Joba in a Nebraska state of mind
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Podcast on Jul 19, 2009 
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It would seem that Nebraska is a great place to clear your mind. Who knew?
Joba Chamberlain said that getting away for four days helped him become more focused today on the mound. He was aggressive in the strike zone, more emotional and stuck to the game plan he had with Jorge Posada.
You saw the results. One run over 6.2 innings, 3 hits and 8 Ks. It was the deepest he has gone in a game since June 1 and most strikeouts he has had since May 5.
The fifth inning was telling. After Roberto Clemente Swisher played a single into a triple, Joba hit Placido Polanco. No problem. He got the the dangerous Miguel Cabrera to pop up before fanning Marcus Thames on a 97-mph fastball. In all, Chamberlain retired the last seven batters he faced.
Here is Joba talking about it:
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Today is the big game for the Yankees on several fronts. They’re now a game out of first, they swept a good team and maybe the kid with the big arm has remembered just how good he can be when he sets his mind to it.
“People think it’s easy,” Phil Hughes said. “It’s not. We’re 23, we’re still learning. But I bet Joba remembers this game.”
Yanks have some youth and raw talent. Especially in the pitchin dept. We have been waitin for some time for this.
Anywhere that is far away from the madding crowd is a good place to clear your head. Of course home, where you aren’t a superstar but just another member of the family, is a great place to just “be yourself.”
I totally got what Joba was saying. Whatever, it worked for him.
Nice to have the real Joba back.
My point is to appreciate what we have and try to lend some credit to uncle Brian. We are starting to have the best farm system and young talent in baseball if you look at our farm system and cano, Phil, and Joba
joba was a beast on a mission today
Can’t help but think the stories about the disappointment with Joba and possible trade rumors motivated Joba to get back to his game. Let’s hope he stays focused and doesn’t let the fame and attention distract him.
Today wasn’t the toughest part for Chamberlain. The toughest part will be repeating it in his next start and going from there. However, today was a huge step in that direction.
Maybe Harlan had a bit to do with Joba being Joba today.
I am sure that he saw and heard about the clamor for him to be traded for Halladay, it might have helped get him back on attack mode.
Either way, it was nice to see him doing a great job.
Is it me, or anyone getting sick of Damon’s act? Can he actually play a full week of baseball? This guy has more “injuries” or “stifness” than any player I know.
The Royals pen is so so bad! They have blow three games in a row to the Rays all in the 8th inning.
Montero, c
Jackson, of
Gardner/Cabrera, of
Cano, 2b
Coke, rp
Melancon, rp
Aceves, rp
Robertson, rp
Wang, sp
Hughes, sp
Chamberlain, sp
Cash will be getting the Gene Michael love he’s been craving all these years very soon.
RDM -
It’s you, definitely!
Johnny Damon give 100% every time he plays, but he does get banged up quite a bit.
Man this has to be a painful game for the kid in Oakland
“Today wasn’t the toughest part for Chamberlain. The toughest part will be repeating it in his next start and going from there. However, today was a huge step in that direction.”
True, but circumstances and high expectations have not been fair with Chamberlain regarding his development as a ML starter. We can criticize his performances, however, he still has only started 15 games in the minor leagues and 30 games in the majors as a professional pitcher. He’s learning as he goes along, I just hope he’s not ruin before he gets his legs under him and learns how to be a good consistent ML starter.
I know there’s going to be questions about his shoulder the next time he goes out there and doesn’t throw 110 MPH on every pitch, but could we at least try to put the nonsense to rest that there’s something wrong with Joba’s shoulder?
His velocity is there. He can dial it up when he wants to. His velocity also increases when he gets into a rhythm and he amps up his game.
The old Joba is still there. It may be inconsistent, but it’s there.
The Yanks would be insane to trade this kid and I didn’t expect it to happen even before today’s start.
Patience. Patience. Patience.
“People think it’s easy,” Phil Hughes said. “It’s not. We’re 23, we’re still learning. But I bet Joba remembers this game.” – Phil Hughes
Quote of the evening.
“People think it’s easy,” Phil Hughes said. “It’s not. We’re 23, we’re still learning.”
Something we all need to remember.
I wanted Damon to come back as a dh next year @ 6-7M, but I think I would let him go and bring back Abreu as a DH.
Um, guys…any of you that caught Girardi’s postgame, catch this comment?
“People forget he had about 150 innings in the minor leagues, which is not a whole lot, I mean I talked to Ron Darling earlier today, he said he had about five or six hundred in the minor leagues, and he’s got 30+ starts under his belt in the big leagues. I mean, it’s not a ton of pitching.”
Umm, isn’t that kinda what I said?
http://www.puristbleedspinstri.....anded.html
I mean, I know it’s probably just a coincidence, but…
One thing is clear from that post game interview, Joba was not enjoying baseball lately.
I’d be very happy if this was the cause of his malaise. As long as his shoulder is healthy, the other stuff can be fixed.
Oops. That doesn’t look right.
It’d be good if this malaise was the cause of his recent struggles.
If this was 30 years ago Joba, Kennedy and Hughes would not have thrown 1 pitch in the majors until they had 500+ minor league innings under their belt and were ready to throw 200+ innings.
man abreu is much much better player then swisher…
to bad the ynaks did not know the market for abreu would be $5 mill..
the yanks roster is loaded with homegrown players onyly fools do not understand that..over 1/2 there roster is home grown…
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Montero Fanaticus Primus
July 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Um, guys…any of you that caught Girardi’s postgame, catch this comment?
