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It’s a Joba kind of world

February
22

ph_501955.jpgJoba Chamberlain is still a rookie and this is his first Major League camp. But you wouldn’t know it to watch him.

Joba talks to everybody, from the superstars to the scrubs. It doesn’t matter if you speak English, Spanish, Japanese or Taiwanese, he talks to you. Coaches, the manager, the clubbies, the media, the cooks, the security guards and everybody else.

Any reservations Joba?

“No, you’ve got to enjoy each other. Just be yourself, don’t change because this is your first spring training,” he said. “You have to be who you are. You’re here for a reason because they think highly of you. Just be who you are and good things will happen.”

This entry was posted on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 5:20 pm by Peter Abraham.
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100 Responses to “It’s a Joba kind of world”

  1. Vincent Migliore

    That’s our Joba

  2. Phil

    Great attitude by Joba!

  3. rodg12

    I pray this kid stays healthy and can have a long ML career.

  4. DMan

    The mans got character.

  5. Mike B.

    Showing maturity like this now only goes to show how serious Joba takes his job with the Yankees. This is just the beginning of what should be a great career on his part. Thanks for passing the info along Pete.

  6. Ant928

    Wise talk for a “kid”. The more I hear the more I like him.

  7. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    This is the type of stuff that legends are made of. (the preceding is a gramatically very poor sentence)

  8. SeanF

    This is the reason why Joba moved through the farm system so quickly. He’s genuine guy who works hard everyday.

  9. Luds

    What a great kid! Makes us proud. Hope he has a killer year.

  10. Boston Dave

    Joba = most likable guy in all of MLB

  11. Yazman

    What’s not to love about this guy?

    My nine year old boys are luke warm baseball/Yankees fans, but they’re excited about Joba and Phil (they saw Phil strike out 13 or so in 5 innings in Trenton). They like Melky too.

    It’s an exciting time!

  12. dana

    I just love this kid. I know there are a lot of Yankee Haters out there but if you can’t find a reason to root for Joba Chamberlain, then you have some serious issues. What a great guy.

  13. KG86

    He already has the makings of a superstar.

  14. mel

    He’s got the right attitude. He never had the proverbial “silver spoon” or “backdoor” treatment. He knows that it was just a few years ago that he was cleaning parks in Lincoln. He probably knows, too, that nothing’s guaranteed in baseball and that it can be gone in a flash.

    Nice to know that the Big 3 or character guys and so well grounded.

  15. Bill Porter

    Pete, I take it you like the Kid?

  16. Josh

    Joba’s just got a great personality and caries himself so well. He’s a major leaguer, living the dream of every young boy, he’s thankful for it and is having a good time. You can’t take these kinds of opportunities for granted.
    Go Joba.
    Thanks for the info Pete.

  17. Russ

    Any “reservations,” Pete?

    You could try to be a bit more sensitive to the Native American kid’s background…

  18. Sean Serritella

    He might start being my favorite player in the new generation Yankees. I’m not sure who to pick yet.

  19. Boston Dave

    lol Russ… very nice

  20. Joe from Long Island

    Maybe ARod would like to weigh in on choice of words.

  21. Vader

    “Joba = most likable guy in all of MLB”

    Just don’t ask Youkilis

  22. Boston Dave

    that was the best line of the day… :)

  23. jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!!

    Just got home from work, well actually I was out for a while cleaning my driveway. I have wonderful neighbors some did my sidewalk and the end of my driveway. 8) saved me a lot of time!

  24. Boston Dave

    Vader,

    I’d like Joba even more if he’d have knocked that rat’s nest right off of Youk’s chin.

  25. Boston Dave

    jennifer,

    thanks for reminding me that I need to log off and go shovel… gulp

  26. jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!!

    Joba’s one cool dude!! I ran into his father last year. It was a rain delay and I just left the Pinstripe Club, he was out in the walkway. I walked up to him said hello and said congrats. He was basking in the glow!!

  27. jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!!

    Get your neighbors to do it for you. :P

  28. pat

    Don’t know which writer on the audio made the comment, but whoever asked about the kids being too young to understand what they are getting themselves into, did hit the nail on the head.

    Ignorance and an air of invincibility are a scary combination.

  29. #9

    “Just be who you are and good things will happen.”

    Great advice for people of all ages!

