Joba: “If they want me to fold towels, I’ll fold towels” (with audio)
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- September
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The best quote of the postgame locker room came from Joba Chamberlain, when he was asked what he thought about his role on the Yankees postseason roster.
“If they want me to fold towels, I’ll fold towels,” Chamberlain said. “I don’t really care. I’ll do anything to win on this team.”
Most of the rest of his session with the media was less exciting, but Chamberlain admitted that his tenuous position is the result of his own inconsistency. He had a chance to put a lot of questions away tonight if he followed up his strong outing against Boston with another one. Instead, it’s hard to figure what the Yankees are going to do with Chamberlain come next week.
At this point, it’s a virtual lock the Yankees will take the longer ALDS and need only three starters. That means they could put Chamberlain in the bullpen or leave him off the roster, with the idea that maybe he goes to Tampa to throw during the first round and prepare for a start in the ALCS. Then again, they may not even feel comfortable enough to pitch him at all.
“It was not what we were looking for,” Joe Girardi said. “You would have liked to see him go six strong innings and throw 90 pitches tonight. You didn’t see that. … We’ll discuss everything when we make our decisions.”
UPDATE, 12:20 a.m.: For all you late-nighters, I posted the audio of Joba’s postgame chat with the media. Enjoy.
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on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 11:26 pm by Sam Borden.
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Chad Jennings
Send him to Tampa, see if he can get his velocity up in short stints, and if he can bring him bank in the ALCS as a reliever. I would trust Gaudin more than Joba in a Game 4 start in the ALCS or World Series. Maybe in short stints out of the ‘pen Joba can regain some of his earlier dominance. I’m not proposing this for ‘10, just to try to bring home 27.
Excellent quote…..just do anything but pitch Joba! Please. I’ve seen enough of your god-awful starting pitching stint.
Good luck in the minors next year or get ready to pitch out of the bullpen where you might have a chance to succeed.
It’s all about #27 now. And Joba does not factor into those plans.
If they wanted him to do Hank’s laundry, would he do it?
Oh Jobber. What to do with you.
Don’t need you to fold towels, Joba. Just need you to throw the ball over the plate for strikes without giving up runs. Not too hard, is it?
All it takes is one strong outing in the ALDS for Joba and most people will jump back on the bandwagon.
Yankee fans are a fickle bunch.
Sam, good stuff. I think the Yanks have to take Gaudin…….Leaving Joba off the ALDS roster and allowing him to maybe prep for the pen (or rotation, but I would not do that) in the ALCS is a good idea. Joba’s position is very tenuous.
Hang in there, Joba.
I’m confident that when his arm strength returns next season that he will be the dominant starter he was until the shoulder injury last season.
Unfortunately for Joba, he has to grow up and make mistakes and learn the proper way to get guys out in the majors when he should have been doing it in the minors.
He will be better for having gone through this, but he may not be able to help them at all this time around.
id rather him fold towels than pitch honestly
I like it when GB is on Century duty, as he chases all the chumps away……Or those with less than AN average baseball IQ who try to sell nonsense….
Thomas A. Anderson September 30th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Unfortunately for Joba, he has to grow up and make mistakes and learn the proper way to get guys out in the majors when he should have been doing it in the minors.
——–
Do people have amnesia? Do people pay attention to this team at all?
They couldn’t send Joba to the minors. They needed him in the majors because they didn’t have enough arms at the major league level.
When Sergio Mitre is the BEST minor league option after Wang went down for good, that tells you all you need to know about their starting pitching depth.
All this talk about how Joba should have pitched in the minors are brain dead to what was actually happening with the big club.
Mr. Franco, You may be very well right, however when will he have this opportunity ???? For the past month I’ve been selling the notion that Joba will have a spotlight on him in a critical situation and will shine…….I’m growing weary of this stance since he’s just so inconsistant……..D
I hope Joba gets it together. He’s better than that. His postgame comments were much better this time around.
What do you all think of Guzman?
guzman is a poor mans dave roberts.
joba’s value in the playoffs pitching as he is is nill. he is to much of a risk to start and he has not relieved all yr. he does not deserve to be on the roster………..
GB did kick ass, didn’t he! That was a cool post!
Pat M.
Next year Joba will be fine.
I wouldn’t think that Joba would be starting in the ALDS even if he was having a Cy Young season. I would think the soonest he would be needed would be the ALCS.
