Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 10, 2007 
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Had a chance to speak to Harlan Chamberlain yesterday. He believes his son can be something special for the Yankees. Several times during our talk, Joba’s dad told me that his son would always give the Yankees everything he had.
Roger Clemens and Joe Torre were suspended by MLB over the fracas in Toronto the other night.
Thanks for running Mr. Chamberlain down, Pete. Great article! This is one of those fairy tales you hope just continues to come true for their family. I particularly like Joba’s work ethic — he sounds like he’s one of those “salt of the earth” types that are so rare today.
“”"Tyler Kepner from the New York Times reports today in the Times that Edwar Ramirez is expected to be called up as early as today.”"”
Hallelujah to Edwar!
By the way, according to the NY Post, Clemens was fined $1,500 and the other players (Torre, A-Rod, Bowa, Pena, Towers, Stairs, Butterfield) were fined $500 each.
I’d like to see the interview with the father of the player who tosses his son under the bus. I guess you got to look at basketball players for that.
ABK:
You don’t have to copy and paste nonsense from other beat writers.
Karstens has actually been of value as the long man. He may have gotten rocked but he saved the pen.
what is the point fining arod 500? thats equal to fining someone who makes 50k a year .01
Anyone else realize the Devil Rays took the season series from the Tigers????
So they are good for something
Great job again Peter! I really enjoyed the article on Joba and his dad. I have to tell you that this is the place I come to to get the latest news on the Yankees. The very best I’ve found! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into keeping us informed, even sometimes on your days off! For those of us our here in the middle of nowhere, this is a valuable resource.
Just weighing in on the Rocket suspension. I don’t look at it as very fair either, but that’s pretty much the norm when it comes to the Yankees. I just hope we take it and make it work FOR us! US against the world, sounds like it could bring out the best fight in this whole team! I sure am glad we have the Rocket back to protect our guys like that! We’ve needed that and missed it.
As far as the whiny Jays about the slides. Why do they think Jeter and Cano have to jump so high when they make the throw to first? DUH! It’s baseball Bluejays. How about a copy of Baseball for Dummies?
Thanks again, Pete. I don’t get to post much, but love your input and the posts by knowledgeable fans!
500 is a small price to pay for showing the cajones.
I’m looking for one last favor from the Devil Rays. Do some hurting damage to Boston before the season is done. There’s a history of bad blood with both teams.
The suspension may not be “fair” but it is baseball rules. They are technically being fair.
It’s like the dumb NBA rule of coming off the bench during a fight. It cost the Suns a title when they suspended 2 of their best players for coming to the defense of their MVP when the 8th man from the other team forearm shoved him.
Their should be room for a grey area in sports
But, Towers, who started the whole deal doesn’t get suspended!!!!! Baseball rules stink! You got to be kidding me! Can’t believe Towers got nothing (only a small fine) Absurd!
I’ll take .500 ball for the Rays vs the Sox.
That’s not asking for much right?
Why did ARod get ‘just’ $500??? he started the brawl.
Great.
Another day of lamebrain useless E-Rod posts.
Because it is always good and smart to bash the league MVP during his best season.
Makes a whole lot of sense.
Wow great article with Joba’s dad. You really feel his excitement and pride. That last line was classic, imagine your pride when your son is pitching for the NY Yankees. What a great story, only thing this story needs is the storybook ending World Series Championship! The big plot writer owes us that after the terrible endings since 2001.
Pete – that’s a great article about Joba’s dad. Thanks so much. What a great story. Any idea how Hughes feels about getting usurped so quickly from his position as Yankee golden boy? I actually think that might take a little pressure off him.
They still need to tinker with the bullpen. Edwar up is a start, hopefully today.
Karstens ate up a couple innings, but gave up some runs. Not good enough for me and if he was effective at all, he would’ve ate up more innings. I want the long man to eat up innings and hold the other team right where they are and give the Yanks a chance to come back with that potent offense. We need Rasner in a bad way. I’m serious. Perfect long guy/spot starter. What’s his injury status?
Pete-
Just wondering if you could give us an update of where we are with signing guys from this yrs draft? Anyone we should be worrying about?
And and what are you hearing about other teams draft picks, like Porcello or Moustakas? Any chance we will get a crack at them next yr?
Thanks
Pete, thanks for the article on Joba’s dad. It’s a real good/feel good story!
NJ Star Legder had a good article this morning about how the Yankees assessed/addressed their bullpen weakness(es).
“Bullpen Article”:http://www.nj.com/columns/ledg.....038;coll=1
Thanks for the great father/son piece, Pete. Sometimes a person reads a story like this, and you ask yourself if you’re seeing the beginning of a storybook career. I pray he stays healthy and the staff doesn’t overuse him early on–the stuff I’ve seen from him can only get deadlier….
I love reading about parents who are a positive, strong presence in their child’s life.
