Joba or Laptop Boy? You decide.

January 15, 2008 by Benjamin Kabak 21 Comments

Jerry Crasnick hosted an ESPN.com chat this afternoon in which he facilitated something of a discussion on the Joba vs. Buchholz debate. It’s your typical back-and-forth bluster with most folks coming down, rightly, on the side of Joba. But the fun is in the poll. Joba’s got over 60 percent of the vote right now. I like that.

steve (different one)

both are really good prospects.

but a more interesting debate is Hughes vs. the Dell Dude.
YankCrank20

the hype around buchholz makes me wonder…you see a first round pick of the sox throw a no-hitter, at home, in his second ever major league start. then you look at the hype phil hughes could have had if he threw a no-hitter, on the road, in his first ever major league start at texas. add that to the original hype and expectations that are through the roof, and phil was one hamstring pull away from being included in this debate instead of joba.

to be completely fair, we have small sample sizes of both joba and clay…both with great success. my bias leads me towards joba, but i also think phil hughes will be a better year as a starter than joba. i see no reason why phil can’t emerge as our number 3 this year
jason

Reading some comments on the chat about Joba and his stuff can get a fan pretty excited.
Phil was tremendous in his last several starts and in the playoffs.
Ian put up numbers equal to or better than the above.
This will be a very interesting year.
Bbig

I like this part the best:

“We talked to nine non-Red Sox or Yankees personnel people, and the verdict was decidedly pro-Joba.”
http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

I can’t wait for the “Where’s my lap-top? clap, clap, clap clap clap, Where’s my lap-top?” chants at the Stadium.
- dan
  
  Ah shit I was just about to write that. Speaking of…. when do individual game tickets go on sale?
- Count Zero
  
  Oh man — I have that stuck in my head all afternoon now.
David

Hughes will be better than both.
- Rich
  
  I tend to agree.
Bbig

Sci, UT: Are people down on Clay because of his size, stuff, make up, or what?

Jerry Crasnick: Sci,

Buchholz had an off field issue at McNeese State where he was arrested for stealing some computers.
Jeff

I thought it interesting how it mentioned the scouts little love for IPK. Wonder if they watched the game he pitched in Toronto. Anyways, I think IPK could be a young Mussina. He is just so crafty.

As far as Joba being a started it is going to be awesome to see that one. I really can’t wait.
dan

I want to point everyone (especially the melky haters) to this article

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7053

Scroll down to the 2 paragraphs about Melky (towards the bottom).

he’s going to pop 80 extra-base hits and slug .500 in a season very, very soon.
- http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  We don’t hate Melky. We hate below average players.
- http://highandtight.blogspot.com Mr. Faded Glory
  
  I hope that’s right, but seriously it’s laughable.
Colter

From what I’ve read in various comments sections, fans of other teams are pretty much counting the Yanks out this season if they go ahead with the young rotation (including Chamberlain, Hughes, and Kennedy plus Wang and Andy). I guess they don’t think the youngsters can bring it. I would say to that that the Yanks have had inconsistent and sometimes downright terrible pitching for a few years now and they’ve still contended because of the offense.
kenxe

Kennedy is the sleeper. I saw all three pitch in the mil. Kennedy is a very young Mussina. Phil is just an all around good, thinking tough pitcher with good control of his pitches. Joba is, well, Joba! A young Roger, with better or as good stuff. Everyone will see good things from them, if no one gets hurt. I hate comparing Joba to roger…roger was sometimes very mean, like Sal the Barber… I don’t think Joba is that way. But he will come inside to anyone that pushes it…see last year.
Ivan

Is it me or that the Mussina Comparison for Kennedy a little off here.

I like Kennedy, and I think he has a chance to be a good pitcher, and he’s better than what people think he is. That said interms of stuff, he’s no Mike Mussina I am sorry.

I understand that Mike for the last couple years relies on control and smarts and guile but did people for get his baltimore O’s days or even his early yankee days. Mussina had sick stuff with a very good fastball, nasty knuckle curve and a good change up. Kennedy’s stuff right now doesn’t match that and hell even Kennedy would like have stuff like that.

I think you guys are underrating Moose.
- kenxe
  
  Ivan
  I respectively disagree with your assessment of IPK. His fast ball gets up to 91/92 (at times) and hitters don’t center the ball very well. He gets a lot of swinging s/o…just like moose. In other words, don’t over remember how fast the moose was…91/93. I believe what my eyes have seen, rather then going with what someone may read. Maybe only me, but he looked good to me. And this from a old Eddy Lopat type pitcher.
Pettitte’s stare

The most interesting thing for me was that some people like Marquez better than IPK. We all talk about Horne, but maybe we should be talking more about Marquez!
http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.

i believe Joba AND Hughes will be better than Buchholz.
bill kolb

My favorite Buchholz Booster line was, “Besides his fastball, Joba doesn’t have any other pitches as refined as Clay”

So Joba is just a fastball? You have to try to say something like that.