“People forget he had about 150 innings in the minor leagues, which is not a whole lot, I mean I talked to Ron Darling earlier today, he said he had about five or six hundred in the minor leagues, and he’s got 30+ starts under his belt in the big leagues. I mean, it’s not a ton of pitching.”
Umm, isn’t that kinda what I said?
http://www.puristbleedspinstri.....anded.html
I mean, I know it’s probably just a coincidence, but…
————————————————-
Where do you think Joe got that info from? He reads your blog.
Good quote from Phil – a nice reminder to the reactionaries in the media and on the blogs/boards.
great to see both joba and phranchise hughes trust their stuff, rear back and deliver 95-97 with hitters unable to catch up
“Is it me, or anyone getting sick of Damon’s act? Can he actually play a full week of baseball? This guy has more “injuries” or “stifness” than any player I know.”
You trying playing left field on ice skates and see what happens.
Joba Chamberlain is the key to the 2009 season now that Wang is no longer relevant….Cashman still needs to acquire a mid-range starter….
The mets starter is now hurt running to first wow
They were wrong about how many innings Joba pitched in the minors.
He pitched a total of 88.1 innings for three different minor league levels. He pitched winter ball before that 2007 season, but that’s only about 40 or so innings.
Anyone watching the mets Game?
Niese just hurt his quad running out an infield hit. The pitcher.
Doreen
I can’t help but feel bad for the Mets
Pat m,
Didn’t you hear? Cashman signed someone out of the SWB organization.
And Wang’s not irrelevant. He’s just out of commission. Nice to see him out on the field to celebrate the wins, though. Too bad he’s a sideline observer. He’s a good guy that we depended on in the pitching lean years, and someone that is sorely missed.
Sigh, I really miss that double-tap.
“The mets starter is now hurt running to first wow”
You can’t make this up. Pretty soon with all of the injuries, SNY will have a reality show where the winner of the show gets to play for the Mets.
Sorry, Nieve, not NIese.
“If this was 30 years ago Joba, Kennedy and Hughes would not have thrown 1 pitch in the majors until they had 500+ minor league innings under their belt and were ready to throw 200+ innings.”
The Yankees making the playoffs in 2007 due to these young men hasn’t exactly helped them develop in the right way as ML pitchers.
“You trying playing left field on ice skates and see what happens.”
not to mention being blind on top of ice skates.
all things considering, he’s doing pretty good
“People think it’s easy,” Phil Hughes said. “It’s not. We’re 23, we’re still learning. But I bet Joba remembers this game.” – Phil Hughes
That is a great quote and one that Yankee fans need to remember when evaluating any of our young players.
Did Pedro Cerrano ask Jobu to put a voodoo hex on the Mets’ organization over the offseason?
Good grief.
They might have the most injuries of any team I’ve seen in the last 20 years.
carl-
It’s just sad. I can’t remember a team being this decimated by injuries. Frankly, I don’t know how they keep coming to the ballpark and suiting up.
There is no help coming. And the news gets worse and worse. Beltran, Reyes, they’re not coming back anytime soon. Sheffield. And Wright can’t do it alone and the pressure of trying to is killing him.
One SP, maybe 2……….I know what Cash said about fixing problems internally, but I hope that’s just GM talk because he doesn’t want to reveal anything.
Just a simple point but Phil has had absolutely great extension in the last two times he’s pitched. He almost looked like Seaver out there. So many good things happen when you finish your pitches like that.
RDM
It’s you.
you know, pitchers that are called up from the minors in the NL have not had to hit or run, because they have the DH. Maybe it’s about time the NL joined the rest of professional and amateur baseball?
Joba pitches every 5th day,I say let him go home if the end result is a win.
Now on to Andy,will he get over his fear of pitching in Yankee stadium?
RS @ Rangers tomorrow,go Rangers.
m, What I was saying is that Wang is done for the season….And Sergio is not going to be the answer…It’d be nice if he could be another Aaron Small….The reality is with Kennedy out, Cashman needs to pickup a quality starter…..Can’t imagine Cashman rolling the dice for the 2009 season on Sergio Miltre……
“Joba Chamberlain is the key to the 2009 season now that Wang is no longer relevant….Cashman still needs to acquire a mid-range starter….”
pat m-
you can be a real trouble maker sometimes.
i don’t expect him back myself though stranger things have happened.
i’d stretch out hughes to 60 pitches which is just 20 more than he is now and he’d be no more than two weeks away from throwing 80 pitches if they lose another starter.
a mid level starter would be great, but the yankees would have to pay in prospects or money, neither of which they seem to want to do.
Maine Yankee: So Girardi reads my blog, eh?
Think he could hook me up?
RMD,
July 19th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Is it me, or anyone getting sick of Damon’s act? Can he actually play a full week of baseball? This guy has more “injuries” or “stifness” than any player I know
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No, you’re not alone in getting tired of it. But no worries, he’ll be able to rest his body elsewhere next season. He’s definitely not a “warrior” in playing through injuries, that’s for sure.
I must say it’s nice to see/hear Phil backing up his teammate to the media.
