Derek Jeter blah blah blah as Yanks sweep Tampa
By Benjamin KabakWithout sounding too sacrilegious, I don’t really want to talk about Derek Jeter. His Lou Gehrig-tying hit — a groundball single down the right field line — stole the spotlight from a great game, and while Derek deserves his accolades, we’ll save those for tomorrow. Instead, let’s talk about Joba, the bullpen and Jorge.
Wednesday’s game against Tampa Bay carried with it a narrative of redemption for Joba. As we all know, Chamberlain, working through short starts brought about by his innings limit, has been awful of late. Prior to tonight, Joba had thrown 26 innings over six starts and had an ERA of 7.96. While he had 20 strike outs in that span, he also issued 17 walks and allowed 37 hits. Opponents were hitting an Albert Pujols-like .330/.423/.500 off of the youngster.
As Jason Barlett’s home run sailed over the left field wall to start the game, I groaned. Here we go again with Joba. He was throwing poorly-placed pitches with low 90s velocity and no approach. How, I wondered, would he be used in the bullpen in the playoffs if he was going to allow three hits, a walk and two runs on 32 pitches in one inning? Even John Flaherty, one of the few remaining vocal B-Jobbers, questioned the lack of velocity from Chamberlain.
Five batters through the game, the Yankees were in danger of facing a blowout. After Bartlett’s home run, Carl Crawford singled, and Evan Longoria swung through a terrible pitch for a gift out. Crawford stole third, Ben Zobrist walked, and a Pat Burrell single put the Rays up 2-0 with runners on first and second and one out.
Then, something happened. Derek Jeter calmly walked to the mound, and in a rare moment of emotion on the field, he got in Joba’s face. After the game, Joba danced around the issue, saying only that Derek told him to “slow it down” and throw strikes. More telling, though, was Joba’s comment that Derek rarely gets in anyone’s face. He leads by example and not by anger. Tonight, though, Derek had seen enough and whatever he said produced results.
Joba reared back and finished off very strong. He struck out Chris Richard and Gabe Gross to escape the first. He needed just 14 pitches to mow through the Rays in the 2nd and nine in the 3rd. Five ground-outs and one fly-out later, Joba’s night was over due to his pitch count. By the end of his start, he was sitting at 95 with his fastball and had a rhythm and urgency on the mound we’ve rarely seen this year. It was progress indeed.
With Joba out of the game, the Yankees needed to get six innings of work from the bullpen while facing a stingy and dominant Jeff Niemann. Using a sinking fastball and solid breaking pitches, Niemann carved up the Yankee offense. Through seven innings, he had allowed no runs on seven hits and eight strike outs. He pitched out of jams a few times, and the Yanks were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position against Niemann.
As Niemann went to work, so did the Yankee pen. Al Aceves threw three hitless innings, striking out three and issuing one walk. Jonathan Albaladejo threw two hitless innings, and in the 8th, the Yankees got their chance.
With a bad bullpen, Niemann came out for the 8th and gave up a hit to Alex Rodriguez. Joe Maddon then brought in a right-handed pitcher to face Hideki Matsui, and the Yanks’ DH singled. With runners on first and third and no on out, Nick Swisher hit a potential double play to Chris Richard at first, but Richard threw the ball into left field. 2-1 Tampa, runners on the corners, no one out. Robinson Cano struck out, and up came Jorge Posada.
Jorge worked the count full and then wailed on a 94-mph four-seamer. The ball soared into the right field stands, and the Comeback Kids had struck again. Down to their final five outs, the Yankees had taken a 4-2 lead. The bullpen – Brian Bruney and Phil Coke — would throw another hitless inning, and the sweep was in the bag.
This night will be long remembered as the evening Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig’s franchise hit record. It is one of the first historic moments in the new Yankee Stadium. Yet, we shouldn’t overlook the game. The Yankees held Tampa hitless for 8.2 innings, and they moved 41 games over .500. The Magic Number is 14; Joba showed some signs of life; and the Yankees continued to roll through the American League.
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Since losing three in a row to the White Sox–the last of these on August 2nd—the Yankees have gone 39-8.
That’s .830 ball.
That’s insane.