Okay, maybe if he was having a Cy Young season. But my point is that your 4th starter doesn’t typically start in the 5-game series anyway.
Oh, Chamberlain, you definitely need to get straightened out. Ah well.
Hey, a little help, please. Can someone tell me the following stats to date for Mo: innings pitched, Ks, BBs, and 4+ out saves?
Thanks.
Joba should not be on the play off roster. If he makes it he would be there because of who he is and not what he has done. I would much rather see Gaudin and Bruney on it than Joba and Marte. If Gaudin is going to make the roster they should have him pitch out of the bullpen in one of the games against Tampa. I think he would be perfect as a long man or to give you an inning or 2 if the starter gets knocked out. He is much more useful than Joba who hasn’t proved he can consistenly throw strikes and get people out. Also they can’t even use Joba out of the bullpen because his 1st innings are terrible.
Sometimes a pitcher has to take a step back to take a step forward.
We’ve seen it twice this season with two very talented arms – Hughes and Buchholz.
Hughes couldn’t have a worse season than he did in 2008 but he came back and turned things around in a big way.
Buchholz couldn’t even get Triple-A hitters out consistently last season and I believe he was sent down to Double-A at some point. He’s turned things around this season as well.
Who knows what Joba is going to do the rest of the season. But the smart Yankee fans won’t give up on the kid and neither will the front office.
My preference would be to use him out of the bullpen during the postseason. He’s too good of an asset to leave off of the roster entirely (when he’s “on”, of course). It’s a shame, because he looked so good in that last start – just really poor timing for him to take a step back after making progress. The good thing is that he is at least stretched out at this point if they need him to go 2-3 innings during the playoffs. Maybe if the pressure isn’t on to go 6-7 strong innings, he can settle in better.
After the season, however, they are going to have to explore what the issue is for him continuing to be so inconsistent. If that means working with Eiland over the winter, or whatever, so be it. I still have faith in Joba to be a top of the line starter in due time – they just need to iron out whatever it is that is all jacked up with him.
Sam, great first day! Thanks!!!
I can’t see Joba making this first,Gaudin was much better,even with the AAA team.
Was Damon,Tex,Alex,Matsui,and Posada on vaction tonight?
Between those 6,they couldn’t muster 2 runs?
who is giving up on joba!!!!!!!!!!
he simply should not be on the psotseason roster this year because he is not a relief pitcher now and cannot be trusted in the rotation for sure in the first series..
this is not giving up this is being honest and practical. can joba win 20 next year? who the hell knows but we are talking about right now…they do not have the time to see if he comes thru this is the playoffs……
Mr. Franco, If Cashman re-enters the Doc Halliday talks, there may not be a next season for him in Pinstripes…..I hope this isn’t going to happen, but Hallady will be on the off season agenda, as will be a centerfielder / corner OF….
Was Damon,Tex,Alex,Matsui,and Posada on vaction tonight?
Between those 6,they couldn’t muster 2 runs?
————–
Quit complaining.
This team just had their 7 game win streak snapped, which included 5 straight against the Angels and Red Sox.
Some teams are backing into the postseason. The Yanks have continued to roll even though these games don’t mean anything.
They can’t trade Joba during the offseason because his value will never be lower. So it would be idiotic to consider it.
Pat M. October 1st, 2009 at 12:02 am
Mr. Franco, If Cashman re-enters the Doc Halliday talks, there may not be a next season for him in Pinstripes…..I hope this isn’t going to happen, but Hallady will be on the off season agenda, as will be a centerfielder / corner OF….
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I don’t see that happening.
Cashman has passed on trading Hughes a few times and I expect him to do the same thing with Joba.
I know most Yankee fans don’t have the stomach to develop young pitching. But it’s clear that Cashman is willing to stick with the plan.
damon the poster is a fool.. yea the yanks taking out all the starters in the 7th were fighting to the death to win this game.
they brought the great mitre into the game to show how much of a must win it was………
bruney deserves nothing he is a walk machine
hughes, robertson, aceves, mo, they are key……
The NYYs will be in the wonderful, but difficult position of the defending World Champions in 2010. That will make the challenge for the starting rotation even greater.
Chamberlain has lived down to the expectations voiced earlier this year by an ALE scout that he is inconsistent, and nothing he has done this year shows that it is in his make up to change.
As much as many here would like him to be the ‘Ace of the staff’ some projected him to be, we must also recognize that there is a real probability that he is another example of “coulda, woulda, and shoulda.”