Bo Knows, one thing I always read about Phil was that he had GREAT mechanics and used his legs a lot. That is so important for a power pitcher because he derives most of his power from his trunk – I remember Seaver constantly saying (when he was a Yankees broadcaster) how important it was for a power pitcher to have a strong trunk. I think I read that the Yankees changed Joba’s mechanics because he wasn’t using his legs nearly enough (too much arm)…….
“Now on to Andy,will he get over his fear of pitching in Yankee stadium?”
Myth. You do not know Andy if you think he’s afraid.
Damon is always hurt and he’s always playing through injuries……I don’t get bashing Johnny.
Pat,
If we’re not getting Roy Halladay, I’d rather stand pat (no pun intended).
People are talking about getting an innings eater. If mitre can fill that role it will be ideal.
I hope that Kennedy can get back to where he was. Unfortunately, I don’t see him pitching for the Yankees. He’d be perfect for Oakland or San Diego. He really needs to pitch in a pitcher’s park imo.
Anyone want to tell the board how Swisher is an above-average right fielder today? Man, he is brutal out there, and if his fielding metrics don’t reflect that, then fielding stats are severely flawed.
Great job by Chamberlain he looked a little rusty like Sabathia the first couple of innings but then shut them down and was dominant.
Joba bailed out Jorge throwing error and the ball getting through Swisher’s leg. People were making too much of a big deal of his unearned runs the last two starts. Joba has always been a battler.
This was a great sweep the yanks beat two of the best pitchers in the league on back to back days.
Wow — some folks always exaggerate. No one’s bashing Johnny, but he’s got a rep for needing a lot of rest. Chill.
Leave Damon alone. He’s been a very productive player for this team since 2006.
You try running into walls as much as he does and see how tough you are.
Personally, I’d rather see them resign Damon for one more season than to sign Matt Holliday. That would be a terrible signing.
I just to see them find a one-year stopgap for next year and really go hard after Carl Crawford after the 2010 season.
Also what a dumb trade by the rays. I am glad Jackson is now out of the AL east.
Doreen ,
no that’s one of the reasons the NL KEEPS LOSING AT THE All Star game,no DH,shoo it’s the AL seccret weapon.
I have this debate with AL fans every year,they don’t get it!
I don’t mind when Damon rests. The defense improves.
That’s why I don’t question it or get too excited about it.
This is how tough the Detroit pitching was. 5 hits by 3 guys.
All the offense today was via solo homeruns. Thank goodness we play in a bandbox, the players would still be out there.
Well the Rays got Garza and then gave up on Jackson. Minnesota aren’t dummies either. So to quote Yogi…
Some of you guys assume it’s easy for a man on the wrong end of 35 to go out in left field and play every single day.
It’s not.
And for what Damon gives the team when he is in the line up, I won’t begrudge him a few days off.
Randy I, ( The Original Tin Cup )…..Hughes moving back into the roation would certainly solidify the rotation, however my issue with that is their is nobody to do shut down in the 7-8 th innings…..Right now, the 7 through the 9th innings is a lockdown situation…..
I didn’t mind Damon’s act when he saved Phil Hughes’ season.
I don’t think I would re-sign Johnny – his defense is just dreadful – but I admit I don’t know what other options there are. I certainly don’t want Bay or Holliday
LOL Nick………what did he say to Joba, I wonder?
haiku-man -
Ahh. Yes. Okay. So, we’ll keep the system as is until Selig realizes it’s a stupid idea to make the All-Star Game count for WS homefield advantage. Gotcha!
GF
Again. I agree.
Whoa. Nieve too?
Man, it’s like the Mets are cursed this season, or something.
Not advocating they sign Damon for one more season, but they could also do a lot worse.
Ya know, like signing Matt Holliday or Jason Bay to a big contract.
Except –
Our AL pitchers have to hit every other year in the ASG, and thats not good! And in NL parks during the WS, and that’s not good. And in interleague play, and that’s not good.
Wow, I had no idea Aaron Small was sick:
http://yes.mlblogs.com/archive.....diary.html
Small is recovering from esophagitis is an inflammation of the lining of the esophagus which if left untreated can cause problems with swallowing, ulcers and scarring. Doctors had to place him in a drug-induced coma for eight days and draw blood out of his jugular. Having completed a four-week outpatient therapy program, Small told me he’s still too weak to play in the game, but had to make it back to the Bronx. Truly one of the great human beings I’ve ever covered.
We make fun of him, but he was huge for us in 2005 and he sems like a really great guy. The fact that he’s been through all this and still took the time to make it today says a lot……..Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
“Nick in SF July 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I didn’t mind Damon’s act when he saved Phil Hughes’ season.”
This.
As I said, no Bay or Holliday – but I’m not worried there anyway because I don’t see the Yankees going after either of them. I’d like to see the Yankees get creative and maybe make a trade (don’t ask me who, lol). I hate to say goodbye to Johnny as he really loves being a Yankee…..
Betsy: Damon told Joba to listen to Baby Joba and stop shaking off catchers so much.
Joba needs to pitch more with attitude. He started his slide when everyone started giving him junk for the fist pump. Then he tried to calm down, and tried to be Greg Maddox and nibble, when he should have been more like a Nolan Ryan and just threw it and said hit if you can. But diet coke will still find something to complain about.
Tears watching the OTD highlights. Teared up watching the intros. And then lol at the game highlights. Esp. Barfield’s “inside the park single”.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday.....b_nyamlb_1
Bo Knows
the twins blew it with santanna huge.
they simply have to get way more than they did for him.
they could of had hughes if they jumped on it but did not.
even if cashman doesn’t do it they should of did what they needed to do to get more than they did.