At the Yanks’ current pace they’ll win 105. Remember when we thought winning 96 was a realistic goal?
incredible
i totally thought the yanks would fall off the cliff after that chi-sox series, and they go on to lose only 8 games over 1.5 months
.830 ball would be insane but for the record the Yanks have gone “only” 29-8 since the 3 white Sox losses (.784 ball which is not too shabby!)
The magic number is…Sweet Lou! Nice touch, guys.
The Yankees held Tampa hitless for 8.2 innings, and they moved 41 games over .500. The Magic Number is 14…
I can’t believe you didn’t use Angel Berroa to represent Magic Number 14.
So disappointed.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/....._yanks.jpg
Oh, and since we have an off-night tomorrow,
ifwhen the Red Sox lose, I’ve got a suggestion for who Magic Number 13 should be. I think you’ll enjoy it.http://cache.daylife.com/image.....g/610x.jpg
I found that picture last night. I was hoping to find an Alvaro Espinoza 14 shot, but those are rare with him in Yankee pinstripes.
Hmm… either your memory, or yankeenumbers.com are incorrect. They say Espinoza never wore #14.
http://yankeenumbers.com/playe.....5%2C%25%27
Oh wait. I was looking for the Alvaro Espinoza 13 picture last night. I actually hoped that the Orioles would manage to win a game started by Paul Byrd. Silly me.
I think you’ll find it in the “R”s, Kabek.
Well, that’s where your mother found it last night.
/Connery’d
Sox don’t play tomorrow.
Damn you, Tom Zig, with your facts and shit.
My eyes told me that.
Okay, plan B: We play and win Friday, Sox lose Friday, and we bypass 13 and go right to #12.
http://yankeesco.mlblogs.com/p.....hilips.jpg
Demi Delia approves of this choice.
ICWUDT
I like this number 12:
http://www.weeklyecho.com/ibl_.....viewed.jpg
I’m disappointed that all the images of Cody Ransom I can find are full-frontal and don’t show his backside.
(3… 2… 1…)
You couldn’t get off your knees to get one shot of the number 12 on the man’s back?
(Meh, I gave it a shot. I’m not pat.)
Can we use Doug Mientkiewicz if it goes to 11??
I was either going with that or the Racist Tag-Team of a Kenny Lofton-Tony Womack combo. lol
Raekwon the Sheff.
http://cache.boston.com/images.....sh_get.jpg
TPWH
(That pic was hilarious? – no? ok, I’ll sit our the next few comments)
…Chuck Knoblauch? Remember him?
This pic: http://www.valdostamuseum.org/.....uchRUN.gif
Still, wouldn’t the momentum alone lower the magic number?
Why wouldn’t we use Enrique “The Pedro Killer” Wilson as #14 instead?? lol
Pujols is way better than .330/.423/.500
That stretch right after the ASB is killing him.
Mostly in the SLG department. He’s slugging well over .600. Derek comes closer but he’s not slugging .500.
I desperately want Jetes to go oh-fer on Friday. My brother and I are surprising our dad with tickets to the game for his 60th birthday, and there’s nothing I’d rather give him than a chance to see Jeter get the record in person. He (my dad) was born in the same neighborhood as Gehrig to boot (albeit much later).
70% chance of precipitation on Friday. It may be moot, there may be a double-dip one on Saturday.
Hope you get the right one…
Yeah, 60% on Saturday too. My fingers will be crossed.
If Friday is rained out, is the makeup the evening game on Saturday or does the regularly schedule game get pushed back. Like Jersey, I’m going Saturday and getting to see a milestone moment would be kind of cool.
They don’t push back a regularly scheduled game to make way for a makeup game. That would create a logistical nightmare for ticket-holders. Saturday’s game goes as scheduled, and the made-up game gets slotted in elsewhere.
Why not just hope he takes four walks? Trader.
T-R-A-I-T-O-R
http://cache.boston.com/images.....trader.jpg
Heh.
Touche. I should have assumed you were alluding to some Boston asshattery from the beginning, I apologize.
Passing the baton is for girly men.
Yes, Chamberlain was much better after he completely shat his pants. I highly doubt it was what Jeter said that improved Chamberlain’s pitching, I think it was more of a matter of him facing Chris Richard and Gabe Gross as opposed to players who are actually good at baseball. I’ve seen this whole “I’m going to start out throwing 91 in the first inning, then dial it up” routine from Chamberlain before…yes tonight was progress, but after the way Chamberlain had been pitching, if he could mimic a Sergio Mitre start, it would have been considered progress. Though on the (somewhat) brightside, tonight was again a microcosm of Jorge Posada’s career…plays a big role, and gets overlooked by bigger superstars. Is there anyway that the NY writers can start a Jim Ricesque HoF campaign for him? I can’t think of a player not named Bernie Williams that likely won’t make it in that I’d rather see in the Hall of Fame.
