Oct
21

Keeping Joba in perspective

By Benjamin Kabak

There is absolutely no way to excuse what Joba Chamberlain did over the weekend. Driving with a BAC nearly twice the legal limit isn’t something one can chalk up to youth. No one should drive drunk at 23, and no one should drive drunk at 53. But that doesn’t mean Anthony Rieber should go around penning columns like this one in which he asserts that Joba’s DUI could portend problems for his move into the rotation. I can’t even do this piece justice, but I can wonder: Is it really that hard to have a real baseball discourse in the pages of the New York City papers?

Update by Joe: In case you need to live vicariously through Joba, you can check out the details of his night out. Yippee. All this coverage of this incident really makes me want to just get back to talking baseball. We’ll go for that this afternoon.

Posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 10:00 am in Asides, NYC Sports Media.

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30 Comments »

A.D. says:

but rather the health of his elbow: As in is he bending it too much.

Wow, that’s just poor

Steve says:

I’m sure it went over great at the Newsday water cooler.

 
 
Jamal G. says:

Not exactly what I foreshadowed, but close enough: http://riveraveblues.com/2008/.....ent-185412

The Honorable Congressman Mondesi says:

Dude that comment was pretty Lombardian.

Seriously though, it’s hysterical that you made that comment and then this article actually came out.

 
Ivan says:

Wow Jamal, you were pretty damn right.

 
 
Adam says:

wait, joba went to a strip club and didn’t make it rain?

rookies…..

I’ve been to that strip club. Against my will, as part of a larger party. I wasn’t driving.

One of my homies actually dated a girl that used to strip there, like 10 years ago. We still give him shit over it, and will do so until we’re all dead.

It’s the saddest place on earth. There’s like 6 or 7 girls in there, tops, and the cutest one usually manages to only slightly look like a man. “Making it rain” would entail giving your stripper a $5, because that’s about all her performance would be worth.

Joba should be embarrassed for having been there. Quite frankly, he should be more embarrassed for having gone to The Night Before than he should for driving drunk.

Having said that, may favorite part is the douchebag Red Sox fan claiming “If you played for the Red Sox, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” Only a true Boston asshole would have the temerity to heckle a Yankee player for being in a shitty, horridly subpar stripclub in a cowtown WHILE STANDING NEXT TO HIM IN SAID SHITTY, HORRIDLY SUBPAR STRIPCLUB IN SAID COWTOWN.

 
 
Slugger27 says:

is what he did bad? yes. is it really really bad? yes. is it the end of the world? no. should it affect his pitching in any way shape or form? no.

nobody condones drinking and driving at any age for any reason, and for that his actions are inexcusable as anyone would agree

but he didnt get hurt and it certainly has nothing to do with how he approaches his starting role come march

he’s learned from his mistake, im sure he feels really stupid about what he did… as both a pitcher and human being, he’ll be fine… ppl need to move on

 
 
Andy In Sunny Daytona says:

Don’t Indians have a higher tolerance for alcohol than other races?
zing

 
Old Ranger says:

Baseball talk this afternoon, great idea!?!
What Joba does or doesn’t do in private is private, right? As long as he grows up and remembers what could have been a big disaster and the end of a promising career.
He is a roll model for millions of kids all over this and other countries, even if he doesn’t want to be…he is! Hopefully, he will think about how he is perceived by others, and not go down the road of some others…! 27/09.

 
Steve S says:

I didn’t pick up on the point that the move to the rotation would somehow be the problem. I thought his point was the fact that he is a young kid and the rise to fame may overwhelm him, which is a valid point and arguably a legitimate article to write. You would hope there are more important things to write about, but in this city with its track record for people getting off track, I cant fault him for thinking it and writing it.

Now the story re: the summary of his evening, that is just stupid and an example of awful journalism. There is absolutely nothing important or interesting reported on. Its all hearsay and none of it seems relevant to anything.

By the way even more proof that Derek Jeter is a diety
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/1.....st-foible/

The guy is teflon and lives such a blessed life. if there is a roadmap for young superstar athletes to follow- this is it.

Steve S says:

Oh and the T-Shirts really need to go. Now is the time.

Shit, if anything, all three of them need saving again now…

Steve S says:

Those T-Shirts have brought nothing but evil. I hold them responsible for this season.

T-Shirt making is a characteristic of those retards up in New England. They seem to create a t-shirt every time Schilling takes a dump. We have a little class, we avoid these things.

You may have a point. I don’t own one. Although I do like the fact that the shirts support Jorge’s charitable foundation.

I actually told Mike, Ben and Joe that I’d try to design a new shirt that would be more universal, so that all the RAB’ers would enjoy buying or rocking them (regardless on your feelings towards Mssrs. Chamberlain, Hughes, and Kennedy). I need to stop dallying and get on that. We should have an RAB outing in ‘09, go to a game with 50 dudes in RAB shirts…

Steve S says:

Agreed. I would gladly purchase a RAB t-shirt. And the T-shirts for the guys above were great when the trade rumors were swirling but we need to put them to rest now, they’ve been saved.

On the other hand I cant possibly support the proceeds going to charity. Awful.

 
UWS says:

go to a game with 50 dudes in RAB shirts…

Dudes only, eh? Sniff.

Ben K. says:

And my sister. I’m sure everyone would like that one.

(Comments wont nest below this level)
Steve S says:

dont poke them with a stick, it will only lead to bad things.

 

Here’s a picture of my sister; you can all have her. I hear she’s very good.

 
 

Don’t worry, I’ll make a nice fitted ladies shirt too. Or would you prefer a tank?

Where’s Jen and Rebecca Optimist Prime? Ladies, stand up!

(Comments wont nest below this level)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Steve S says:

deity, sorry for the misspelling

 
 
Troy says:

What a joke of an article. Good Lord

I especially like “What if Sabathia and Burnett…turn them down?” HA, ain’t happening

 
Barry says:

Name one person that doesn’t do stupid fuckin shit when they’re fucked up, could it be possible that Joba is human?

 
pat says:

bostons happy because now they have something to chant when he pitches in fenway.

True. The average Boston fan can’t spell, but he’s familiar with how to spell D.U.I.

 
 
Steve says:

I miss the NY Sun.

*sighs*

Anyone know what Marchman has been up to?

Ben K. says:

Yup. He’s writing for Slate and both The Daily Fix and the print edition of the WSJ.

Steve says:
 
 
 
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