YES is replaying the OTD ceremonies, which is cool…….
Betsy -
Who makes fun of Aaron Small? I’ll meet ‘em under the O’Neill banner stat! That guy had a magical season and carried himself exceptionally well. No one makes fun of Aaron Small!
That said, I hope he’s doing better physically – I hadn’t heard about that.
it is interesting that joba said posada did a nice job calling pitches.
i wonder if he listened to posada more this game??
Center field next season will depend on how this season ends.
If (big IF) we win the world series, you don’t really need to bring anyone back. You go with outfield lite and wait for your target OF. I say Carl Crawford.
If TB stinks next season, maybe they trade him in the division for the right price.
Or you can court him if he hits free agency.
“Hughes moving back into the roation would certainly solidify the rotation, however my issue with that is that is there is nobody to do shut down in the 7-8 th innings…..Right now, the 7 through the 9th innings is a lockdown situation…..
pat m-
i feel the same way you do that the yankees are short a starter/swingman. you’re right that taking away from one will hurt another area.
it is possible that no more starters will go down. it could happen. maybe. someday. perhaps.
on the other hand, it might be smart for cashman to be proactive and get someone as you say he should.
it could happen. maybe,someday.perhaps
Regarding Joba’s Nebraska state of mind, I hope it continues to be more “Reason to Believe” and less “Atlantic City”.
I was talking about the irony of Minnesota giving up too soon on Garza and then LA and Tampa giving up too soon on Jackson. Baseball has many quirks to it and even bright people make mistakes. Santana was a different setup. Minnesota didn’t want to give up Santana to their competitors in the AL. They are in the playoff hunt every year.
i just don’t see how we don’t trade for a pitcher.
wang is out for at least a month maybe longer,no guarantees with mitre.
if he gets bombed he won’t see a second start.
don’t be suprised if ace is used with hughes pitching more
we have 4 pitchers with no backup.
wfan just said hughes tossed 6 scoreless innings.
lol
Andy has admitted it’s hard for him to pitch in the new Yankee stadium.
Well, hopefully Andy’ll see what Joba did today and be on form tomorrow
can you imagine if hughes was put into the rotation & does really well?
we would be in good shape.
maybe we go out & get a good 8th inning pitcher & slide hughes into the rotation.
Oh, they could easily stretch Phil out and put him back into the rotation.
The only reason they don’t do it is because he’s been the perfect setup man for Rivera.
“Regarding Joba’s Nebraska state of mind, I hope it continues to be more “Reason to Believe” and less “Atlantic City”.”
Nick, Let us hope he doesn’t go Johnny 99.
People are getting a little ahead of themselves. Baltimore has a rough lineup to try and negotiate. The only possible breaks with them might be the 8 and 9 spots in the order. I wouldn’t plan on any sweeps tonight. Jusy think about one game at a time. Of course, should the Yanks fall behind 1-0 or the Yankee hitters don’t hit 6 homers in the first 4 batters, this board will become untenable….again.
Joba also was working fast today. He wasn’t walking around the mound as much and just got to work. Less shaking off, less nibbling.
bru @ http://www.mlbtraderumors.com
~Buster Olney( http://www.Espn.com ) says the same about the Twins holding out too long on the trade for Santanna,and getting nothing.He was warning Toronto to not do the same,because his(Halladay’s)traded value is high now.
Good folks say we could easily move Master Philip back into the rotation, and perhaps it is so.
Yet I have also seen speculation that Joba’a yo-yoing back and forth last season might have contributed/led to his shoulder injury.
Truth? Fiction? Nobody knows, but it has to be considered.
Betsy-I don’t think the Yankees will resign Damon, although offensively he’d make a good DH-a position that will be filled by Swisher/Posada/A-Rod next year.
One outfield option in the offseason might be FA Chone Figgins a versatile defensive player currently at third for the Angels. I don’t think Boras client Holliday would be worth it in terms of salary and years.
A realistic starter could be lefty Doug Davis, another FA, and for reliever, Jose Valverde, FA with the Astros, as soon as the Astros realize they’re out of it. Would like George Sherrill, but the Orioles will want too much.
I agree the Yanks could use another starter. I’d like to see what Mitre can do but I’m not banking on him being any better than Rasner or Ponson.
I’m not writing Wang off yet but if he IS done for the year we need a better fifth starter. I don’t think Halladay is obtainable without hurting the team A LOT. Even Washburn is probably too expensive.
We need a guy that can fill in well for a few months and then be productive out of the pen when Wang comes back or when the playoffs start (if the yanks make it)
Rebecca,
Joe Girardi reads your blog
That was an excellent observation about Joba’s lack of minor league and college experience. It just shows how much talent he has.
I wonder how many people will include Joba in prospective Halladay trades this week? You can’t give this guy away, even for Halladay.
randy,
Perhaps we’ll never agree on some things but maybe golf we can talk about.
I watched today and I really love Watson’s swing. As someone who’s currently working on his swing, I’m very envious
Watson has incredible flexibility for a guy so old and he just makes it look effortless. I was really rooting for him, it was sad to see him blow up at the end.
Nick,
Good point.
Perhaps the errant throw by that fat catcher who’s no longer fat was the cause?
Crossing fingers, and knocking on wood, but Phil doesn’t have a history of shoulder issues like Joba did.