Personally I don’t have a problem with the towel scenario but seriously, can we honestly expect consistent folding from Joba?
One day, we’ll probably be bouncing quarters off those towels.
Next day? It’ll be fluff city.
JP Retard-i is gonna ask for something like Joba, Hughes, Ajax. Montero, and Gardner. I think we’re at the point where Joba can no longer be regarded as the centerpiece of a Halladay deal because of how much he has not proven. If theyre gonna get Doc, it is gonna cost a LOT more thank Joba.
give up on young pitchers at your own peril..
yea grienke will never be anything….ubaldo jimenz also will never harness his power….
each player is a new case and no one knows how it will work out..
Oh pretty please can we not get into the Joba trade talks right now?
Allan said that CC should get lit up by the Rays so that he can face some adversity before the postseason because has been so dominant. Do you guys think that Sabathia should get lit up before the postseason ? I don’t think so.
yea halladays trade value will go up. after all he is a year older, has only 1 yr on his deal………
what are you clowns smoking….riccardi is a dool, and his value will go down not up. joba is all washed up after all he is 23 and struggling, why don’t they just waive him since he has no value……..
“What do you all think of Guzman?”
___ _____ ____ ____ ______ _____ _____ _______
Personally, I don’t think he should be on the post season roster. However he hasn’t played that much, so its hard to say what I think.
Definitely not giving up on Jobber(the starting pitcher).
Though a few of his pitching performances this past season have caused a few new gray hairs to pop up on my head prematurely.
GF,
Please. You’re insulting us. Really. Not everyone is a bandwagaon fan. Some of us stick by Yankee players through thick and thin.
It’s not a crime to say that Joba hasn’t pitched well since before the all-star break. A bright spot here and there doesn’t change the fact that he’s looked bad and pitched badly.
We thought he was good to go because he responded to the stern words of the Yankees with a good outing. Turns out, he’s not back on track. So, it shouldn’t be a crime to say that maybe Joba can’t be trusted in the postseason. Especially when the Yankees themselves are probably at the same crossroads themselves.
No one is saying get rid of Joba. Gaudin and Aceves might not be potential aces, but right now, they’re capable of getting outs. That’s what we need right now. Outs.
” Do you guys think that Sabathia should get lit up before the postseason ? I don’t think so.”
The Team should go all out to get CC his 20th. That’s the ‘touchstone’ for the CY award. Tex will also get 40+ and that will tip the scales for MVP (although I prefer the Paul Newman scenario for DJ).
Guiseppe Franco,
The reason why Phil’s last two seasons were a complete waste were injuries. When he’s healthy he’s a good pitcher. He showed glimpses of it before going down with the hamstring. He showed it when he came up late in ‘08. And he showed signs of it before going to the pen in ‘09.
m,
I’m not insulting you at all. But it’s undeniable that Yankee fans turn on anyone who doesn’t perform well RIGHT NOW.
That’s just the way it is. How many people on this board were telling us at the ASB that Sabathia was “not an ace”. It’s stupid.
I’m not singling out the smart baseball fans who know the game well. I’m singling out the ledge jumpers who panic at the drop of a hat, which unfortunately, is the majority of this board when things don’t go well.
Mr. Franco, once again I’m not promoting the moving of Joba…However it would not be a stretch to think he’d be a part of a trade for Halladay, if that scenero was to develop………Mark this down Mr.Franco, this will be a centeral topic in 2 months or so at the Winter meetings……
“For all you late-nighters, I posted the audio of Joba’s postgame chat with the media. Enjoy.”
Thanks Sam. You will soon realize there are LoHud Yankee Blog community members in just about every time zone around the globe. Your newspaper has a disproportionate reach.
m October 1st, 2009 at 12:23 am
Guiseppe Franco,
The reason why Phil’s last two seasons were a complete waste were injuries. When he’s healthy he’s a good pitcher. He showed glimpses of it before going down with the hamstring. He showed it when he came up late in ‘08. And he showed signs of it before going to the pen in ‘09.
——————
Hughes wasn’t pitching well even before his injuries in 2008.
But he came back after a lost season and turned things around.
Joba is perfectly capable of doing the same thing.
Pat M. October 1st, 2009 at 12:27 am
Mr. Franco, once again I’m not promoting the moving of Joba…However it would not be a stretch to think he’d be a part of a trade for Halladay, if that scenero was to develop………Mark this down Mr.Franco, this will be a centeral topic in 2 months or so at the Winter meetings……
—————-
I have no doubt about that. I’m sure the media and the fans will be fully entrenched in Joba trade talks.
