The Yankees haven't told Joba Chamberlain whether he'll be a starter or reliever next year, but the right-hander says he'll be ready to do anything to help his team repeat as World Series champions when he reports to spring training in February.
"We haven't talked about [my role for next year]," Chamberlain told FanHouse this week, in an interview promoting his charity work with New York foster children."It's not going to affect my preparation [for the season] at all. ... I'm gonna go out and work hard and get in the best shape I can to help us win again."
Chamberlain, who burst onto the scene in 2007 as an electrifying setup man, has shuffled back and forth between the bullpen and rotation as the Yankees have tried to manage his innings and find the best role for him. All but one of his 32 regular season appearances in 2009 came as a starter, but once October rolled around, he was converted to relief, both because he struggled some down the stretch and because the schedule allowed the Yankees to use just three starters throughout the postseason.
As the Yankees prepare for Game 6 of the World Series at home Wednesday, short reliever (at least for the postseason) Joba Chamberlain may be a bit distracted by an off-field issue. His mother, Jackie Standley, pleaded no contest to felony drug charges Monday and is facing up to 20 years in prison.
Standley was arrested back in May after selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer and is charged with delivery of a controlled substance. She will be sentenced Dec. 16, pending recommendation from a drug and alcohol treatment center.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
It's easy to be pessimistic after a team suffers a crushing loss, mostly because fans and broadcasters alike like to zone in on intangibles like momentum and the players' psyche. But if you are a New York Yankees fan and looking for reasons to be worried, there are some perfectly logical and tangible ones to focus on.
From the performance of Joba Chamberlain, to many of the Yankee hitters' struggles against the breaking ball, to the decision most New York fans will be screaming about, the removal of David Robertson from the game in the 11th inning in favor of Alfredo Aceves, there are more than enough tangible reasons to be concerned about the Yankees. And from a scouting standpoint, there are certainly points of intrigue in New York's weaknesses.
NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi must feel like a kid on Christmas morning. He has been given a bunch of the latest and greatest toys, and he's going to use them all.
The Yankees -- who open the ALCS on Friday at home against the Angels -- have assembled their most reliable (albeit youngest) bullpen in a while, and Girardi showed in the American League Division Series he will utilize it.
"It's turned out all right," Chamberlain told FanHouse. "You've got a couple right-handers, a couple left-handers, and the other guys pretty much do everything."
Chamberlain was, frankly, terrible down the stretch as a starter. From August 6 to Sept. 30, he made 11 starts and produced a 7.69 ERA. He allowed opposing hitters to hit .321 against him with a .926 OPS. Throughout his career, he's been much more effective as a late-inning reliever, and we saw it again Wednesday night -- when he came in to retire Delmon Young in the eighth inning of Game 1.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down each of the playoff teams from a scouting perspective.
Despite their great number of strengths, no team is without their holes and the Yankees are no different. The Yankees have tightened up their defense in the last year to match up more favorably against fundamentals-oriented teams like the Angels, but that has not changed the pace they like to play at. Pace is not an often discussed factor in baseball, but a team like the Yankees thrives on controlling the pace of the action and using its steady, methodical approach to win ballgames.
While their potent offense may typically be the reason for their long games, it is the rhythm of the Yankee starting staff that will need to be disrupted. If pitchers of the caliber of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte are given breathing room, they will only be more difficult to handle.
The Yankees indicated about two weeks ago that they were looking at using 10 pitchers in the Division Series, which would seem to suggest that they're looking at choosing the schedule with an extra off day, allowing them to use three starting pitchers in the series. Since those three pitchers will almost certainly be CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte, it makes sense to get Chamberlain some relief work before the series starts.
NEW YORK -- With this weekend's Red Sox-Yankees series serving as a possible ALCS preview (although it would be folly to assume that), Boston came in with the edge in the category that matters most: starting pitching.
Friday's game may have closed the gap some, and nearly did dramatically.
As Joba Chamberlain turned in his best effort since July, giving the Yankees reason to believe they have a capable No. 4 starter if they reach the second round, the Red Sox had to spend a few moments wondering if power lefty Jon Lester will be available for the playoffs after he was writhing on the mound in the third inning.
But Boston "dodged a big blow there," as left fielder Jason Bay said after the Yankees' 9-5 victory.
It's a baseball podcast. The math is easy, right? BaseCast. Let's rock.
The Yankees became the first team to officially qualify for the postseason Tuesday night. The Tigers and Twins, meanwhile, are in a dogfight just to get there in the AL Central.
In the latest long overdue edition of BaseCast, FanHouse's Ed Price and I discuss the challenges and decisions facing New York now that it is playoff-bound and who has the edge between Minnesota and Detroit over the final week and a half of the regular season.
As fall begins and the Yankees near their first American League East championship since (gasp!) 2006, it's time for the focus in the Bronx to turn to the playoffs. While discussing Joba Chamberlain with the Bergen Record, Brian Cashman let two interesting playoff-related tidbits slip. The first is that the Yankees are planning on going with a 10-man pitching staff during the Division Series. The second is that Chamberlain isn't guaranteed one of those ten spots if he doesn't, "step it up," in the near future.
There's no denying that Chamberlain's been awful lately. In his last nine starts, his ERA is 8.25 and hitters are reaching base at a .409 clip. Even if he can't turn things around completely, it's hard to imagine him being left off the playoff roster entirely. Leaving him off of the playoff roster would leave a spot open for someone like Chad Gaudin, who's not really much of an upgrade. Still, looking at the schedule it's entirely possible that Cashman isn't bluffing.
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