  30. Bill Porter

    #9

    What if the person getting that advice is an A-hole?

    :-)

  31. mel

    It’s Joba’s world, and we’re just taking up space.

  32. nettles

    Such a great kid! I’m so glad he’s a Yankee!

  33. mel

    It’s Pete’s world, and we’re just piling up hits.

  34. Ross (NYYStadiumInsider.com)

    Another Joba post!?

    Is this the Joba Chamberlain fan club or the Lohud Yankees Blog?

  35. Ross (NYYStadiumInsider.com)

    I kid, I kid. Even I have a man crush on Joba

  36. pat

    Giambi makes the same stick the tongue out face on ground balls that the kids who play T-ball do.

    http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-yspring-pg,0,5326093.photogallery

  37. pat

    OOps…. It’s picture #9

  38. Ranting Guy

    Man crush … thats a kinda creepy way to put it but I think I know what you mean.

  39. Ranting Guy

    I read that Molina and Posada were impressed with what Hughes was throwing. Pete, how did be look when he was out there?

  40. mel

    http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=kareem

    A story of a little boy whose only dream was to play baseball.

  41. Ranting Guy

    Youkilis. Ha. Like to see him rush the mound at Joba after a piych he thinks is too close. In Youkilis` case, that would be any pitch closer than the outside corner. Not that I`d like to see Joba get rushed or get into a fight … I`d really not like to see that happen. In my fantasy world situation, Shelley happens to be playing 1B, runs over and unloads a rib-crushing tackle on Youkilis a few steps before Youkilis reaches Joba. No outher punches thrown, the rest is no more than a typical shove-fest.

  42. whozat

    “I read that Molina and Posada were impressed with what Hughes was throwing. Pete, how did be look when he was out there?”

    What…you’d trust Pete’s view from a distance over Molina and Jorge actually getting behind the plate and receiving his pitches?

  43. Ranting Guy

    I know that`s premature (if not immature) but its spring training I gotta get ready for the season too.

  44. Ranting Guy

    “You hear what you’re supposed to hear” is why I asked Pete. I have no idea what his vantage point is but he talks to the players too.

  45. Doreen

    Can I adopt Joba???

    Seriously, it’s refreshing that he’s both enjoying and appreciating where he is in life.

  46. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    If you’re not getting good vibes from this year’s team, you probably belong in Boston.

  47. Ranting Guy

    Well of course I’d trust what the catcher says about a pitcher over the opinion of a guy watching from a distance.

    But players can get hyped in some media sources, so I wondered if what I read was actually an accurate quote from either those guys. Maybe Pete could back it up.

  48. Boston Dave

    Ranting Guy:

    here’s the article I saw on Hughes:

    http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080222&content_id=2383953&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

  49. Ranting Guy

    yep … thats the article

  50. Boston Dave

    Hughes was hitting 94-95 in the minors but seemed to top out at 92-93 (likely due to his injuries) last year. I expected and hoped he’d get back to 94-95 but figured it might not happen until the end of spring training… I guess Phil’s already in shape.

  51. Boston Dave

    not to mention Hughes walked guys at a higher rate in the majors last year which could have been nerves. He had much better control in the minors.

    95mph with good control and a plus curve…. hmmmm

  52. mel

    Boston Dave,

    Meant to ask you yesterday. Who’s your NBA team?

  53. Boston Dave

    mel,

    not sure you want me to answer that but it’s the ONLY Boston team that is a favorite of mine (blame Larry Bird if you need to :) )

  54. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    Boston Dave: don’t feel bad about it! I’m a Nets fan, but I have a lot of respect for the Celtics.

  55. mel

    Boston Dave,

    That’s okay. I hear that Stockholm Syndrome is very common in hostage situations. :)

  56. Boston Dave

    thanks Rebecca.

    if the Yanks played the Celts, no question I’d root for the Bombers. they’re definitely my #1.

  57. Boston Dave

    lol mel…. that is quite possible.

  58. LathamJoe

    Mel:
    Great story and pictures on Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s journey to superstardom. I was a High School Freshman when I saw Lew Alcindor of Power Memorial play Linton High School in Schenectady,NY for a Holiday Tournament in 1961. Power Memorial, a huge favorite to win the Tourney of the local schools, was upset by host Linton High, led by their star Pat Riley. Riley still refers to it as “the greatest basketball game in Capital District area History”.

