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Can Joba Rule Without Having Any?

Posted by on 4 February 2010, 12:22 pm

Days before the Superbowl, always a slow time for the baseball world, as players enjoy their last days before Spring Training.

With an opening in the fifth starter role, debates about this decision are in full swing.

Surprisingly, one Yankee will arrive in Tampa in just a week. His goal is to bind all the work he put in since winning the World Series, determined to prove himself once and for all.

Joba Chamberlain traded in DWI and strip bar brawls, for a daily exercise regimen in preparation for the battle. Joba name has not been a headline since World Series; his virtual silence giving goose bumps to Yankee Universe theory of the choice of what could happen.

The only certainty is Joba went to New Jersey to throw and talk baseball with teammate CC Sabathia.

Joba knows that Phil Hughes worked out all previous off-season, and it showed. Hughes switch to the bullpen was a pivotal role in changing the 2009 season’s attitude to winning.

Hughes confidence and grace had matured; along with his body noticeably fuller. Hughes has a usual demeanor seemingly more right to work seven plus innings.

My mind has never wavered from Joba to Mo and Hughes as a starter, until now.

Listening and reading Joba’s campaign is opening me up to see what he is capable of doing. Joba loves trouble, as clear since the infamous ‘Bug Game‘ against the Indians in Game 2 of the 2007 playoffs.

What a relief not to have to hear about the ‘Joba Rules’ that no one was perfectly clear on, including Joba which obviously affected him. No rules, no innings or frequency counts, no-fault excuses anymore for Chamberlain opening the door for a decision to be made.

The truth is both these young guys could be starters, but reality has to be faced. Mariano Rivera is almost 41 and the Yankees coming closer needs to have a period setting up for Mo. The two top candidates are these two players. It is only reasonable not jeopardizing the futures of two promising players.

Thoughts of a Yankee team without Mariano makes Yankees Universe shake too much that avoidance or denial makes sense. Mo’s time left remains unknown, but it is not much.

Playing musical chairs with Joba and Hughes for another term would be wasting it, instead of embracing it.

“The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.” – Warren Buffet

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The Joba Rules.

Posted by on 29 May 2009, 5:48 pm
What to do with Joba? Hopefully it will not cause a great deal of a divide between the team and between fans. Look, this is a serious debate and could be the reason the Yankees or the path of the rest of this season, so yes it’s ok to see both sides of the plate on this one!!! I, myself do not…

I thought I was totally torn by this situation. The day Joba made his first appearance in the pinstripes my gut has continually leads me in the same direction, with the same ideals of all fans to win, in the best place where I believe Joba will rule!!

At first, like many the eagerness was just building…. waiting for the arrival of a ‘special’ kid called Joba. He was the ‘who’ that was going to be the face of Yankees pitching and likely the damn majors. He was said to have the type of talent that is not seen often from pitchers, even the good ones who everyone came to know, to love and to count on. The kid’s destiny was mapped out, already planned but is it fair to maybe prevent just a great starter the opportunity of attempting the soaring possibility of becoming a legendary closer?

In essence Joba was our homegrown prodigy. Our ‘hey look what we got’… as if to erase the past few seasons of losing (mainly due to the new kings from Boston). Still we continued with the idea that buying big name pitchers, by offering them money only the Yankees could, along with the history and dreams that come with the uniform. Transforming all into thinking it was enough to create a championship worthy team.

So Joba was more than just a unique talent he was our ‘in your face’ to everyone to prove that we have home-grown talent too. Like suddenly the Yankees started to look beyond the current season. I, as a fan, saw it more as a cover up because what we were attempting to do the easy way was not working. And it started repeating itself and then Boston won a second World Series. I thought I could live with the numbers of 1918 to 2004 fine. Hey we have 26 but then to win it again in 2007 along with being the ALCS four times in the last decade. Smashing down on the Yankees which must have felt so damn good considering how long it took, but did not feel like this for my Yankees!! Continue reading ‘The Joba Rules.’ »

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Miracles Do Happen….