What’ll be interesting though, is how this irregular work schedule and work load out of the bullpen will affect Phil.
40 pitches is a lot for a reliever.
Great win in a lot of ways. Certainly seems that Joba and Phil are once again off limits and that’s fine with me. If they can get something of quality for a package of prospects that also does not include Jesus Montero they should look at it…. but it would take a lot for me to give up Austin Jackson too.
Damon always plays 140+ and ripping him is foolish. That said the Yankees might need to clear out Hinske and find someone who can actually play some defense. Swisher, Damon, Matsui and Hinske… that’s a lot of bad OF defense there.
Give Mitre a chance. He was having a pretty good 2007 for the Marlins before his arm started acting up and he tried pitching through it and it blew up on him. He has some talent. He actually had a seven game stretch where he gave up just five earned runs in 45 1/3 innings.
“Rebecca,
Joe Girardi reads your blog
That was an excellent observation about Joba’s lack of minor league and college experience. It just shows how much talent he has.
I wonder how many people will include Joba in prospective Halladay trades this week? You can’t give this guy away, even for Halladay.”
You’re probably going to see a lot of people drop Joba from their suggestions and replace him with Montero, instead.
After all, with Joba and Phil pitching as well as they did today (and Phil on Friday), the fans are getting glimpses of why the Yankees drafted these guys in their first place.
that’s not to say that there aren’t some real concerns, but in a lot of respects, the potential risks of trading Joba away just to watch him succeed elsewhere might be greater than the benefits of a year and a half of Halladay.
with the spike in Chamberalain’s value, maybe now is the time to trade him for Halladay.
only kidding. sort of
I think Mo would cry if they put Youuse back in the rotation.
Hope for a blowout this week, so we can see if Bruney has his control back.
Actually, m, moving Hughes back into the rotation would probably work out fine since our own randy has suggested it.
I have no rational basis for suggesting the following, but I think that Wang will yet win multiple games this season.
S.A.,
Can you totally see how Phil is a carbon copy of Mo now? Cutter and all!
I’m so impressed with Phil’s pinpoint control now. Just wow.
I hope Melancon gets into tomorrow’s game with a 10 run lead because Girardi probably has his bus ticket for Scranton on Tuesday when Mitre is activated.
Angels interested in Sherrill.
hopefully they don’t get him.
hate is a strong word. And i hate that franchise
lol, Nick.
Putting Phil back in the rotation will work out because he’s a staaatah.
Fun facts. We lead the AL & mlb in homeruns (really?) and runs scored. 2nd in the AL and mlb in runs scored. But the pitching staff is 2nd in the AL in strikeouts.
Can you totally see how Phil is a carbon copy of Mo now? Cutter and all!
I’m so impressed with Phil’s pinpoint control now. Just wow.
=======================
m-I really can. Even now when I hear Youuse speak, I hear that slight Panamanian accent.
Our little baby is growing up.
“I’m so impressed with Phil’s pinpoint control now. Just wow”
Hughes had that pinpoint control/precision in the Rangers near-no-hitter. I call it videogame precision. It is very positive to see it returned to him
oops. That’s second in the league in batting average.
S.A.,
Yes, Phil’s the wise one with his sage quotes.
Phil’s been reading LoHud too:
“We’re only 23 years old.”
Hi Phil! I always believed in you!
Where’s all the Pil Hughes is a bust and injury prone complaints now?
patrick-
check out this book by watson:
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Wats.....pd_sim_b_3
there is a page that shows a demonstration of watson’s use of his left hand. when dick rhyan taught me this left hand technique i was a year and a half into golf ( age 48) and shooting in the low 80′s.
a month after learning the move , i was a five. it’s really a very solid swing thought, but very old fashioned and while understood by them is not taught by contemporary teachers.
the biggest problem you will have if you read watson’s book and use it is that the ball goes too far
Nick,
You are not alone. This blog was practicly unanimous in opposing the Hughes plus prospects for Santana.
ooops
practally
practically
Vrsce: I was bittrly disappointed that we didn’t get the Hughes vs Santana matchup this blog craved. Next year we’d better.
Joba was excellent today.
But here’s a few things to ponder. He mowed Detroit down earlier this season and Detroit is a big swing and miss team that helps out opposing pitchers by swinging at stuff out of the zone a lot.
To me, Joba’s next start is very important. Show me the velocity and the pace he had today on the mound and I’ll be satisfied he was just going through some kind of slump.
It’s way too early to pronounce that he’s fixed and ready for the 2nd half until we see him repeat this caliber of performance.
That said, it’s tough to trade a 23yo kid who pitched like he just did today.
The only guy you can trade him for is a Halladay or other Ace quality player.
Johnny Damon went 14 years without ever landing on the DL. He is the type of player you want on your team. He plays hurt ALL the time. He is also as clutch as they come. I wouldn’t mind him being the DH next season.
don’t know why Moose would always get a bad rap for his personality.
he seems very likeable
John July 19th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Where’s all the Pil Hughes is a bust and injury prone complaints now?
==========================
If he has a bad outing, I am sure a few trolls and our fair-weathered friends will be typing that.
By the Phil & Joba are 25 years old, they’ll be considered grizzeled veterans by then…..Especially true when pitching for the NY Yankees….No such thing as flying under the radar here……
“Johnny Damon went 14 years without ever landing on the DL. He is the type of player you want on your team. He plays hurt ALL the time. He is also as clutch as they come. I wouldn’t mind him being the DH next season.”