Ugh. Don’t slander Jorge by dragging Jim Rice into it. There’s a major difference between Jorge and Jim Rice: One actually belongs in the Hall of Fame and the other doesn’t.
Didn’t mean to compare Posada to Jim Rice, I just want the NY Writers to basically run Posada’s HoF campaign the same way the Boston writers ran Jim Rice’s. I’m not entirely sure Posada belongs in the Hall (be an interesting thread to read for sure), I mean…I’d definitely vote for him, but he’s not a slam dunk like a Tim Raines. Posada is miles better than Jim Rice though.
“I’m not entirely sure Posada belongs in the Hall”
I AM.
“I highly doubt it was what Jeter said that improved Chamberlain’s pitching,”
All I know is that there was a difference in Joba after Jeter walk to mound. And if Ben (one of the most analytical person I know) saw a link maybe there something to it.
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p.....artoon.png (safe)
Ben, was your tweet on Joba saying “He’s barely on my post-season roster” made in frustration? I hope so because, yea, Joba hasn’t been to good, but who would you put in over him? Mitre or Gaudin? Let’s see how Joba does the rest of the season before writing him off.
It was in frustration but, at the time, it was my assessment of the Division Series roster. If the Yanks aren’t going to use four starters and Joba doesn’t have a clearly-defined role, he wouldn’t be on the first-round roster.
You don’t really need two Alfredo Aceves types on the roster, and I’d rather take the extra bench for the short series.
I wouldn’t use him in the same Aceves role, I’d use him the way that they’re using Hughes. Or have Hughes close if Rivera labored the game before and have Chamberlain set him up.
Nothing that I’ve seen from Joba lately suggests that he would be good in that setup role right now. First, he hasn’t pitched in that role since the beginning of 2008. Second, he has been having a lot of first inning troubles with both strikes and velocity. We can’t just assume that he would be able to do it, and in fact, based on his recent performances, I think it’s safer to assume that he isn’t well suited for that setup role.
Plus, Mariano laboring in October? No way.
They should move him to the bullpen now so he can regain his intensity that he once showed.
Though seriously, if they want him to set up or relieve in the playoffs they should move him now so that he can get some experience in that role again.
It doesn’t work like that. Plus, Joba isn’t going to the pen to set up. Why would you mess with a good thing in Hughes right now anyway?
Joba is a starter through and through. He’ll start game 4 of the ALCS if the Yanks make it, and the only reason we’re even entertaining this discussion is because the Yanks have the luxury of choosing the format for the first round.
Ehh…maybe not have him set up instead of Hughes, at least get him pitching in one inning bursts…the inning number doesn’t matter. He’s been pitching three innings as of late, I find it hard to believe getting him to pitch one or two would be that hard.
He’s been pitching three innings as of late, I find it hard to believe getting him to pitch one or two would be that hard.
It similarly wouldn’t be that hard to get him to pitch 5 or 6. In fact, it would probably be easier, as that’s what he’s most used to.
As noted in the previous post, he’s been gobbling massive amounts of ass lately…I don’t exactly think stretching out that suck over more innings is a good idea. Furthermore, the Yankees are being careful with him (a strategy that I agree with, despite my distaste for Chamberlain) and probably don’t want him pitching that many more innings during the regular season.
“ight now he’s got 3 innings to show you what he’s got. 3 innings is not much time.
Over his next 3 (4?) starts, he will make his case for his role in the post season. To say he shouldn’t be on the post season roster or should play X role is tantamount to, right now, naming Gardy the CF starter in the ALDS.
The jury is still out on Joba. He will make his own case, wait for it.
Furthermore, the Yankees are being careful with him (a strategy that I agree with, despite my distaste for Chamberlain) and probably don’t want him pitching that many more innings during the regular season.
Careful with him with the intention of ramping him back up to being a starter, not scaling him down to be a reliever. The whole point of all this irregular rest/aggressive pitch counting in August and September is to shave off excess innings so that he can START in October. Not go to the pen. Were that the case, they would have just pitched him like normal for another month and just moved him to the pen and called it a day.
