Girardi: Joba Starts In Pen

Joe Girardi finally declared what we already knew months ago, that Joba Chamberlain will begin the season in the bullpen:

Joe Girardi said just a few minutes ago that RHP Joba Chamberlain would open the season in the bullpen.

He left open the possibility that Chamberlain will move into the rotation later this season. “His future will be as a starter,” Girardi said.

Chamberlain will pitch in relief against Toronto tomorrow and again on Saturday. Ian Kennedy will start against the Blue Jays, a sign that he has nailed down the No. 5 starter job.

There will be no Joba Rules. Chamberlain can be used for multiple innings and on consecutive days. “It will be common sense,” Girardi said.

Some Old Joba News

Joba Chamberlain will start the year in the bullpen. I thought we all came to this realization months ago?

With less than two weeks remaining before the Yankees break camp, Joba Chamberlain believes that he will begin the year in New York's bullpen.

"You stretch your innings out and you go from five or six [innings] to one or two, and it's a little bit easier to go that way," Chamberlain said. "It's good. My arm strength is good, and I felt loose in my last outing. I'm looking forward to getting to New York."

"It's a long Spring Training and a lot of things can happen. I knew the situation of what was going to happen. I was hoping everybody would stay healthy and I'd get the chance to do whatever they had set for me."

On potentially joining the starting rotation midseason:

"We'll cross that bridge if it comes," Chamberlain said. "It's one of those things you can say, but until you're put in that situation, you don't know. I think if that comes about, we'll have to sit down and talk about it, but right now we'll just take it one day at a time.

"You can do anything you set your mind to. You've got to be patient. That's kind of the hardest part, just being patient with what's going on, and not get overanxious and rushed."

Keeping Joba On A Leash

With the rapid rise of Joba Chamberlain, comes the peripheral distractions rewards of superstardom. The Yankees and Brian Cashman are confident in Chamberlain's character and ability to stay grounded. However, as a precaution, the organization decided to revisit the young fireballer's temperament as insurance.

From Baseball America:

"He’s kind of drinking from a fire hose right now," (Yankees general manager Brian) Cashman said at Legends Field.

"So much has happened for him because of the 24 innings of major-league work. It was 24 innings, so it’s incumbent on all of us around him who care about him, his father and everyone in the Yankee family to make sure that we slow it all down for him because sometimes that stuff can carry you away."

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"He’s really level-headed,” Cashman said. "I do trust this won’t have an adverse affect on him, but at the same time you have to manage it. You can’t trust that everybody can manage all of it. That’s why the support system is there, and hopefully with all the people that care about him, his life will continue as it was before Aug. 7, when we called him up to the big leagues.

"He’s a special individual and hopefully that will never change. He’s such a big kid, he does have his priorities straight, and that all goes to what his dad taught him. I’m hoping when he’s 40 years old and still playing this game that he still has that little kid in him, because that’s what people love about him."

For every Major League top prospect, it is better to be safe than sorry.

The Poll: A Split Decision

After approximately 200 votes were cast, BL visitors created a split decision regarding how the Yankees should use Joba Chamberlain this season. Each choice had its own reasonable justification. Some believe Joba is the heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera and should serve as his setup man until succeeding him - much like Rivera's role when John Wetteland closed in 1996.

Some believe Joba has the ability to become an ace starting pitcher and effect games in the same fashion which Josh Beckett dominated last year. After seeing Chamberlain pitch in Trenton, and observe he could carry his velocity into the later innings - still hitting 97 mph in the sixth and seventh innings - this argument holds just as much credence in my mind.

The major concern for the Yankees is to keep his innings totals under control, something that will be done with greater ease than many may believe. Nardi Contreras has already worked out his plans for Chamberlain - as well as for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy - and his recommendations will be explored by Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi. Expect to see Chamberlain pitch between 140-150 innings as has already been reported on numerous occasions.

Though the Yankees seem intent on starting the year with Chamberlain in the bullpen, there is a strong belief they will stretch him out after the all star break before joining the rotation down the home stretch. This was my choice, and received 21 percent of the vote. Receiving only 2 percent more votes was the desire to keep Chamberlain in the bullpen all season.

The most popular decision - and by far the most reckless for health reasons - had BL voters hoping Chamberlain would start and end the 2008 season in the rotation. Considering the "plus 30 rule" for starting pitchers, Joba should not throw more than 150 innings next season, and using him all season as a starter could pile up 180-200 innings. This could bring about serious arm issues by the summer and even more likely cause injury at some point during the 2009 season.