I think Johnny is a class citizen, on and off the field. With that said, he might be out next year because you have to rotate Jorge, Arod, & possibly Jeter in the DH spot.
Pat M, I am setting the revised over/under on total Wang wins this regular season at 3.5 and I am taking the over. Do you think that is the proper number?
Joba actually looked he cared out there today. I think he has been a little indifferent recently about his performances but that changed. It seems like he finally addressed some things he was doing wrong, and he was dead set on fixing those problems today. He wanted that win badly, it was good to see. If he can continue to pitch like this in the 2nd half pretty consistently, the Yanks’ rotation would receive a big boost.
Oh! This was Joba’s first NYS win.
m
July 19th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
lol, Nick.
Putting Phil back in the rotation will work out because he’s a staaatah.
Fun facts. We lead the AL & mlb in homeruns (really?) and runs scored. 2nd in the AL and mlb in runs scored. But the pitching staff is 2nd in the AL in strikeouts.
———————————————————–
What’s hurt the Yankee pitching staff all year isn’t the home runs. It’s the fact that they lead in walking batters and hitting them with pitches. They don’t really give up that many hits. That and allowing 38 unearned runs. The overall fielding has been good except in the corner outfields. It’s just that the starters seem to let it get to them, in particular, Pettitte and Chamberlain.
Actually, the pitchers are 2nd in AL walks and 1st in Hit batters.
Pat,
Not sure if anyone addressed this earlier, but Wang is not done for the season. I don’t know where you got that from, but its not true.
In fact, he is going to begin a throwing program on Monday, and it sounds as if hes made great progress the last 2 weeks.
GB7,
How do we rank in HR allowed?
CC, AJ, Andy, & Joba, Mo, Ace, & Hughes…These are the horses we’ll ride into the post season.
Boogie Down Bob,
What kind of progress has Wang made? I haven’t heard anything yet. Just that he’s going to play catch tomorrow.
Nick in SF…..That’s bold my friend….I don’t think he’ll be seen in the Bigs until sometime in late August at the earliest……He’s been shutdown for 2 weeks already ??? He has to go thru at least 2 weeks of throwing before he even smells a simulated game….Then it’s spring training all over again…..Just how long it took him to be remotely capable of winning a game after he came off the DL……Personally, I think he’s done for the season….Maybe a callup in mid September…..
m
July 19th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
GB7,
How do we rank in HR allowed?
————————————————————
1st, but, it’s all of the free runners that hurt. Without those, there wouldn’t be as many home runs allowed. It’s strange because last year the yanks were among the fewest walks and hit batters.
randy,
Thanks for the book suggestion. If my swing doesn’t start coming around soon I’ll have to pick it up and give it a read.
Are you still a 5 handicap nowadays?
GB7,
That’s probably a product of NYS.
Pat m,
I’m with you. I’d rather see Wang rehab properly this time than rush him back and have his confidence crushed if he’s not ready.
Boogie down bob….He hasn’t even thrown a baseball in 2 weeks…He’s scheduled to play some catch…..Just like in the movie ”What about Bob ”, it’s baby steps
Nick in SF,
I tend to agree with you about Wang. Perhaps it’s my unreasonably optimistic nature but I do think Wang will return and win games for the Yanks.
He was starting to come around before injuring himself and now that he can throw again he can get on a proper rehab schedule. I see him coming back middle of August at full strength.
Chamberlain was the same old Joba today. Where have you been, Joba Dimaggio?? I say if the fist pump and the walks around the mound help release the pressure than let him do it.
I was hoping that he would go home to Nebraska on this break. His Dad has always been a great influence on him and evidently still is.
Agreed, that Phil backing up his team mate was a good idea. It was a great quote.
Let’s let Joba do his job, one game at a time, OK?
M,
Just that hes been making progress in terms of strengthening the shoulder and is going to begin throwin tomorrow. That’s a good sign.
I wasn’t trying to make it seem like he’d be back next week, I’m guessing mid-August.
I just get frustrated when people write on here saying that he’s done for the year yet have no knowledge or information to back their claim.
Pat M: I gather you would take the under. But do you think I have set the number properly to attract even action at 3.5 total wins or would heaving under betting move the line down??? Keep in mind that Mr. Wang has one win already.
Pat,
Exactly. I know its baby steps. But you said he was done for the year. Thats not accurate.
No way Damon should be back next year; neither should Matsui. This team needs to get younger and away from having 5 DHs on the team. I know i’m in the minority but i’d be willing to go with an outfield of Melky, Gardner, Jackson next year. If not Casman needs to get creative and trade some of that surplus minor league talent along with Swisher to get a good outfielder. Someone like that kid Gutierrez from Seattle or Rios from Toronto or even a Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks.
i think as long as there are no problems wang will have to come back because they will need him.
what happens if mitre doesn’t do well.
joba’s innings cap,injuries???
we have 4 starters with not much of a choice in the minors after mitre.
if mitre does ok that takes some pressure off but without wang the pressure is enormous.
one more injury & ace or hughes will be pulled out of the pen most likely according to girardi.
way to thin.
they are going to march full steam to get wang back as long as there is no setbacks.
wang said right now he feels fine & or great.
i forgot the exact words.
Tidrow,
I agree. I think an infusion of youth next year is in order, and the way things look that’s the direction Cashman is headed.