  59. Thrillington

    Hey all,

    I just got back from Japan. Darvish is quite the star there with the Ham Fighters. Does anyone have any updates on whether or not the Yanks are still interested in him?

  60. mel

    Boston Dave, I’m a Celtics fan tonight.

    Rebecca, your Nets are winning RIGHT NOW!

    Latham Joe, amazing how tortured some people are, huh? People think he’s standoffish, but I bet he’s still that insecure little kid inside even if he’s one of the all time greats.

  61. Boston Dave

    mel,

    are you a Lakers fan? gulp

  62. Boston Dave

    Thrillington,

    I would imagine every team is interested in him. Are they interested enough to top the $51M posting fee that Daisuke brought and that Darvish might command? I doubt anyone knows that right now… but I’m looking forward to seeing him in the Olympics this year.

    I think he said he didn’t want to go to the U.S. also, but that could change.

  63. mel

    Boston Dave,

    Yep. Lakers. Yankees. Patriots. Go figure.

  64. Boston Dave

    Thrillington,

    here’s an article from last month that indicates the Yanks might be interested in him though:

    http://eastwindupchronicle.com/yankees-after-darvish-for-2009/

  65. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    Whoa, the Nets winning?!

    WOW!

  66. Vader

    Boston Dave,

    I would have too…not that I condone that type of behavior though.

  67. Boston Dave

    Nets could go to 2-0 after Kidd… and aren’t they already the 7th playoff seed right now?

  68. Chrissy

    Woohoo Nets! =P

    As for Joba, you can’t NOT love the guy! I’m so excited to see what he’s going to do this year.

  69. Thurman

    Just thinking…..is there any major league hitter bold enough to rush any mound that has Andrew Brackman on it?

  70. Josh

    anyword on how strickland has looked in camp so far?

  71. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    2-0 after Kidd is nice, but you have to remember, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

  72. Andrea

    Thurman: Is there any hitter dumb enough?

  73. J-Dawg--Veintisiete en '08

    It’s refreshing to see someone as talented as Joba to also be so down-to-earth and easy going. This kid has enough maturity to be able to handle ANY situation, on the field and off the field.

    It pains me to say this, but seeing Jason Kidd’s name reminded me that the Mavericks have the night off tonight. Playing against the Grizzlies equals a night off. But I know that my Memphis Tigers could handle the Mavs! :)

  74. Mark Alan

    Joba Chamberlain is a Yankee.

  75. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    Andrea: Oh, definitely.

  76. Mark Alan

    Thurman…

    I think Munson would have rushed Brackman on the mound if he truly felt wronged.

  77. OldYanksFan

    http://www.gearlog.com/2006/07/yeehaw_the_joba_horseriding_fi.php

  78. J-Dawg--Veintisiete en '08

    I think that maybe Milton Bradley could be dumb enough to rush the mound against Brackman.

  79. Zach

    Im from Nebraska and I Grew up a Yankee fan and obviously a Husker fan I always watched Joba when he pithced for the Huskers. I knew that Joba had something special and that he would have a great MLB Career. I just glad the kid is a Yankee.

  80. Phil Hughes is Saved!

    Love Joba!

  81. Boston Dave

    thank you Pete

  82. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    Heh, you know it’s baseball season when the trolls come out…

  83. babybombertrilogy

    HAHA!
    check out what i found on yahoo
    http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo;_ylt=Anw3YHjYKL6631oLIAOUdgERvLYF?slug=d645b587e38e9363f52f553b800fbbcf-getty-78802316rl005_reds_portraits&prov=getty

  84. jennifer-Phil Hughes saved!!

    Wow Andy looks much bigger.

  85. Andrea

    Good for Andy Phillips.

  86. J-Dawg--Veintisiete en '08

    Hopefully everything works out for Andy in Cincinnati. From all accounts, Andy is a super guy who deserves his share of good luck. I think that Cincinnati could be a pretty good situation for him, as things could be looking up for the Reds. They have a formidable closer now with Francisco Cordero, and the NL Central is always up for grabs and anybody’s ballgame. Well, except for Pittsburgh of course. ;)

  87. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    Andy deserves some good. Best of luck to him.

