Posts tagged Joe girardi at FanHouse

Joba Chamberlain will make his long-awaited return to the mound today ... when he throws 30 pitches in a carefully-monitored bullpen session. He's only going to throw fastballs and change-ups, and even if things go perfectly, it's still not clear when he'll actually appear in a game.

As speculated last week, Joe Girardi does sound open to putting his young ace back in the bullpen, at least until Chamberlain builds up his arm strength. From Ed Price of the Star-Ledger:

"We've always thought of him as a starter," manager Joe Girardi said Friday. "That's how I still think of him.

"There's not a lot of time to build up, so we might have to be creative how we build him up. ... We're not exactly sure how we're going to do it."

As Price notes, it'd be one thing if Joba were trying to return in the middle of the summer, but with the Yankees' farm clubs approaching the end of their seasons, he simply won't be afforded the opportunity to make a handful of three-, four- and five-inning minor league rehab starts until he gets back into shape. Instead, once he's ready to test his shoulder in a game situation, he'll probably have to be thrown into the fire as a big league long reliever.

Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang had the cast removed from his right leg earlier this week, and he was so happy about it that he began wondering if he'd be able to return in time to help the Bombers make a playoff push in September. Unfortunately for Wang, his manager Joe Girardi isn't much of an optimist when it comes to Wang's recovery time.

According to Girardi, he doesn't see any way that Wang will return before the playoffs.

"The chances of us getting him back Sept. 1 are zero," Girardi said. "Oct. 1? It's possible."

Still, the doctors haven't told Wang that a September return is out of the question, so it's still his goal. Of course, the real problem if Chien-Ming can't come back by then is that the minor league season will be over so he's not going to be able to go on a rehab assignment. Not that it would keep Girardi from throwing him right back in the rotation.

"As long as we felt he was healthy, strong and ready to go, I would not (have any hesitation)," Girardi said. "It will be like spring training again, and you don't have concerns when he's your Opening Day starter six weeks after doing his work. We have to make sure he's healthy."

All of which means Yankees fans will get a few more months worth of Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson, but some of them would probably tell you they prefer Wang on a broken leg over both of those two. Though somebody should probably tell Girardi that the Yankees have to get to the playoffs first. The Yankees streak of consecutive playoff appearances may have him thinking their berth is automatic.

The 2008 season has not been kind to Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. While Posada's labrum injury is most evident when he's trying to throw a runner out at second base (whether it's the painful grimace on Jorge's face while doing so, or the fact the throw is about three minutes late) it's also affected him at the plate.

After having one of the best years of his career in 2007--posting career highs in batting average (.338), OBP (.426), and slugging (.543)--Jorge's only hitting .268/.364/.411 with three homers and 22 runs driven in this season. Playing has become nearly impossible for Posada right now, and he's been placed back on the disabled list by the Yankees. Just don't be fooled by the fact it's the 15-day DL, because it's more likely Jorge is done for the season.

"Whatever the team wants me to do," Posada said after speaking with Manager Joe Girardi and General Manager Brian Cashman. "We're looking at some situations. I can't catch right now. I'm hurting and every throw hurts. It's been like that the whole year. We're looking at every scenario."

Posada said this surgery would be more intensive than his last surgery, which occurred after the 2001 season. He was ready for spring training the next February, but he said the surgery this time could carry a six-month recovery period. Having surgery now could be Posada's only option to start 2009 healthy.

Posada will be undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging test today to determine what route needs to be taken with his shoulder, and the results of that will determine whether or not he needs surgery.

When the Yankees signed Jorge Posada to a four-year deal in the offseason, the biggest drawback seemed to be the inevitable day when he couldn't be an everyday catcher. His bat has always been his main appeal, so there were other options, but the Yankees knew the day would come that Posada was playing first or DH more often than not.

They probably didn't expect it to happen this year, though. Jose Molina has started the last six games at catcher while Posada has shuffled between the other two positions. He's not at all happy about it, according to the Daily News.

"I like to catch. Okay?" Posada said. "I'm in the lineup and I'm happy that I'm in the lineup, but I like to catch. I'm a catcher. I'm not a first baseman and I'm not a DH. I like to catch, so I'm looking forward to catching (today)."

Posada's never been one to make waves and his frustration may have to do with the shoulder he hurt earlier this season. Posada makes it sound like he's been benched and the paper makes it seem like he's angry with Joe Girardi, but the former's a stretch and the latter's totally unjustifiable.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Chicago Cubs (52-35) at St. Louis Cardinals (49-39) - 3:55 PM ET

It's sad to see a friendship go south as apparently the one between Tony La Russa and Jim Edmonds has now that Edmonds is with the Cubs and La Russa is playing ultra-sensitive. But in reality, La Russa and Edmonds are mere players in the larger war that is Cubs vs. Cardinals, with first place on the line and growing ever so further away from the Cardinals. Today, Kyle Lohse is going to have to continue his 2008 magic (remember when nobody wanted Lohse? Yeah, well now he's 10-2) against Ted Lilly.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

New York Yankees (39-33) vs. San Diego Padres (31-42) - 1:05PM Est.

When Hank Steinbrenner came out earlier this season and basically demanded that Joba Chamberlain stopped being used out of the bullpen, and placed into the starting rotation, his general manager and manager kind of just ignored him. Hank was just doing anything in his power to try to be like his dad, and after dealing with George for all those years, Brian Cashman had become pretty adept at tuning his boss out.

