The Yankees are seemingly intent on making Joba Chamberlain an ineffective pitcher for the near future. That’s because after his latest return from the DL, Joba is headed to the bullpen for the remainder of the season. And, unless something drastic happens, he is unlikely to pitch much more than 100 innings this year, which would mean the process of making him a starter would be exactly where it was this year. Meaning that Chamberlain will be forced to start NEXT season in the bullpen as well. Now, instead of merely wasting ONE year at the major league level, the Yankees are on their way to wasting a second of Joba’s prime years because he won’t be able to throw 200+ innings for at least another year. Chamberlain, who should be a dominant starter, is now being relegated to single inning stints for the next 9 months because the innings increase would be too much possible strain on his arm. Job well done fellas. Now, I appreciate the caution that they are exercising, in fact I think it’s wise, the only problem is that they should have stretched Joba out THIS year, in the minors to start the season. Instead they get 3 straight seasons where he doesn’t pitch enough innings to be truly useful.
Oh, but don’t worry, because the organization is totally aware what’s going on, particularly Joe Girardi who doesn’t let anything slip past him. When asked if the Yankees had mishandled the situation, Girardi responded that this season “had not stunted Chamberlain’s progress.” Brian Cashman, Girardi’s boss (at least for the rest of this season) however feels differently, saying that this season had done just that.
I am in full support of abusing Joba as much as possible, because he otherwise terrifies me. So, keep up the good work boys. Let’s keep him in useless one inning spurts instead of harnessing his incredible stuff to be a dominant starter. Red Sox Nation thanks you all.
The Slanch Report 
Papa George must be so proud of the way his boys are running his team (into the ground).
Is he dead yet? He must at least be in a vegetative state, to allow all this nonsense and mismanagement to go on without raising a big fat stink about it. We’ve never known George Steinbrenner to NOT micromanage his club.
You know who’s really awesome? Clay Buchholz!
Clay will be fine. Eventually. But good looks on bringing up someone who has nothing to do with what I was talking about.
My point is merely that Joba SHOULD be pitching 200 innings and winning 17-19 a year with his ridiculously good stuff. Instead though, the Yankees didn’t want to stretch him out and left him to pitch single innings in the bullpen instead of letting him stretch out adn get up to 150+ innings this season. Now, as the Yankees go to the offseason, missing the playoffs, they have another hole in their rotation because Joba isn’t ready or able to perform there until next June again. It’s a waste. My issue is that Joba is dope and I want to see him be dominant. Preferably in the NL.
it’s pretty simple, actually: joba can’t endure/handle the workload of a full, 200 inning season as a starter because he’s too damned FAT. he’s a fat fattie, but even beyond his fattttness, he doesn’t have the stuff to go through a lineup 3 times. there’s tons of pitchers in mlb who can throw 95-96 and have a good curveball. that doesn’t make them all good starting pitchers (wagner, papelbon, mariano rivera, todd van poppel)- to be a successful starter, you need stuff like that, command, location, consistency, and durability. joba’s fat ass showed in college that he’s not durable, and he’s showing it now.
also i’ll bet anyone $500 that joba never throws a no-hitter like clay buchholz AND jon lester have done.
I’d like to see Joba and Myummers in a footrace, almost as much as I’d like to see Serena Williams put him in a half nelson.
well admittedly i am a dreadfully fast runner, so joba would beat me. serena williams would beat me in a footrace as well. but i would beat her ass in a streetfight.
nader ’08