The three innings point is a decent one, in his earlier starters it’d take him an inning or two to get his shit together, this changes things slightly.
You’ve gotta be patient. There’s a plan here. We screwed Joba up, we’re taking steps to right his ship, but it doesn’t happen overnight.
Ehh…I don’t think that the Yankees screwed Joba up at all. There’s plenty of pitchers that got their start in the big leagues in the bullpen, there was an article a while back (I forget where…I think here, fuck you if you think I’m looking it up) about how the move to the bullpen actually had him increase his innings at a normal rate. Yeah, the move to the bullpen screwed up the conversation about Joba, but so far I don’t think they’ve done anything too bad with him so far.
The way he pitched tonight after his tough first inning he might have gone 6 innings and only given up those 2 runs. That would be a solid quality start where his ERA for the game would be 3. Even some of the best pitchers in the game need the first inning to get their shit together and figure out their game and what pitches are working.
He has been on this team the entire season and has pitched a number of good games, so he’s been an important part of the team. Joba really didn’t go down hill until the Joba Rules went into effect. Through his start on 8/16 against Seattle his ERA was 3.98, since that start it has jumped to 4.45. Through most of the season he had been really consistent. In only 4 starts did he allow 5 or more runs and in the one he allowed 8 runs 5 were unearned. If the Yankees treated him differently we wouldn’t even consider leaving him off any post-season roster.
If the Yankees match up against the Tigers, then its very important that Joba is on the team. He started twice against them, going 13.2 IP, 2R, 2 ER. Joba has pretty much owned that team.
I have do doubts he can turn it on when he needs to.
Who’s that really cute girl in the private box with Jeter’s family that they kept panning to?
Minka Kelly?
shes outta your league.
She’s like the wind.
You’re just a fool to believe you have anything she needs…
Here is a situation I thought of during the game, before Jorge’s HR. What if Jorge wouldve hit into a double play. Then in the 9th Melky reached first safely, would jeter have bunted him over? My answer is Yes, but imagine how people wouldve reacted, definitely would have been interesting
Wayne Brady would have had to choke a bitch.
There is one reason we should root for Boston as Yankee fans right now, so the Yankees play the Tigers in the ALDS. The Red Sox only have a 2 game lead on the Rangers. If they lost the wild card that means the Yankees have to play the Rangers. The Yankees will have a much easier time in the ALDS facing the Tigers. There is a part of me that would be really happy if Boston lost the Wild Card which could happen when they play the Angels and in the last series of the season with the Yankees.
I don’t want anything regarding the post-season to be remotely involved with Fenway Park.
Why? Because this is a fly-out everywhere else.
What makes you think the Yanks would have an easier time with the Tigers than the Rangers? I’m not necessarily disagreeing, just curious.
Because the Rangers have Feliz pitching the most important inning of all.
I hear the Tigers will be using Verlander as the 8th inning guy for all of their playoff games. He’ll be starting, too.
So…we’re even now, right?
Here’s the list of teams that scare me whom I want to avoid in the ALDS:
(none)
[end of list]
Yankees are 5-4 this year against the Texas Rangers who stand at 79-60.
Yankee Pitching vs the Rangers
Sabthia: No Starts
Burnett: 3 GS, 19 IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Pettitte: 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Chamberlin: 2 GS, 8 IP, 10 R. 10 ER, 11.25 ERA, 2.50 WHIP
Burnett and Pettitte have good numbers against Texas. Its probably an advantage with Sabathia not facing them this year. Wouldn’t even consider starting Joba against them.
The Rangers have 208 HR second in the league to the Yankees. Could easily have a slugfest between the two teams. Things could also get out of hand quickly for a pitcher, Burnett, Pettitte, and Sabathia have combined to give up 59 HR this year. Coke is also too prone to giving up the long ball with 10.
Yankees are 5-1 against the Detroit Tigers who are currently 75-63.
Yankee Pitching vs the Tigers
Sabthia: 2 GS, 15 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 2.40 ERA, 0.93 WHIP
Burnett: 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP
Pettitte: No Starts
Chamberlin: 2 GS, 13.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1.32 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
Everyone was pretty solid against them.