Besides, the Yankees starters were just off to a rough start to the 2008 season, and things would turn around soon enough. Only they never did, as Phil Hughes struggled, Ian Kennedy got sent down, and Mike Mussina looked like a shell of a shell of his former self. So eventually Cashman and Joe Girardi had to cave, and move Joba into the starting rotation (and now that Chien-Ming Wang is out they're lucky they did).

His first start didn't go very well, but in the two starts since, Joba has improved each time out. This afternoon he'll be making his fourth start of the season, but will he finally pick up his first victory as a starter?

As is the case whenever he opens his mouth, Hank Steinbrenner made some headlines this week. His complaints about pitchers having to run the bases in the National League were oft-mocked as the rantings of a big baby who wanted to change the rules because something bad happened to his team. It's bad enough when those barbs are fired by nattering nabobs like me but when a guy he's paying, Joe Girardi, weighs in, it's even worse.

"Contrary to some people's belief, baseball players are athletes, and running should be a part of their athletic endeavor. I haven't seen [an injury while running the bases] happen to another pitcher.

How archaic to suggest pitchers are athletes! Steinbrenner was acting like a brat when he whined about Chien-Ming Wang's injury. Never had he uttered a word about pitchers pulling full duty in the NL until a freak happenstance cost the Yankees. And it had nothing to do with running but with an awkward landing.

That can happen just as easily on the mound, just ask Yankee pitcher Brian Bruney who is recovering from the same injury, or covering first base and landing wrong on the bag. That doesn't mean that his suggestion about protecting pitchers doesn't have a kernel of wisdom to it.

When the bullpen struggled soon after Joba Chamberlain moved to the starting rotation, it was predictable that some fans would have the knee-jerk reaction that the move was a bad idea. What I didn't expect was to hear such vocal opposition from within the team itself.

But Johnny Damon spoke out against it, and according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, several of his teammates privately agreed, even if they didn't want to cause a disruption by attaching their names to their beliefs. Joe Girardi heard about Damon's complaints yesterday and refuses to be swayed.

"I'm never going to tell people what to say or what not to say," Girardi said. "That's not my style. So much has been made through this transition of us losing games because of our bullpen; I don't necessarily agree with that. I think we've lost games because we've had opportunities and haven't taken advantage of them."

Well, sure, but they're opportunities that the bullpen hasn't taken advantage of, right? In any case, Damon somewhat backed off his comments, admitting that Chamberlain's transition to the rotation is better for the team long-term's goals even if it does cost them a few games in the interim. I suppose I can understand Damon's sense of urgency, though. He's already 34 years old and has just one more year left on his contract -- if he's going to win another World Series, it needs to happen soon.

Ian Kennedy's disappointing season hit another speed bump on Tuesday when he was forced out of his start with a strained lat. Peter Abraham reported on his LoHud Yankees Blog that Kennedy was sent for an MRI and headed to the disabled list. Who will replace him in the rotation? It hasn't been officially decided, but Joba Chamberlain might get the nod. Says Abraham:

Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to throw 50-55 pitches in Wednesday's game. If he doesn't get to that many in the game, he'll finish his work in the bullpen.

His next appearance would be for 65-70 pitches. The Yankees could simply plug him into Kennedy's spot in the rotation and pitch him against Minnesota on Monday. [...] Joe Girardi said after the game that he needed to talk it over with Brian Cashman.

My guess is that the Yankees replace Kennedy on the roster with another starter from the minors but allow Chamberlain to make get the start. He probably won't pitch more than five innings or so until he's completely stretched out, but there's no point in making him open the game in the bullpen if the plan is for him to throw 60-70 pitches.

Also, check out this stat, also courtesy of Abraham, which is sure to depress those Yankees fans who were convinced Johan Santana was the answer: the Yankees are 3-12 (.200) in games started this year by Kennedy and Phil Hughes, and 22-15 (.594) in the rest. In other words, their mini youth movement is the difference between being stuck in the AL East's basement and posting one of the best records in the league. Ugh.

Joba Chamberlain's role within the Yankees pitching staff has been highly debated (starter! bullpen! starter!) since the talented youngster made his debut.

The new boss, Hank Steinbrenner, wants him as a starter, and has been the case with the Yankees for the past few decades, the boss usually gets his way. And it would appear that the transition is officially public.

Joe Girardi admitted the switch following a two inning outing by Joba tonight in a post-game interview on YES.

'The process has started, converting Joba to a starter, and tonight was the first [step] of extending him a little bit and we'll continue to do it, getting him up to where he can throw enough pitches.'

But, as Peter Abraham pointed out after the game tonight, the switch has been in effect for a while now, it just hasn't been officially announced until Girardi went on the air.

They kept him in the bullpen this long to control his innings. Chamberlain will now he used for multiple innings to get stretched out. It sounds like most of that work will be done in the majors.

Once the transition is made, Joba will finish out the season as a starter, get to around 150 innings and be ready to go 180-185 innings in 2009.

But the change is more than just about following protocol. It is, in effect, the Yankees admitting that the confidence they have in the team bouncing back from a poor start to 2008 is not as high as in year's past. And that this is also, as Abraham said, a "transition year".