All things considered, the poll results in a true split decision. Of the first four choices, two place more value on Joba in the bullpen and two more so in the rotation. If you add up the total votes for each facet, 44 percent believe Chamberlain better serves the Yankees as a reliever and 44 percent believe he is more valuable as a starting pitcher.

Conclusion? There is none, other than this is a very separative issue amongst Yankee fans, media members and [probably] organization officials.

Joba Rules '08: Start Season In Pen?

The Yankees need to watch Joba Chamberlain's innings totals next season and one solution has become feasible, start the season with Joba in the bullpen.

According to the Daily News' Anthony McCarron, New York may use such an avenue to protect Chamberlain:

The Yankees envision Joba Chamberlain as a starter and they are eager to see what his blazing fastball and electric slider can do as part of their rotation. But the Bombers also are concerned about how many innings the 22-year-old will throw next season, so Chamberlain may start the year in the bullpen.

"We're going to prepare him as a starter and we see him as a starter," Yankee GM Brian Cashman said yesterday. "But we have an innings limit that he won't exceed. How we manage the innings limit remains to be seen. The plan is to have him start, but there are a number of scenarios that we'll review."

Cashman refused to reveal Chamberlain's innings limit. Asked if Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy have limits as well, Cashman said, "We'll manage innings limits on everyone who's got them."

Cashman first talked about using Chamberlain in the bullpen next season during an appearance on the YES Network on Thursday.

This may be the most conceivable technique to limit Joba's innings while allowing him to spend the majority of the season pitching in the rotation.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press caught up with Phil Hughes who is in Tampa beginning his workouts. Here's what Hughes had to say on the ongoing trade rumors involving his name:

"I try to avoid the rumors the best I can, but you eventually hear it from friends [and] family," Hughes told The Associated Press in Tampa, Fla. "You never want to hear your name out there ... at least it's good to know that other teams think highly of you. I wouldn't say [it's been a] tough winter, but definitely an interesting one."

"I actually heard my name out there for the first time from my dad," Hughes said. "Then I just called my agent to see if there's anything to it, and found there was. That's the exact of the contact I've had."

Hughes is focused on the one thing he can control, preparing for the 2008 season. He started a throwing program four weeks ago.

"I want to get on a mound before spring training starts, and maybe get four or five bullpens in," Hughes said. "Physically, everything is good."

Two other pitching prospects, Humberto Sanchez and Andrew Brackman, are taking part in throwing programs after elbow ligament replacement surgery last year.

Sanchez, one of three pitchers obtained from Detroit for outfielder Gary Sheffield, expects to throw off a mound by late next month.

"It's going well," Sanchez said. "So far, so good. We're on the right track. Hopefully there are no setbacks."

As usual, the kid says all the right things. It will be interesting to see the progress Sanchez and Brackman can make over the next 12 months.


McNamee After Rocket's Behind

In other news, Brian McNamee is trying to whip Roger Clemens' ass, literally.

McNamee contends Clemens developed an abscess on his buttocks in 1998 and implied it came from frequent needle use. The Toronto Blue Jays staff disputed McNamee's claims, saying they "did not recall Clemens having an abscess."

This whole thing is really getting down-in-the-dumps dirty. And that's not metaphorical, this is just some foul garbage.

Bud Selig needs to alter Major League Baseball's advertising slogan and it should read like this:

MLB: Giving You Steroids & Santana 24 Hours A Day!

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Joba Rules: The First Amendment

The Yankees made their first amendment to the strict set of rules regarding Joba Chamberlain's usage. The flamethrowing righthander celebrated his 22nd birthday by entering yesterday's game with men on base for the first time in his relieving career. He also pitched the 9th inning in a save situation for the first time.

In what seemed to be an inevitable decision, the "Joba Rules" have been modified in lieu of the postseason. Yankee fans can expect Brian Cashman to relax the restrictions on Chamberlain, so that he is available with much more regularity. The Yanks will still be extremely cautious with his pitchcounts, but the training wheels are officially off. Joe Torre, however, will be watched like a hawk.

In his column today, Joel Sherman talked to Mike Mussina about the recent tweak of these rules:

“When you put on a uniform in the postseason, you’re available every day,” Mussina said. “That’s just simply the way it is.”

When asked if this represented a team-wide view, Mussina said, “I am pretty sure you can take a survey, and it would be the same opinion.”

...“If we want to do what we want to do come October, we are going to need him [every day],” Mussina said. “Joe believes in him and Joe wants to use him.”

If Torre can’t use him in obvious situations in October, the Joba Rules very well may become the Chamberlain Conflict.

Moose, speaking the truth.

Chamberlain's innings high at the University of Nebraska was 118.2 in 2005. Through three minor league levels and the majors, Joba's compiled 120 innings in 2007.
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