Hughes for 6, Joba for 2, Mo for 1…WOW
Great article on Joba and his dad. The kid seems like a real phenom. It’s great to have all this young hungry blood on the Yankees now.
Here are some thoughts about intentionally throwing at batters. Based on the comments on this and previous posts, this is a minority opinion on this blog.
MLB is a sport that is watched by children as well as adults. Many children idolize their favorite players and emulate their behavior. Each time a pitcher throws at a hitter and other adults (announcers, commentators, bloggers, family members, whoever) talk about how it was good because he was “defending his teammates” by redressing a previous wrong, thousands of children hear this message. Some of them will misapply it in their own lives by drawing the conclusion that “it is good to use violence against someone if you believe you have been wronged”.
Joe Torre has made the domestic violence that he experienced very public knowledge and is working very hard to convince people that violence is not an appropriate way of solving conflicts. Is he right for doing so? If he is right, how can it also be right for high profile role models such as MLB players to demonstrate the opposite message?
One final thought: why exactly does it take a lot of cojones to stand sixty feet away from someone who believes that you are going to pitch a ball for him to try to hit and throw it at him as hard as you can instead? In this situation the risk of harm to the batter is much greater than to the pitcher.
Great story Pete. It seems kind of rare for a father and son to be so close. It’s very touching, a great Field of Dreams type baseball story. Thanks.
On the road, against a tough right hander, with a contender as the opponent, at the start of a critical series during a critical stretch of the season, tonight’s game will decide the playoff fate of the Yanks. If we win, the tone is set and we’ll make it; if not, there will be no October lights at the Stadium.
let’s hope Joba is as good a pitcher as he is a son.
US and International Stocks Sink on Yankees’ Fading Playoff Chances
August 10th, 2007 at 10:16 am
On the road, against a tough right hander, with a contender as the opponent, at the start of a critical series during a critical stretch of the season, tonight’s game will decide the playoff fate of the Yanks. If we win, the tone is set and we’ll make it; if not, there will be no October lights at the Stadium.
The first dumb post of the day!
What a tool. Win today, were in? Lose today, we’re done? Funny stuff.
Now baseball has to be the protector of morals and values and raise children, Bronx?
That is up to parents. It is a game. If one can’t separate a game from real life they shouldn’t be playing games. If one picks up an AK-47 and shoots people because of video games that person had major issues before the video game “made him do it”.
I hope kids follow and listen to teammates defending each other. By your hypothesis only the defenders lose. You are free to strike the first punch because after a warning their will be no retribution.
What kind of example is that setting?
We are in the land of the trolls. And it’s not even a day off for the Yankees. Why must they grace us with their presence?!
Lose a game in August means you are done now.
Intelligent stuff.
I don’t want to get into a discussion of morals and values, but if you know the frame work with which a child learns, you know they are influenced by all they see. A child who is continually exposed to violence, will be prone to violence. Defending typically refers to the advance of an attack, Roger Clemens was not defending his teammate (I understand in terms of baseball he was) by throwing a pitch six innings later. It’s not baseball’s responsibility to set a good example, they can set a bad example though.
Brian M
“Just wondering if you could give us an update of where we are with signing guys from this yrs draft? Anyone we should be worrying about?”
I’ve been following this as well. Heres what I have as far as the Yankees are concerned.
Andrew Brackman P: Concerns about TJ surgery and Boras wanting over slot $ holding back negotiations.
Austin Romine C: Should get done, possible future catcher
if Jesus Montero moves to 1st Base as expected.
Ryan Pope P: Signed.
Carmen Angelini SS: Supposedly have a deal in place. Waiting on commissioners approval.
Adam Olbrychowski P: Signed.
Damon Sublett 2B: Signed.
Austin Krum OF: Signed.
Isiah Howes OF: Signed.
Manuel Barreda P: Signed.
Nick Chigges P: Signed.
Braedyn Pruitt 3B:Signed.
Dave Williams OF: Signed.
Hopefully we get the Brackman deal done. Another good arm in the minors won’t hurt. Hope this helps!
Greg:
“500 is a small price to pay for showing the cajones.”
You know, Chippendales would pay THEM to show their balls…
I can’t stand Sox fans and their troll brethren.
Brackman reminds me of guys who fell like Kennedy and Joba. He was expected to be the #1 pick in the draft a yr ago. He has that much talent and #1 starter ability. We did pretty well with the other guys who fell.
“By your hypothesis only the defenders lose. You are free to strike the first punch because after a warning their will be no retribution.
What kind of example is that setting?”
I didn’t say it was correct to strike the first blow. I certainly do not think that.
If Porcello goes abck in the draft he can’t be drafted for 3 more years.
Why wouldn’t he sign with the Tigers? They have no problems paying over slot. Unless hes dying to attend UNC.
Baseball has been playing by its own rules for a century. Why would they screw with that? You hit someone, someone from your team gets hit.
