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Joba Chamberlain - The Next Clemens or Rivera?

18
Vote

by Coryd1866

Joba Chamberlain has certainly made a huge impact on the Yankees bullpen over the last couple of weeks. Touting a 95-99 mph fastball, a plus slider, and impeccable control for a power pitcher, the question remains, will he be the next Clemens or the next Rivera?

His numbers so far show that he has the ability to come out of the bullpen and shut-down a team for a couple of innings, but does he have the stamina to throw deep into a game as a starter? I believe the sky is the limit for this young pitcher, but if he excels in the closer role I think you have to keep him there. The Red Sox dealt with the same predicament with Jonathan Papelbon earlier on in spring training, and in the end the organization decided to keep Papelbon in the pen. Smart move? I would say yes.

What do you think? Should the Yankees keep Joba in the pen or let him get his feet wet as a starter next season?

http://strike3designs.blogspot.com/2007/08/joba-chamberlain-next-clemens-or-rivera.html


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IbeargRed-Shirting
829 days ago
Score 4+-
the yankees have a closer who i see no reason why he can't continue to be one of the best in the game in the next couple years. They need starting pitching and i believe joba was very good as a starter in the minors, so next year lets see if he has the stamina and the worst that happens is they move him back to the pen.
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
829 days ago
Score 6+-
Cmon, this is just silly. Kevin Maas was not the next Mark McGwire and Shane Spencer was not the next DiMaggio. Why do people insist on making these declerations after a few innings of work. Heck, super start talents like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior went from being the next Sandy Koufax to the latest punchline. Chamberlain has good stuff and has looked good, but he is neither the next Clemens nor the next Rivera the same way Mike Pelfrey and Phillip Humber and even Scott Kazmir may be top notch pitchers but they are not the next Ryan, Seaver or Gooden.
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Ea34Div-I Stud
829 days ago
Score 6+-
Well said. It's too early to put the "Next ___" on Joba. So far, the guy has looked outstanding and hopefully he can continue it, but let's not disrespect Clemens or Rivera by comparing a kid that just showed up in the Majors to them. That said, I really like the question you posed about whether he should be a starter or a closer. Rivera's not getting any younger, and with Phil Hughes looking like a possible staff ace and Chien Ming Wang also looking like a top of he staff guy, I'd see if Joba has the stuff to be the next great closer. Have him spend 1-2 years setting up Rivera (a la K-Rod with the Angels) until he's ready to step in as a dominant closer.
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Silencer76AAA-er
829 days ago
Score 9+-
The joy of young pitchers, and young hitters for that matter is, no one has a scouting report worth a damn on them the first time or two they face a guy. As he throws more innings, teams will pick up on tendencies, like he likes to throw the slider low and away when ahead in the count, or elevates the fastball when he falls behind 2-0. Just because a guy has a stellar opening week or two in the bigs means nothing. Look at how fast Yovani Gallardo started for Milwaukee.

In June and July, Gallardo was 3-1 with an ERA under 3. No one knew much about him other than he was a phenom in Milwaukee's farm system. Do you know what his splits for August are?

2-2 with an 8.14 ERA, allowing 19 runs on 30 hits in 21 innings, including five homers. He gave up ONE in June and July combined.