Matsui is gone for sure. Damon, I’m not sure about. I can see the Yankees bringing him back in a team friendly 1 year deal. But who knows.
But I agree that a younger corner outfielder will be a priority in the off-season.
We would be fortunate if Joba’s innings cap really ever becomes an issue… perhaps that’s what’s really been at play this season, he’s been subconsciously self-calibrating his innings so that he won’t ever have to go back to the bullpen.
KUDOS TO REBECCA – for her research on Joba’s innings pitched in college and the minors. I would suggest that all posters on this board read it. It is awesome.
Literally, Joba has not been stretched out. Read her article.
People say Wang is through just for dramatic effect. There is no indication yet that his injury is season ending. Fans just like to torture themselves with negativity.
Bru,
You touched on a key issue. Not sure if you had a chance to read the article in the NY Times re: Cashman on trading for Halladay, but it was a great read and gives you some great insight into his appraoch these next few weeks.
Unless he’s bluffing, he’s saying theyre not gutting the system to land Halladay.
Also, Cashman believes the market for starting pitching is very thin. Therefore, the best approach would be to trade for a reliever and then stretch out Hughes to have him join the rotation for the stretch run.
The Yankees and Red Sox were both informed early that the Jays would look elsewhere first, and the Jays have stuck to that by not yet following up on an original call with the Yankees. For the first time, Ricciardi explained his stance on dealing the superstar inside the division.
“We’re not averse to doing it,” Ricciardi said by phone. “(But) it’s something that would obviously have to be a good return back.”
The Yankees understand they’d have to surrender one of two top young pitchers, Joba Chamberlain or new eighth-inning star Phil Hughes, plus some names from a high-end prospect list that would likely include outfielder Austin Jackson and one of two catchers, Jesus Montero or Francisco Cervelli.
There is a belief that while the Yankees have to pay a premium, and one person familiar with their thinking said they badly don’t want to “gut their system,” they still have requested of Toronto a right to match (or in this case beat) the best offer when the deal’s about to go down.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....ef=writers
“new eighth-inning star Phil Hughes”
Sometimes I still can’t believe Phil is in the bullpen. Who thought that would happen back in March.
Nick in SF….3.5 wins will attract much action…..Even with a win in the bank, I like the unders….
wang is far from through regardless of what people think the yankees should do with him.
we have no 5th starter & no backups in case of injuries.
if mitre gets bombed once or twice we are short a starter & joba is on an innings cap.
wang is not getting paid a lot & i don’t think the yankees mind rushing him back a little out of need.
if he has a setback thinks might change but no way they shut him down unless they have to.
Just watching Old Timers day. Can someone tell me why YES kept the crowd noise down?
Joba’s learning on the job in the AL BEAST.
Truly an unenviable position if I’ve ever heard one.
If JP has offers from the Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, etc., I don’t think “matching” will get the job done…
Maybe the happiest outcome for LuHudders would be defeating Mr. Halladay in late October in Chavez Ravine….
patrick-
i’ve only played once in the last 6 years, so i’m not sure what i am now.
i tend to do things in the extreme. when i played , i played almost every day for a couple of years. in florida , where i was living back then, it’s much easier to do that especially in february.
my advice is to spend as much ,if not more, time practicing chipping and putting as yu do on your full swing . a great short game will take lots of strokes off your score.
“KUDOS TO REBECCA – for her research on Joba’s innings pitched in college and the minors. I would suggest that all posters on this board read it. It is awesome.
Literally, Joba has not been stretched out. Read her article.”
You do me too kind :-[
“People say Wang is through just for dramatic effect.”
yes pat m and i, because we’ve been around a lot of pro pitchers, have decided out of the resulting negativity that wang is not likely to come back and be a decent pitcher for the yankees this year.
i’m sure pat m would be as happy as i would to get back the real chien ming wang.
the yankees would walk away with the division title.
the problem is that there is nothing in both our experiences that says this is likley to happen.
but it could. we’re just saying make a contingency plan in case it doesn’t.
Wow Jeff Nelson is looking OLD!
i agree with making a plan in case wang does not come back but the options are
pull hughes or ace out of the pen
trade for a pitcher
go with minor leaguers.
even if they do one of the above we are at 5 starters with no backups in case of an injury.
4 if we have 1 injury.
pulling hughes or ace kills the pen.
i just don’t see how we avoid bringing wang back as soon as he is able to return properly.
As I said, I am taking the over 3.5. Johnny Damon is working with a translator on inspirational chat right now…
Randy I…I’m with you, just shut him down and get him on a structured rehab program that is monitored…..Just get him ready for Spring Training……
I’m watching the ESPYs. Why is Sam Jackson hosting? He’s not bad, it’s just… random.
Don’t be a pessimist, Jimmy, they can always route him through Nebraska when they travel to/from Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Kansas City… even the west coast. That’s why you get a good traveling secretary…
Maybe no cackling from Jerry Manuel in the post-game tonight?
Never mind, there was some cackling
Did Jimmy’s post disappear? Or am I just blind
You’re not blind, S.A., I see — or don’t see — the same thing. Don’t mess with Nebraska…
“pull hughes or ace out of the pen
trade for a pitcher
go with minor leaguers.”
it’s not like the yankees were getting many wins out of the 5th slot and look at their record despite that.
i’d go with mitre or whoever from the minor leagues and take my chances as long as no one else gets hurt.
however ,if some other of the big four goes down, i think hughes has to go back into the rotation.
it would be kind of fun though watching igawa pitch in a pennant push.