  88. dale d

    Wanting to keep my friends close and my enemies closer I googled Red Sox blogs….
    the top 4 were still mired in PED stuff about the rocket

    anybody got a link to a SOX blog by somebody in Spring training with them ? I would love to see their rotation as “in shape” as Beckett.

    Is this a more physical ST than last season? Last year I was never subliminally encouraged to run and lift. I’m working out and watching Jose Tabata do squats on youtube. Gotta love Joe G

  89. Rebecca--Optimist Prime--Mission 2708

    So apparently Manny Ramirez has hired Scott Boras.

    Cue comments.

  90. Prete Funk Era

    You can tell by his picture that Joba enjoys every second of being a Yankee.

  91. jj

    This made me laugh, courtesy of AP—
    ”.....Although New Orleans has a 7-footer of its own in Tyson Chandler, the matchup against the 7-6 Yao did not go well for the Hornets’ center.

    Yao scored on seemingly effortless jump hooks and short turnaround jumpers. Other times, he rotated into the paint to steal rebounds from Hornets forwards and casually lay the ball back in like an adolescent might toy with younger, shorter brothers in a driveway.”

  92. Prete Funk Era

    dale d February 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm

    Wanting to keep my friends close and my enemies closer I googled Red Sox blogs….
    the top 4 were still mired in PED stuff about the rocket

    Don’t worry they talking about haircuts. Look at Manny, that mop is getting out of control!

    http://www.sawxblog.com/2008/02/theres-somethin.html

  93. dale d

    Prete funk era

    what I’m getting at is the yankees are in better shape than last season. I have always used Spring training as an inspiration to get physical. But this year there are reports of players showing up in better shape. Look how Jetter got way physical. They got the memo. Wana bet there are fewer hamstrings blown this April?

    gotta love Joe g
    But honestly is there a Sox blog out there with facts not fluff? Returning Champions and all.

  94. ralphrc

    Two words: bug spray.

  95. Boston Dave

    dale d,

    the sox won the world series and still, the topic that continually dominates the sox blogs is the yankees. they’ll never get over the inferiority complex.

  96. Kill-Schill(ing)

    “Confusing Steven White and Steven Jackson is like mistaking Hillary Clinton for Hillary Duff.”

    It is?

  97. mel

    Where is everyone? At NYPD113th’s bar?

  98. Andrea

    mel: does that guy really have a bar?

  99. WORRIED GUY

    since there may be pictures, roger now says he may have been at casneco’s party which he said he definatly wasnt at:

    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/02/22/2008-02-22_roger_clemens_attorney_maybe_rocket_was_.html

    that does it for me, he is a cheater and a liar and there’s no excuse. i hope hes convicted of perjury

  100. randy l.

    worried guy-
    from the link you provided
    “In his testimony before Congress, Clemens told ranking member Tom Davis (R-Va.), “So could I have gone by (Canseco’s) house later that afternoon and dropped my wife or her brother-in-law, the people that golfed with me? Sure, I could have. But at the time of the day that I would have expressed it to be, I was on my way to the ballpark. I know one thing. I wasn’t there having huddled up with somebody trying to do a drug deal. I know that for sure.”

    the real point of questioning whether clemens was at the party was that the mitchell report people didn’t check any other witnesses( and the whole toronto team was there) to back up that clemens was there or not there. it was being pointed out that the mitchell report had shoddy investigating. clemen’s own testimony left it possible he was there so i don’t see this as a”gotcha”.

    one thing that strikes me odd is the kids father being offended at dan burton’s questioning of ncnamee. being sympathetic with an admitted steroid dealer is an odd position for a father of a college baseball player who is likely to get drafted. if he feels so sorry for mcnamee, maybe he should hire him to train his son. mcnamee could clearly use a job. somehow i don’t think that father would let mcnamee near his son. so why the sympathy?

    if a photo exists, it doesn’t prove clemens did steroids. he may indeed have used steroids, but there needs to be direct evidence he did. if simply being at the party meant someone did steroids that would mean the whole toronto team was doing steroids because they were all there.

    i will say that clemens’ attorneys made a tactical mistake in making it a big issue of whether he was there or not. why did it matter or not? he might have been at a team party. so what? what does that prove?

    enough of the circumstantial evidence and innuendo. it should take some hard evidence to prove something in court.

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Peter AbrahamPeter Abraham is the Yankees beat writer for The Journal News and LoHud.com. E-mail me at pabraham@lohud.com

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