However, the media and fans don’t run this team. That’s Cashman’s job. And he’s made it clear that developing these young arms are a top priority.
And Joba’s trade value is going to be down this offseason. Same issue with Hughes last offseason.
I don’t think Cashman is going to budge on Joba.
New post.
GF,
Oops. I realized too late that you weren’t painting us all with the same broad brush.
But, to be fair, many, many people defended Joba for the majority of the season. He has a lot of goodwill because of his potential. People started dumping on him when he started looking lost. Unfortunately it was during the trade talks so people wanted to “upgrade” to Halladay.
But they need to figure out why Joba looked so different today than from his last start. We’ve moved far beyond inconsistency. I’m thoroughly convinced that if Ian Kennedy was stretched out and healthy enough he would’ve posted a better line today than Joba did. The AAA Cy Young guy, too. Something is not right with Joba, and it’s not his age. Not his lack of innings. Not the Joba rules.
For the idiots that have decided that because Chamberlain has been a flop in his first two years and by the age of 24, I can provide you with a list of about 40+ names of relatively successful players….including starters, relievers and hitters. Do the names Koufax, Gibson, Guidry, Spahn, Gossage, Lyle, Clemente and Bernie Williams ring any bells?
I have not read it anywhere but my theory is that there is still some discomfort in Joba’s shoulder and no one on the Yankees is talking about it. Too many of his fastballs are 91 mph and not 94/95mph. A couple of his FBs tonight were as slow as 89 mph (according to the stats provided in Gameday).
what i notice is that most of the best pitchers are men of intelligence, adaptable to circumstances and able to learn.
my main question is: is joba intelligent enough to hang on and develop? does he have the emotional intelligence required to be a MBL pitcher?
i recall other players complaining about his emotional involvement on the mound. sure it looked great and he was hyped…. but can a hyped pitcher have success? is this simply a sign that he is overwhelmingly emotionally based and lacks the intelligence to survive as a ML pitcher?
My feelings at the moment are that I would include him in a trade for Halladay this winter. A CC + Halladay rotation is a nice base to start a 5 man rotation with.
i recall other players complaining about his emotional involvement on the mound. sure it looked great and he was hyped…. but can a hyped pitcher have success?
Of course a hyped pitcher can have success..it’s not about his enthusiasm, he’s still a kid. The right question is, is he too stubborn to change his ways. It’s very clear that when he’s not shaking off his catcher, and just throwing the ball that he can dominate. It’s when he thinks he’s Greg Maddox and wants to dance around the plate instead of pitching to contact. When he’s like this he’s tedious to watch..His act is wearing a little thin, I’m tired of the “I thought I pitched really well” crap when his line was 3.2 ip 5h 6r 3k 5bb. Maybe tonight he starts to realize he needs to be more honest with himself!
Wonderful opportunity for a poll. Should Joba:
(a) Fold towels
(b) Pitch in the post-season
(c) Go home to Nebraska and think about it some
How about Tampa, then the Arizona Fall League ,and an off-season throwing program. Gaudin or Aceves can be capable 4th starters, and our pen is stacked. IE, we don’t need Joba this year.
Zach,
I would pick C. But my post above is what the Yankees should do.
I am really disappointed that Joba was so horrible last night. He looked lost on the mound. Girardi and staff’s unorthodox, yet well intended, handling of Joba these last several weeks was finally revealed as fruitless and probably damaging to his confidence and usefulness in the postseason. I don’t see how Girardi can trust him to start a “do or die” game 4. Gaudin is more reliable at this point. If he is relegated to bullpen duty, which Joba can we expect to see–the timid Joba from the ‘09 starting rotation or the wild eyed, youthful flame throwing Joba of ‘07 and ‘08. He hasn’t come out of the pen in ages, and the team doesn’t have any more time during the regular season to test him, since he will need a few days to recover from the 70+ pitches he threw last night. There are too many other good, reliable arms available right now to take a chance on “what might be” with Joba now. He is a good pitcher who has been mishandled and has, unfortunately, not shown the discipline and desire to seize the opportunity given him. I love Girardi and Eiland–they have truly pulled the team together and deserve much credit for the success of this team. I think they blew it with Joba, though.
Joba needs a new cap. The one he’s been wearing looks like his mom cooked meth in it.