Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
April 07, 2008
Stretching Joba

I have to disagree with Jack Curry:

The decision Sunday that was probably even easier for Girardi was summoning Joba Chamberlain during a tense spot in the seventh. It is getting harder and harder to imagine the Yankees moving Chamberlain from a setup role to be a starter this season.

It makes perfect sense if the Yankees want Joba to start to give him longer bullpen assignments. At some point, I would not be surprised to see Joba get three-inning saves. He'll need the endurance to go into the rotation.

What will make the decision difficult is a lack of success by other relievers, not Chamberlain's own success.


Posted by David Pinto at 11:18 AM | Management | TrackBack (0)
Comments

There was another development during Sunday's game that helps the Joba/Starter argument: the nasty curve he dropped on Aybar. That many plus pitches deserves 6-7 innings a game, not 1 or 2.

Posted by: bfriley76 at April 7, 2008 12:10 PM

It's hard to believe that anyone would rather have a (potentially) great pitcher pitch 80 innings a year as opposed to 200. The Rivera comparison doesn't work since Rivera was tried as a starter and he didn't have enough pitches. Joba has 3 or 4 pitches that are above (or significantly above) average.

Posted by: sabernar at April 7, 2008 12:40 PM

I agree with you, sabernar, but doesn't it count that the 80 innings Joba would be coming in for are contextually important innings? SPs start the game off with no runs on the board - Joba would be coming in to pitch during much more crucial situations as a reliever.

Is there anything to support that, or is just not as significant as it could be?

Posted by: Nor at April 7, 2008 02:57 PM

It's not as significant as throwing more innings.

Yes, it's great to be able to shut the game down, but the difference between the average reliever and Joba versus the average starter and the theoretical Joba is very different.

Posted by: Sal Paradise at April 7, 2008 08:03 PM

Starters always come on in a tie game - closers come on with a lead. Wouldn't you want your better pitcher to be the one coming in as a starter? Seems it should take less talent to defend a lead than to hold the opposition down while your side creates one.

Posted by: TomP at April 7, 2008 10:46 PM

TomP - but Joba isn't a closer, he's a middle reliever. He comes on with runners on. (Yes, he also comes on at the beginning of innings as well - it'd be interesting to see some composites of the typical ace 8th inning guy situation.)

Posted by: Nor at April 8, 2008 09:06 AM
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