Joba Chamberlain, eighth inning wonder, turned into an ordinary 22 year old pitcher tonight in his starting debut at Yankee Stadium. Much as I dislike The Yankees, I’ve got to admit that Joba will probably be better in his next start or maybe the one after that.
Joba seems like the real deal. He’s got a great backstory. He’s done everything that the Yanks have asked of him and done it well. That is, until tonight. Tonight, he was more Ian Kennedy or Phil Hughes than Whitey Ford or Ron Guidry.
For his failure tonight, in which he lasted all of two and third innings while struggling with his control throughout, I blame Bronx management. The kid should never have been put in this position.
First, the Yankees had a choice of making his starting debut happen on the road (I think in the relative quiet of Minnesota) or at home, where it was sure to come off as a rock show. Unfortunately for Chamberlain, the Yankees decided on a Bronx premiere and he was the one who got rocked.
Someone on the Yankees should have taken a moment to realize that the guy was going to be all sorts of pumped for his first start at home. From the little we’ve seen, it’s clear Joba runs on emotion. Usually, those emotional outbursts help him perform well. Tonight, those emotions came back to bite him and he couldn’t get himself or his pitches under control.
Second and perhaps the biggest error of all in dealing with Joba is that all this should have been taken care of in spring training. The Yankees should have stretched his arm out then so he could have started the season as a starter and felt confident in his ability to succeed.
Instead, the Yanks wanted it both ways. Joba as both an eighth inning stopper and starting rotation savior should the other kids or shakey vets break down. Now, they’re left with a guy on a pitch count who the opposition will wait out and whose confidence will certainly suffer. Joba may become a great starter before all is said and done, but his road just got a little harder tonight.
Hmmmm….
Remind me again as both a Red Sox and Mets fan why I’m complaining?
Thanks, Hank!