… just to watch cashman squirm as everyone would be reminded who spent so much on him
Joba Chamberlain was not perfect today. But this is the best I’ve seen him since the now legendary Cleveland start.
Let’s see if he can make it two steps forward next time instead of one step forward two steps back.
I really think we need to make a Joe Blanton type trade like the Phillies did last year. We need a major league starter (Mitre really shouldn’t be #5 on the depth chart) but it would be nice to acquire one without giving up top prospects.
How about starting Aceves and sticking Mitre in the pen?
“Don’t be a pessimist, Jimmy, they can always route him through Nebraska when they travel to/from Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Kansas City… even the west coast.”
even fly overs count. it’s nebraska air space.
R.I.P. Frank McCourt.
Just a bit of perspective ….
In late May or early June, all the comments suggested this team was supposedly in need of some major transactions. They have the 3rd best record in baseball right now.
At about the same time, Mariano’s very usefulness as a closer was questioned in numerous comments and the Joba-in-the-pen crowd was feeling their usual itch. Read what Pete’s been writing about Mo lately.
CC and AJ were bordering on being bad signings. AJ could be doing a little better but they’re doing pretty good in general. It took a little time, but it’s looking up.
Joba’s not a starter. Right. He hasn’t been the finished product and he’s shown flashes of brilliance. At this point in his development he shows both sides of the coin. Still, his ERA is 4.05. Pettitte’s been hailed as a crucial piece of he team with a higher ERA at earlier points in his career, and Wang was one of the best pitchers in the game for 2 years with an ERA only about 0.3 less than what Joba’s is now. With Joba being 23 and in his first full year as a starter, I’m very OK with giving him a little time.
Wang’s finally started to resemble himself … soon he’ll make people glad he didn’t get traded.
I was one of the people worried about Mariano.
I’m unabashed. It’s going to happen eventually, there is nothing wrong with wondering whether tis is it or not.
Clearly not, but you get what I mean.
Pete will be on WFAN
I don’t want Joba or Hughes to be part of any package for Halladay. I’d rather have 23 yr old studs than 32 yr old Halladay. He can go to Phillies or Cards.
“I’d rather have 23 yr old studs than 32 yr old Halladay. He can go to Phillies or Cards.”
Bad news friend, he’s going to the Red Sox. NYY couldn’t put together a package for him if they wanted to.
As a Joba fan I am still thrilled with his game today. He exhibited the pitching ability most of us recognize as stellar. Happy, happy for my favorite player.
Don’t know what got him going but I am happy that through all this adversity he was able to reach back and pitch like he used to. Now to build on this win for the rest of the season. Truthfully, I think it was the visit home to Nebraska to be with his dad.
Rebecca, My point is the truly special pitchers may not need to be streatched out in the minors. Clemens only had about 150 dominant innings in the minors before he came up but he did have a lot of innings in college. “Special” pitchers like Gibson, Seaver, Clemens, Koufax and Palmer probably don’t need to be stretched out in the minors. But “ordinary” or even “very good” pitchers clearly do. Todays performance gives me some hope that Joba can be one of the truly special ones.
REBECCA: I hope you see this post.
From the Yankees Home Page: Excerpt on Joba: See last paragraph for Giraradi’s comment on innings pitch.
. . .Limiting the Detroit offense to only a solo home run — Clete Thomas’ fourth-inning shot — and three hits through 6 2/3 innings, Chamberlain overcame early command issues and showed huge improvements.
Winning for the first time since June 24 at Atlanta, Chamberlain had allowed seven or more hits in each of his past five starts, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi said there were no mechanical changes during the break.
“The only thing that was different was that he had extra days,” Girardi said. “He did his bullpens like he always does. As far as work, he had a chance to go home and probably evaluate his first half and step back and learn. Things slow down when you have three or four off-days.”
Especially when you are able to evade jams, which is something Chamberlain has struggled to do in recent starts. That has led to him running high pitch counts and taxing the bullpen, but Chamberlain was much better at bobbing and weaving on Sunday, a step as he continues to grow.
“I think people forget that he had [88 1/3] innings in the Minor Leagues, which is not a whole lot,” Girardi said. “He’s got 30-plus starts under his belt in the big leagues. It’s not a ton of pitching.”
After readng Rebecca’s excellent “Joba Theory” on her blog, the total innings pitched in college & minor leagues, which is miniscule compared to other pitchers, could have lead to the infamous Joba’s Rules. If he had such a low pitch count before entering the majors in ’07, it would make sense to limit his major leagues pitches and innings.
But how was he expected to catch up in innings pitched? Last year was a lost season. When Joba returned from DL, he should have been sent down to rehab instead of being put into the pen. He could have rehabbed and gained more innings pitched. Hindsight.
Experts speak of arm strength and stamina. Joba has not had the sufficient innings to build arm strength which could lead to his lack of stamina. Think about it. He has not been adequately stretched out.
Rebecca: Oops, what I meant to say at the end of the post above is: All of sudden Girardi is actually talking about Joba’s lack of total innings pitched. It’s an eye opener and he nay have read your theory.
I’m thrilled that the Joba we grew to love is back, but whoodathunk that chasing after a three-year-old boy could actually be “relaxing?” In any case, it worked for him, and for that, I’m thankful! I hope his next start is just as productive.