It’s old school. The way the game is played.
Whoever put this warning stuff in never played the game.
“A child who is continually exposed to violence, will be prone to violence.”
Yeah, all those violent adults in the late 40s and early 50s, right?
Oh, wait a minute… despite MOST children who were growing up between 1933 and 1945 being exposed to violence, the real violence of war on a worldwide basis, when they became adults? They weren’t prone to any more prone to violence than those who were raised before or after that. And the children who survived the concentration camps? How violent were they? As a matter of fact, there is some evidence that indicates that children who are exposed to violence by other than their family members are less likely to be violent. Is that mean that a blanket statement about exposing children to violence might make them less violent is accurate or true? No.
The reality is that making blanket statements like the quote above isn’t the smartest thing to do.
Brian M–Here’s a link for ya.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....p?c_id=nyy
Al,
I work have been working in treatment facilities with children for the past seven years. Your right not all children will become violent. However, the vast majority of children who experience physical retribution as a means to ending all problems tend to be prone to physical retribution. Some kids beat other kids up with their fists, some get guns and walk through schools shooting people, some sublimate their issues through sports. Nothing is certain, but violence typically leads to more violence.
Hey, should we sign Fernando Cabrera??
good for clemens. if he brings us together then all that money didn’t go down the toilet.
history tells that we always beat up on weaker teams and only had to hold our own against quality. but this year, because of the start, that won’t work.
july was nice, but we need to continue to go two out of three in august.
clemens could not have picked a better time.
Stop babying kids and let them live. Video games don’t hurt kids.
Having bad parents hurts kids.
I’m sick and tired of other people trying to tell me and other parents how to raise my kids.
If my son is on the mound I hope he protects his teammates. I’d be disappointed in him if he didn’t. Defending your buddies is a pretty good character trait in my book.
This is why Clemens is worth every penny for this team.
E-ROC
August 10th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Hey, should we sign Fernando Cabrera??
Why not? Guy has given up less hits than innings pitched and struck out more than 1 per inning in his major league career. Gave up a ton of HR’s though. Looks like he has some good stuff. Let Nardi et al have at him.
ND Yank–Fernando Cabrera has excellent stuff. He was suppose to be the Indians closer of the future. I think he’s had some control issues. Maybe Cash will scoop him up.
Fernando Cabrera is not a good pitcher
WHIP 1.78 K/BB 1.77 ERA 5.61
“Baseball has been playing by its own rules for a century. Why would they screw with that?”
Over that Century, the rules have changed, the length of the season has changed, the playoff system has changed, the height of the mound has changed, the equipment has changed, player’s compensation has changed, racial segregation in the game has has changed, etc, etc…
YanksSox
August 10th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Fernando Cabrera is not a good pitcher
WHIP 1.78 K/BB 1.77 ERA 5.61
Not this year thus far, he was bad. But some guys who are thrown on the scrap pile can bounce back in a different environment and with good coaching. We have some great guys tutoring our young pitchers, they might be of some help to Cabrera. He pitched better in ’05 & ’06.
“Bean Rules”
-No beaning for players properly placing a fat pitch into the stands
-No beaning for multiple homeruns by any player
-No beaning A-rod for looking at a homerun trying to determine if it’s foul or fair, especially when catcher and umpire are doing the same thing (e.g. 500th HR)
-May bean a player who stands at the plate with bat in hand, admires their shot, and then casually drops said bat like a call girl dropping a teddy (i.e. ManRam)
-May bean a player for a bush league play
-May retaliate for excessive beaning after payback for bush league play
-No beaning after payback has been rendered (i.e. Tallet)
-No suspension of players over the age of 44, they’ve paid their dues and can do whatever they want
-Beaning is allowed when a team continues to chirp and whine in the course of a game
I see Edwar has been recalled – who did they send down?
The Joba story is one that makes you go back a little, to days before players lived such privileged lives as youngsters, always coddled and protected and indulged as valuable “prospects.” From the time these kids are 16, and sometimes before, they are the objects of a scouts’ desire, High School and College kids under Scott Boras’ spell.
I think Chamberlain got good money – - above slot – - to sign with the Yankees. I heard or read that he made sure to take care of his dad with some of it. I like the fact that Joba mowed some grass and chalked some lines before getting his shot and that nothing was a sure thing or a guarantee. I doubt he’ll ever forget where he came from. He sounds as close to a blue collar kid with a blue collar heart as we are likely to these days.
Great story Pete – very nice work…but you did make a mistake…Joba did pitch in the minors last year…the Yankees sent him to Hawaii at the end of the regular minor league season and he absolutely dominated there…with a ridiculous 436-3 K-BB ratio. This kid is the real deal.
Thanks Pete for a great father and son story. I saw Joba interviewed by Kim Jones the other day and he’s a charmer. He’s going to be a big asset to the Yankees.