Posted by on 26 May 2009, 5:10 am

Thank you to the Boston Red Sox……..for making my post so enjoyable to type and for saving me so much time!!!

‘Five Players That Make Me Cringe..Summed Into Just One!’
(other post title option)

After my last off the topic remarks, specifically referring to the ‘one’ in the previous post before this one, I thought I should make some top five lists. So, first list if the title above is confusing you, I am listing with conclusions that are completely personal, totally biased, utter jealousy in some cases, obviously at least 2 to 3 are Boston players, would guess no Yankees have ever made this list but wrong a middle relief whom was traded mid-season last year drove me insane (can you guess?? went to the Tigers??) and again for whatever justification I have its mine and I can have it……

I bet you can guess at least one of these athletes who tops the list???

Well in case you missed the completely irrelevant part of my last post. This player has landed one of the coveted, permanent spots on this list. He has not yet made it out of the top three and that might have been for an hour when I was sleeping or just blanked out!!

Drum roll please…….

#1 – Jonathan Papelbon. aka. Papelboner, Pap Smear, PapelNutz,

He thinks he is the coolest person since 1918. He is a baby and wants to be the center of it all. He gives us plenty to hate….

1) Even at the all-star game last year where each player rode a pick truck down the streets of Manhattan he bitched that his wife got harassed by the fans watching this historical parade……hey dip shit you are on 6th avenue not Newbury Street. And maybe you should not have said to the press earlier that you should be closing over Mariano Rivera in Yankee Stadium in its final year. He has some nerve!!!
Please read “Driving Mr. Papelbon” an article about his all-star parade behavior and foolishcomments found below by clicking link, amusing stuff!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=philbrick/080716&sportCat=mlb

2) Here are some other quotes I have taken out of an interview with Pap’s about his game personality….

It’s Cinco Ocho:

Jonathan Papelbon: When I’m out there pitching, it’s not Jonathan Papelbon pitching, it’s Cinco Ocho pitching. I get a little revved up some times, and Cinco Ocho doesn’t know how to control himself when he’s out there. We’ve got a good relationship going on right now with Cinco Ocho, so we’ll try and keep it that way. He got a little out of control the other night (Editor’s note: When he nearly blew a gasket during this 2-1 win), so we’ll see how he does with the All-Star game and things like that. Continue reading ‘Miracles Do Happen….’ »

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Can I Say 9 and Still Going…..

Posted by on 22 May 2009, 2:59 am

Went to the game tonight……and the team looks unstoppable!! Joba got hit by a ball and left the game in the first inning so lets hope this is not a DL situation. With Wang coming up momentarily and Hughes looking good it is not terrible if he needs to fix something.

Here is the option I hope has a chance…..Hughes should stay up in the majors, if and only if Wang is dominate when he arrives and then Joba, after we hear his situation from tonight, be put in as setup for Mo. The reason I think we needed a dominant middle relief, lights out guy because the season is long and…..
1 – Tampa will get better and it is pretty inevitable it will be a threatening force at that. Reason why….young, hungry and now they have gained the respect. And I mean in the most crutial areas needed by earning it from last seasons preformace, by not being afraid of the big bad Red Sox and I think the Yankees name is enough said and they have fans who seem more steadfast to stand behind them no matter what! Oh and I guess Longoia, Crawford, Upton, Shields, Kazmir, Nelson, Sonnanstine, Aybar, Navarro, Bartlett, Pena, Navaro, Garzza….I think you get the point they are household names already. So I will rephrase…..dangerously better!!

2- The Red Sox with Jason Bay are the toughest by far and with then just sweeping the Blue Jays with the win tonight means game on for when we play those mass-holes for fans Red Sox!!

3 – Toronto’s has won a lot games and thats what the plan for their chances is to crush the outsiders cause they have a great team waiting to show it off with minimul injuries thus far, the players look physically so much bigger then their opponents and the Blue Jay fans need to maintain consistant attendance, along with loyalty to give the team some motivation to make your city proud. Continue reading ‘Can I Say 9 and Still Going…..’ »

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