The Tigers have a worse record than the Rangers and play in a pretty weak division. They also have a weaker hitting lineup to me.
I want Boston not because we won’t beat the Rangers (we will), but because LA would probably beat Detroit and I don’t want to come within 1,000 miles of the Angels in the postseason. Boston has a better chance of beating them IMO.
Agreed. Boston has a better chance at handling the Angels.
Wow, if giving up 2 runs in 3 innings and throwing 55 pitches is your idea of redemption, then I need to get a pair of your rose colored glasses. Joba showed what he is, an immature, inconsistent, out of shape, mediocre pitcher who has been made into something much bigger by ridiculously biased commentators. This website has lost all objectivity.
Troll? I can only assume so.
I’d like to say that you’ll feel silly for saying that someday. But I know you won’t.
Rich, 20 years from now: “Yeah, in the beginning, some people thought Joba was gonna suck, but I always had faith in my boy.”
This website has lost all objectivity.
Agreed. Your constant pimping of Joba the Bust only further tarnishes the already damaged credibility of this socialist website.
You’ll rue the day you crossed me, Kabek.
I agree 100%. a pitcher who had a 6.00 era for the game did not do a good job. joba still could turn into a really good starter. for all we know he could become what we all are hoping for, a lights out set up man. but as for last night, he wasn’t very good, this isn’t opinion, that is fact.
“for all we know he could become what we all are hoping for, a lights out set up man.”
You are speaking for a small, shortsighted minority.
For 5 batters last night, Joba was terrible. For the rest, he was good. It remains to be seen whether he’s so inconsistent due to a physical issue or due to a mental issue. Fans who want to see him realize his potential as a very good starter, which would be the best thing for the Yanks, hope it is the latter.
I agree 100%. a pitcher who had a 6.00 era for the game did not do a good job.
alex gonzalez: 1
False Dichotomy: 0
joba still could turn into a really good starter. for all we know he could become what we all are hoping for, a lights out set up man.
We are not all hoping for that. You are hoping for that because it dovetails nicely with your preconceived notions and narratives. Your preconceived notions and narratives are dumb. I hate to be blunt, but it’s necessary.
but as for last night, he wasn’t very good, this isn’t opinion, that is fact.
alex gonzalez: 2
False Dichotomy: 0
“We are not all hoping for that.”
Half-truth: 1
tommiesmithjohncarlos: 0
nah, dude. He’s right. We are CERTAINLY not ALL hoping for that. Especially not here. On RAB, the vast, vast majority of readers (and all the authors) are hoping he becomes the front-line starter we thought he could be.
I think I can count the amount of RAB readers/commenters who want Joba to end up in the bullpen on one hand.
And remember, many of them are the same commenters with three or four different screennames.
who else is alex gonzalez?
I know there’s the SalGrantBoLanny conglomerate…
I have a theory. I’m attempting to confirm it at the moment.
jerry the jew?
Nope. A few names more nearer and dearer to our hearts.
Jerry the Jew was a flash in the pan of idiocy. I think we’ve know alex gonzalez for a while already, as a few familiar names.
Just my hunch. I’ll spill the beans eventually.
Anyone else going Friday?
yup bleachers baby. i swear this game better not get rained out cause i cant go sat or sun
Is there any video of Jeter getting in Joba’s face? I must have missed it and would love to see it. Thanks in advance.
Finally someone got in Joba’s face and he started throwing like a real pitcher. To bad it took the captain and not the pitching coach or manager whom are paid to do that. I have never seen a pitcher have to be convicned to throw hard. I hope he finally gets it and realizes at 91 he is a medicore pitcher but when he throws with conviction he can be great. That might be the best contribution DJ will make that nobody talks about.
We don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes. It’s very likely that people have gotten in Joba’s face before. Maybe he just _listened_ this time.
We need to root for Texas winning the AL West and Boston winning the WC. I do not want to face the Angels at all, long or short series.
Fun Facts of the Day:
Anaheim Angels starting pitchers, post-All Star Break, 2009:
Scott Kazmir – 2 starts, 13.1 IP, 1.35 ERA
John Lackey – 10 starts, 73.2 IP, 2.57 ERA
Ervin Santana – 11 starts, 68.1 IP, 4.48 ERA
Jered Weaver – 11 starts, 66.1 IP, 4.75 ERA
Joe Saunders – 8 starts, 41.2 IP, 5.83 ERA
S. O’Sullivan – 5 starts, 20.0 IP, 9.90 ERA
Trevor Bell – 4 starts, 17.0 IP, 10.06 ERA
I do wonder what Jeter said to Joba.
