Hank gets his way: Chamberlain to start for Yankees
The time has come for Joba Chamberlain. Yankees’ part owner Hank Steinbrenner is getting his way, as the highly touted pitcher will move into the club’s starting rotation once he’s groomed for the role.
He won the debate about Joba Chamberlain, who officially is on his way to becoming a starter. Steinbrenner stopped all the speculation about Chamberlain remaining in the bullpen as a setup man, albeit the most dominating setup man in the business.
Manager Joe Girardi kept Chamberlain out there for two innings and 35 pitches at the end Wednesday night and revealed afterward that the lad wasn’t out there just to get some exercise. He is being stretched out to start games.
That’s what Hank always wanted and what he had, coincidentally, said in an interview with mlb.com yesterday afternoon.
“This was the plan all along,” Girardi said after the game, with the same straight face he had used when he had hinted on Saturday that Chamberlain could remain a reliever for the rest of the season.
Well, nobody should be surprised. It was only a matter of time before Chamberlain moved into the rotation anyway and once Hank made it public knowledge that he wanted the kid to start, an announcement was soon to follow. Girardi must love management telling him how to run his club.
Well, the plan all along — to help limit his innings — had been for Joba to spend some time in the bullpen before eventually moving to the rotation around midseason. And since it’ll probably take a few weeks to get him stretched out enough for the rotation, it looks like they’re still roughly following that timetable.
If anything, the schedule may have been moved up by a couple of weeks out of sheer necessity, considering how poorly the Yanks rotation has performed this year, but I seriously doubt Steinbrenner’s comments had anything to do with this. Brian Cashman is too good of a GM to let Hank Steinbrenner dictate the team’s baseball decisions. I imagine Cash, Girardi and everyone in the Yankees’ front office thinks of Steinbrenner as nothing more than the loudmouthed guy who signs their checks and craves attention. Kinda like Daddy Steinbrenner, only with even less baseball knowledge.
If Jaba the Hut gets you 6 innings - who comes in in the 7th and 8th if he is missing from that spot ? … they just opened up a hole didn’t they ?
I agree with JEC - it’s not because of hank that he will start soon - it’s a necessity since Hughes and Kennedy have not been that good so far.
I don’t think Cashman is a good GM - C’mon, the highest payroll the last how many years ? And they haven’t won in 7-8 years ……….. ? I would have probably lost my job by now. How about you ?
Billy Beane
In my mind, a GM’s #1 job is to put a talented team on the field, regardless of the payroll. Even with the questions surrounding their rotation this season, you can’t deny that Cash has done that. The team not getting results is more a reflection of the so-called superstar players themselves and, as Joe Torre found out, the manager. It’s no surprise that rumors of Girardi being on the hot seat have already surfaced.
Plus, don’t forget that Cashman has done a very good job of replenishing a farm system that was barren a couple of years ago. I’m certainly not a Yankees fan but I think Cashman is a solid GM.
I am still not a fan ……… Look the dude has all the resources in the world and he comes up empty for 8 years ? No one in Yankyland is happy these days …. the dude is overrated. We have seen many, many, others around the League with 10’s of millions less, less talent, and much, much, less in resources do better. When he makes a mistake - he could buy his way out everytime - they work different than any other team. He’s overrated in my book. He could always buy the talent - out teams didn’t have that luxury. If he was with Pitt he would have been gone in 2 years ……… he is a Hanky-Puppet.
The problem is Cashman is no factor and neither will the next guy…The Yankee is run by 18 people, Cashman carrys the order forward and so could I. Theo is the same way. Boston didn’t even want him back because he started thinking on his own and these two schmuks can’t do that.
They have no juice
Then Cashman is a puppet - therefore not a good GM right ?