Joba Shuts Up Critics

Joba Chamberlain effectively shut up all of his critics after another good performance as starter for the Yankees. Who said that moving him to the rotation would be a bad idea? There were plenty, but for now all we will hear from them on the issue is silence. Joba has effectively transitioned to the starting role and I think even his harshest critics now realize that this kid is really something spectacular. And the dominance is only beginning…

Last night’s game was the first in which the Nebraska native didn’t have a pitch count limitation. Without the restriction he will have one less thing on his mind and he will be able to concentrate more on doing what he does best: pitching well. The match against the Pirates also helped Joba get his first win as a starter, another hurdle which he no longer needs to be questioned or worried about.

In his five starts for the Yankees, Joba has been phenomenal, with a 2.03 ERA since he moved up and 26 Ks in 25 innings pitched. He has regularly hit 99 mph on the radar gun and his control seems to be back after a shaky first couple of starts. That’s really a small issue though, considering that it takes time for relievers to ease into a starting role, and such issues are ordinary. As time passes we can expect Chamberlain to get even more comfortable, but I don’t know if the stats can really get any better because they have already been simply amazing. His bb/ip ratio is sure to go down, the only reason it being a bit high is because of the aforementioned transitional side-effects.

Simply put, Joba Chamberlain is going to be one heck of a pitcher for the Yankees. We all knew it would happen, but seeing it actually happen is a lot more than just speculating about it. For the Yankees he will be a potent weapon and for our opponents a nightmare. We are on the verge of an exciting era in Yankee baseball. I for one can’t wait for his future starts.

Ponson Back With Yanks

The Yankees have re-signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract in an attempt to add some depth to the pitching staff after the Wang injury. Ponson was released by the Rangers on Monday for being a disruption to the team due to his off-field problems. It’ll be nice if he can put all that behind him because other than that he was pretty good for Texas thus far this year. He was 4-1 with an ERA under 4, and if he can keep that up he may turn out to be a great option for us while Wang is out.

Currently the pitcher is being sent to Scranton where he will likely make a start or two. Brian Cashman made it clear that Ponson was starting in the minors to make his way into the bigs. He will probably be called up in a few days to start in the bigs, perhaps against the Mets on Friday (in one of the doubleheader games.)

Griffey’s 600th

Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Sammy Sosa. What do all of these players have in common? They all hit atleast 600 home runs in their major league careers. The league has been around for over a century and we have only had five individuals hit 600. They played in different eras with different circumstances, but they all did it.

Ken Griffey Jr. is currently one home run away from joining the exclusive 600 home run club. He is on the verge of completing one of the toughest feats in baseball, yet the chase to 600 has been quieter than ever before. The media hasn’t followed the chase as closely as they recently did with Bonds and Sosa and because of that the feeling of something historical happening just isn’t there. Adam Dunn recently expressed his unhappiness with the situation saying, “I don’t get it, don’t get why people aren’t stoked about it. I can’t find a word for it, how bad it is.”

I for one, completely agree with Dunn. Ken Griffey Jr. deserves more attention than what he is getting. So why isn’t he getting the glamor he should be getting? There are a few reasons behind this, starting with Griffey’s character. The Reds’ star is a very modest and uncontroversial guy. He is genuinely just a good person. He never speaks out, he never does anything bad, he just keeps playing the game that he loves. Sadly, it is controversy that creates buzz in this modern world of celebrities going to rehab and Ozzie Guillen ranting about how he doesn’t like the GM. Griffey just doesn’t create controversy.

Maybe the reason for the lack of coverage also has to do with Griffey’s slowdown in recent years. It has been four years since he hit 500 and the chase for 600 has gone on for a bit more than some expected. I don’t think that should be an excuse though because at the end of the day he has still done it.

Griffey deserves to be treated just like those who hit 600 prior to him. He deserves to have more people talking about him and praising him. So why don’t we? As baseball fans I think that we should all be excited for this historical happening, regardless of what team we root for. Don’t you think he deserves the credit for such an extraordinary task? For those of you who have blogs or websites about baseball, take a moment to write about Griffey and commemorate him on this wonderful achievement. This is really a rare happening and we can’t forget that.

It’s All About Joba

A little under four hours. That is how much time is left until Joba Chamberlain makes his first major league start! Expectations are high as fans all around the Yankee universe anticipate the event. It will certainly be one for the ages, as Chamberlain is expected to become a great starter. We must still remember that he is still being built-up to the position though, still having the 65-70 pitch limit. Success may not come immediately, as Joba will have to get situated with his new role. but looking at the way Joba moved into the majors, it certainly seems plausible. Hank Steinbrenner is out and about speaking of the young phenom once more and again saying that he thinks Joba should’ve started the year in the rotation. He doesn’t understand the importance of pitch counts yet (which has caused some minor uproar), but his intentions are good. Here is a quotation from the man himself:

“This is about what Joba can do for us over the next 10 years. That’s what we’re going to look at in a lot of way, with the new dynasty, hopefully, we can build.”

It sure is about the future. Let’s watch and see as Joba plays in what will hopefully be the start of a long and illustrious career as start for the New York Yankees.

Ensberg Out, Patterson In

With Joba moving up to the rotation and the bullpen drained last night, the Yankees are focusing on bringing in some more relief support. Scott Patterson has been called up from Scranton, where he recorded three saves, a win, and a 3.04 ERA in 22 games. It is really no surprise that he was called up because without Joba the Yanks will need some extra bullpen help and Patterson was the best candidate from spring training who was cut.

So with adding a man to the roster comes removing another. Morgan Ensberg is that man. The Yankees designated him for assignment today, knowing that they don’t really need him much with Betitmet and Duncan on the roster already.

Joba Set To Go

Well, the wait is finally over… officially. Joba Chamberlain is set to make his first start with the Yankees on Tuesday. He will go up against the Blue Jays and limited to somewhere around 65-70 pitches. He is expected to gradually make his way up to 100 pitches/game, moving up by 15 or so each game. Joe Girardi got everything ironed out with Cashman and management and everyone is on the same page. Now, it is time to wait and see what our young star can really do.