The following is very freaky. I wrote the post you’re about to read 368 days ago, on May 24, 2008. The people in it may have changed, but it’s surely kinda relevant now, isn’t it?
“So the transition has started, the move of Joba Chamberlin from the New York Yankees‘ setup man in the 8th inning to starter in the rotation.
Many, from diehards, ordinary fans, sports talk radio in New York, and just baseball fans from all over are against this decision. And I agree.
The Chamberlin-Mariano Rivera 1-2 combination is (I guess I have to say was, now) the most dominant one in all of baseball. If the Yanks had a lead by the 7th inning, the game was effectively over.
Now this year, that combo has been stronger than ever while the Yankees’ starting rotation has faltered. That, coupled with a sometimes anemic offense, has caused them to fall into last place. However, with Phil Hughes coming back soon, Ian Kennedy looking stronger after a stint in the minors, and Darrell Rasner giving us great help from Triple-A, going 3-0 now while Hughes gets healthy, I thought Joba could stay in the 8th inning role for the rest of the year. But I guess I’m wrong.
I want to stress: I have no problem at all eventually turning Joba into a starter. But I just don’t think, by eliminating one of the strengths of your team and taking a risk into making him a starter mid-season, you are helping the Yankees. Now they must trust Hawkins, Farnsworth, Veras, and whoever else Joe Girardi tries to lump into that bullpen to precede Mariano. It’s just not trustworthy.
We’ll see how it plays out, and I just hope it does play out successfully or else the Yanks may just miss the playoffs.”
Read Full Post »