In his first 9 appearances following his return to the Yankees, Chamberlain carried a 10.56 ERA and a 2.87 WHIP. Speculation was that the young reliever would have to be sent to the minors to work on control issues.
Then something clicked.
Beginning with a one-inning, two strikeout performance in Tampa Bay, Joba has been nearly untouchable over the last seven times he has been called to the mound. Since that September 4th outing, the big reliever with a 96 – 97 mph fastball and a knee-buckling breaking pitch has a 1.23 ERA and a microscopic 0.68 WHIP.
The 27 year-old Nebraskan has been so good that manager Joe Girardi has used him as his seventh inning specialist in three of the last four games. That is a spot that Chamberlain was slated for prior to his surgery and tumultuous off-season.
What does Joba’s reemergence in the New York Yankees bullpen mean to the club? Plenty.
With a healthy and effective Chamberlain in the ‘pen, Girardi now only needs his starters to get him to the seventh inning. No longer will the manager have to play “match-up” games through seven innings of baseball. If one of the starters can carry a lead through six, the team can be assured of a Chamberlain/Robertson/Soriano door slam in an opponent’s face.
(In Photo: Clay Rapada)
Not only does that breed confidence to the entire team in general, but it allows valuable rest to already over-used relievers like Boone Logan, Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada.Going into the post-season, a rested pen will be one of the Yankees greatest assets given that starter Andy Pettitte may still be shaking off some rust from his extended stay on the D.L.. Couple that with CC Sabathia’s recent inconsistency, and a deep bullpen is a must for a Yankee run to a 28th title.
In addition to the obvious improvements on the mound, Joba Chamberlain gives the team a boost in the dugout. His spirit is intoxicating and each time he blows a pitch by a batter for the third out, the atmosphere in the stadium is electrifying, and any lost momentum clearly swings back to the team in pinstripes.
He pitches with an “edge” – that certain something that combines confidence, anger, heart, and a sense of urgency to give an almost larger-than-life character that only a few in the game have. He’s heard his share of boos, and has experienced things (good and bad) that those ten years older rarely do. Yet, he is our Joba, and he endeared himself to us the moment he first set foot on the mound.
Should Rafael Soriano decide to leave after this season, how Joba finishes 2012 may determine if he is the heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera’s crown.
If this September is any indication, and as long as the fireballer can avoid confrontations with midges and trampolines, the Yankees bullpen future is bright and Joba Chamberlain will be the one leading the way.
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