heavily on his fastball and his slider than he has on his curveball or his changeup.
With those two dominate pitches, Joba has become one of the, if not the best, set up men in the major leagues. The kid was awesome last year, and so far has been awesome this year. Last year he threw in 24 innings, giving up only 12 hits, two runs, only 1 earned, and had 34 strike outs. This year, in only 6 innings, he has eight strike outs, given up only 1 run and has only allowed five hits. His stuff is nasty and hitters simply have not been able to figure him out. I understand that he has the potential to be an "ace" in the league. AND that he could probably be that ace within the next year or so. However, the Yankees already have five pitchers, with Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy. So if Joba was installed into the rotation one of those men, most likely Mussina, would have to be removed from it.
Now I don't see a point, in starting 3 rookie pitchers in the same pitching staff at the same time. Mussina isn't what he used to be but he is still a decent starting pitcher. Pettitte is slowing down but again he too is still more than serviceable, and Wang is a very legitimate pitcher with a disgusting sinker that is at times not hittable. I think it makes sense for the Yankees to keep Chamberlain in his current situation. Let him continue to gain confidence in himself as well as his pitches. Let him and Mario Rivera shutdown games for you. Let the two of them continue to dominate the 8th and 9th innings of ballgames and making it almost impossible for a team to beat you with a lead in the end of games. Then next year when Pettitte or Mussina retires you will have an opening in the rotation. Put Joba in then, after he had a full year in the bigs and then watch as he dominates the league.
1 comment:
joba is too good of a shut down set up guy. i'm afraid he throws too hard and will really only get a few good years as a starter (see kerry wood, mark prior). kerry wood was exactly like joba, throws a 95-100 mph fastball, and his curve/sinker was unhittable. now kerry is a solid closer with his nasty stuff. beckett and felix hernandez are the only 2 starters i can think that have a fastball in that range and can throw a curveball that dips 3 ft. joba would be a terrible starter in the long run.
Post a Comment