It involved Minka Kelly and a Nebraska strip joint.
Then, something happened. Derek Jeter calmly walked to the mound, and in a rare moment of emotion on the field, he got in Joba’s face. After the game, Joba danced around the issue, saying only that Derek told him to “slow it down” and throw strikes. More telling, though, was Joba’s comment that Derek rarely gets in anyone’s face. He leads by example and not by anger. Tonight, though, Derek had seen enough and whatever he said produced results.
I don’t get the YES Network and due to a war between the cable company and the YES Network…MLB thinks I do or should get the YES Network…so the game last night that was nationwide on ESPN was blacked out as a result (like always).
Anyway, what happened with this above? He calmly walked over and THEN got in his face and seemed angry?? I’m just trying to get a picture…since this is not very common
I don’t get the YES Network and due to a war between the cable company and the YES Network…MLB thinks I do or should get the YES Network…so the game last night that was nationwide on ESPN was blacked out as a result (like always).
Jesus H. Montero, your cable company sucks.
Yup. What’s even worse…it’s like they’re taunting me…is through another glitch in the system I, for whatever reason, am getting the baseball package for free…so I can see any game that I want…EXCEPT the Yankees because they’re blacked out…it’s blacked out on the computer too.
I get My9 though…so I get to see one game every Tuesday if I’m lucky enough haha.
“What’s even worse…it’s like they’re taunting me…is through another glitch in the system I, for whatever reason, am getting the baseball package for free…so I can see any game that I want…EXCEPT the Yankees because they’re blacked out”
ooh…what a kick in the nuts!
At college, I had almost every single sports channel you could hope for on a basic cable package: ESPN/2/U/Classic, FSN, CBS’s college sports channel, NESN…everything but fucking YES. All the surrounding/off-campus cable packages had YES, but the school’s didn’t.
Why is that?
The reason this situation has arose is that I live in CT…but in the northern part of CT where it’s mostly Red Sox fans near MA. It’s not a town with the wealthiest people either…and for the cable company to take on both NESN and YES would cost them an arm and a leg so they chose the one they felt had the majority of fans. YES Network got upset and didn’t understand the situation…nor MLB apparently…so now here we are…and it’s been this way for quite some time now.
Verizon Fios and AT&T Uverse aren’t available in my area (probably for the same reason – most people can’t afford it) and my apartment complex has a covenant that doesn’t allow satellite dishes.
So basically everything is perfectly orchestrated so that I’m not allowed to enjoy myself, relax, and watch my favorite team.
Note: This plays into my frustration at times lol
I don’t know. I think UConn was just trying to piss me off.
I’m pretty sure my dad has this same problem in Eastern PA. They’re split between Philly and NY and get the Phillies network and not YES and he can’t get YES through the cable package because it’s blacked out.
Yup. That’s what happens to me. What doesn’t make sense is that the online package RARELY show commercials…so I don’t see the big deal yet the online radio is not blacked out and it has every and all commercials. I’ll never really understand it.
I kind of understand the ESPN blackout thing because they want the local advertisements that the local companies paid for to be worth something…but I don’t understand blacking out the MLB package stuff with local advertisements all around. Doesn’t make sense to me.
He walked over, leaned in, and then stabbed him in the kidneys with a shiv hidden in his glove.
Then he skinned Joba, donned his hide, and proceeded to blow the Rays away for 3 innings while also tying Lou Gehrig’s record.
This made me laugh out loud.
I do what I can, Jersey. I do what I can.
Derek Jeter stabbed a guy.
Orel Hershiser had some interesting things to say last night. Steve Phillips was his usual dick self and talked about how Joba should go back in the pen. Orel jumped in and said that anything pitchers do before they’re 25 is amazing to him. He said you cant judge the pitcher until he’s 25.
However, he was very down on Joba’s stuff. He said his change is a bad pitch at this point because his FB is only 92. An 87 mph change will get hit hard if you’re FB is only 91-92. He also was down on his curve. He said if it was up to him, he would make Joba throw 2 or 3 pitches. 4 seamer, 2 seamer and slider. He thinks if he concentrates on the 4 seamer more he can get it back to 94-95 consistently. But he also said that he needs to change the way he throws his slider. It has to be more of a hard & tight pitch as opposed to the big breaking one he throws now.
I’m not saying I agree with his points because I’m not sure he’s seen Joba enough to really have a feel for him. But interesting none the less.
I’m not as concerned with Joba’s velocity as I am with the fact that many times, he falls in love with pitching backwards instead of establishing his fastball first. With his breaking pitches–the slider and the curve–I don’t think he necessarily needs to sit 94-95 instead of 92-93 if he can throw the fastball for strikes more consistently. Obviously, this isn’t going to happen overnight and it’s part of the long term development of a pitcher. However, I have full confidence in Chamberlain to get it right in the next year or two.
I think Philips and Hershiser made a good point last night (wow, I can’t believe I said that). Neimann learned how to “pitch” in the minors while Joba (and Price) were fast-tracked to the Bigs and are now learning to pitch. They also mentioned that Joba’s had to do it on the biggest stage in the league (not to mention in the best division in baseball) where everything is amplified even more, especially if you struggle.
It would not surprise me if the Yankees are just trying to get Joba thru the year healthy and get his innings up while trying to make him a better pitcher aka you don’t need to throw the ball thru a brick wall every time, hit your spots, work batters, develop your pitches, etc. etc. This is why it is hard for me to be overly upset at his performances but if he continues like this next year it should be a major concern.
This.
+62
Hughes was raced up too. Kennedy would have been but he crapped himself back to the crib immediately
Minor League Innings:
Neimann – 372.0
Wade Davis – 767.1
Shields – 554.1
Garza – 307.0
Price – 144.0
Kazmir – 251.2
Joba – 88.1
Hughes – 330.0
Lincecum – 62.2 (FREAK!)
King Felix – 306.1
Doc – 638.0
Verlander – 118.2
CC – 246.2
Beckett – 216.1
Doc – 638.0
What a bust.
That’s probably why he’s such a horse up here now. Over 200 innings in his last 4 straight seasons…
I can’t blame Joba for not pitching well of late. Could you imagine pitching under these conditions? One day you’re getting 8 days rest in between starts, the next you’re starting every 5 days but only going 3 innings. It’s gotta be messing with his mind. To me, it would be like if you didn’t have set work hours and every day at 6am your boss called you and told you what times you were gonna work and for how long. You would go to bed every night not knowing if you were going to work 7am-9pm or 4pm-6pm. It would drive you nuts. For all intents and purposes, Joba’s season is done. Let’s see what he does next year when they’re not messing around with him like this.
disagree. it owuld be like your boss giving you a schedule for the month in advance just it having crazy hours you’re not used to. kind of like a rotating schedule at restaurants/movie theaters/etc
Holy crap. Saw a RAB commercial on YES watching the Encore of this game (now that I know what happens I’m trying to appreciate things.
Do you guys pay for that or do you get it as part of being an official YES blog.
Don’t forget the little guys on your way up. (sniff)
Joba said that Jeter is never an in your face guy but he told him to calm down and make your pitches. When Jeter comes over to lecture you in the game, you better do what he says.
I don’t know about those TB pitching changes in the 8th. I think they handed the game to us right about there.
Something about winning makes them uncomfortable.
nah their bullpen is just that bad. has been all year
That was at least the second time that Jeter spoke to Joba on the mound this year and Joba responded like a different pitcher. i don’t remember when in the season that the first time occurred but i can still picture it.
All’s well with the Yankees, we are very pleased to report, with the exception of just one thing.
What’s with the Yankees’ sensibilities as to the Joba Chamberlain rules?
He is, of course, just 23 years old, but Joba is now reduced to pitching what, three innings? And this is helping whom, how? Joba? How can a Joba Chamberlain, in August-September 2007 the absolute talk of New York baseball, (so much so that batters did not even care to step into the box to face his blazing fastball and sharp breaking stuff that were on top of you faster than Haystack Calhoun in his prime), be pleased with his own unfinished business of pitching three blemished, listless, commandless innings every fifth day?
As for the Yankees, what exactly are they thinking? The Yankees brass are mentally coddling this former stud, emasculating him by means of a protectionist program that can neither prepare him to aid the New York Yankees to win in any way during the postseason as either a starting pitcher or as a reliever.