The reports will start circulating soon enough, and then we will see how effective Chamberlain truly is.
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
829 days ago
Score 2+-
best comment of the day.
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BOMBERSDiv-I Stud
829 days ago
Score 4+-
Only time will tell what role he should play. I agree with Ibearg. Next season use him as starter but if it doesn't pan out then put him in the pen and he will be just fine. However I would like to see him as a consistent starter rather then a closer.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 5+-
Ever heard of David West?
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IbeargRed-Shirting
829 days ago
Score 2+-
yeah he's a really good basketball player
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 3+-
No, Ben McDonald was a good basketball player. David West was a sack of garbage that the NY media tried to make out as "The First Joba Chamberlain"
Permalink
IbeargRed-Shirting
829 days ago
Score 0+-
nope... http://sport...statsId=3721 he's a really good basketball player
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 0+-
"really good" is relative - normally I would just ignore your insistence to distract from my NY media bashing
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KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score 4+-
A vote for anyone who remembers David West! Nice.
Permalink
Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
"remembers" - more like "still has recurring nightmares of"
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InsanMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
David West isn't the same situation, he was hyped up before he pitched in the majors, Joba's already got like 6 or 7 games under his arm. I wasn't sold on Joba either when he was in the minors.
Permalink
Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 3+-
the effect is the same... NY baseball fans want every player to be Steve Nebraska and when they're not, they want them OUT OF TOWN!
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Rockymount7Red-Shirting
829 days ago
Score 3+-
They need good starters so I would put him in the rotation, but he can always be moved to the pen later...
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Kwitt11Varsity Captain
829 days ago
Score 2+-
You've got to make him a starter...he can help you a lot more pitching 225 innings than pitching 75. He has the stuff to be a starter, unlike a guy like Rivera, whose 2-pitch arsenal works much better in the bullpen. There are injury issues with Joba, but I don't think those would go away if he stayed in the pen. I do like the idea of breaking Chamberlain into the big leagues as a reliever (as long as Torre doesn't turn him into Scott Proctor), but he'd better get moved to the rotation eventually.
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InsanMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
You guys can't say anything about Joba until you see him in person pitch. I've never seen any Yankee fan cheer that loudly and chant that much for a guy that's only pitch in a handful of games. He's the future, you guys can deny it all you want. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a Yankees fan either. As critical as we are and as pesimistic as we are, we embrace Joba. You really have to understand the NY culture and watch him pitch in person. That said, he's going to be a starter, not reliever.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Insan, most scouts won't judge a guy by how the fans treat him or DJ Drew would have never reached the bigs...
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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
829 days ago
Score 0+-
If you spent a season watching Mike Myers, Scott Proctor, Kyle Farnsworth and Luiz Vizcaino, you would cheer Chamberlain very very loudly. Hell, if you just watched Mike Mussina give up 7 runs in 2 innings AGAIN, you would cheer when Chamberlain came in.
Permalink
InsanMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Kinda like you watching Beltran and Delgado all season and then cheering for Reyes when he comes up to bat.
Permalink
MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick
829 days ago
Score 3+-
Damn that Beltran and his player of the week award.
Permalink
Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Player of the Week... O!F!!! Hell, several Devil Rays have won that award this year, puh-leeeeze@@@!!!
Permalink
KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score 0+-
I saw his appearance last nite, and while one time isn't the end all, based on what I saw I would take Hughes, no question. I'm not impressed by 100mph, unless it has movement all it is to a ML hitter is batting practice.

The managers and coaches where Chamberlain spent the season, Class A, rank him as the best pitching prospect in the league. He did not, however, rank at or near the top in any individual category, such as best fastball, breaking ball, mechanics, etc. So, he's an average pitcher who throws hard. How many others are just like that in the minors now? Most of them.

Comparing his situation to Paplebon is ridiculous. What the Sox did with Paps was out of necessity, not design. If Foulke or Timlin hadn't both been injured in Spring Training, Paplebon would have started the season in Pawtucket...as a starter.

Sucks to be Chamberlain..in the Majors for two weeks and he's already overrated.

The kid's a starter, end of story.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Yeah, blame it on Clemens for spilling his overhype in the clubhouse...
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Niteowl049AAA-er
829 days ago
Score 1+-
For one night at least Jaba outpitched Rivera striking out in 3 batters in eighth while Rivera gave up a run and three hits in the ninth inning.
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KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score -4+-
Who cares? Even a blind dog finds a bone once in a while, right?

I honestly can't wait til the Yanks ship him out so I don't have to read this nonsense anymore. Bottom line, the guy's a Class A pitcher called up for a cup of coffee, nothing more, nothing less. Christ, this is worse than all the Dice-K hype at the beginning of the season, but at least he had a goddamn resume'. Chamberlain has inflated stats pitching against Class A guys, 99% of whom will never reach the majors, and 60% of whom won't even reach Double A.

Enough already. I'm minusing every article from now on that mentions his name. I'm tired.
Permalink
Kwitt11Varsity Captain
829 days ago
Score 3+-
Are you serious? Chamberlain is "a class a pitcher called up for a cup of coffee"? Every scout-type I've heard projects him as a legit #1 starter if healthy; durability is the main concern. No offense, but I'll trust their collective opinion over yours.
Permalink
InsanMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 3+-
In other news, during the annual "Secret Red Sox Fan Club Posing to be Yankees Fans", Kelsdad has recently announced his plan for other closet sox fans' posing as Yankees fans to come up with secret way of denouncing new Yankee players that are plaing great. Next week he will announce his 3 step program on trying to convince people that Melky Cabrera's arm is actually made of jello.
Permalink
Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Joba Chamberlain is the MetsJetsDevils of Minusdom!!! (THe thumbs for comments was the worst idea we ever stole from YouTube)
Permalink
RoblefkoLegend
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Koby or Ruben?
Permalink | Reply
Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Karl or Studdard?
Permalink
KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Its not mine, KWitt, its the scout's. Lets pose a question here. Chamberlain pitched the 8th inning of a game the Yanks were up by six runs. If the score was 3-2 or 4-2, would he have pitched?
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InsanMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 3+-
Yes.

See Tigers vs. Yankees 8/19.

Also see O's vs. Yanks 8/13.

Wait, I'm not done yet...

Also see Indians vs. Yanks 8/10
Permalink
Kwitt11Varsity Captain
829 days ago
Score 1+-
Could you tell me which scout called Chamberlain a "cup of coffee" guy? I'm guessing he won't have a job for long...
Permalink
Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
829 days ago
Score 0+-
The same guy that insisted Kyle Farnsworth was "the real deal"?
Permalink
KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score 4+-
And so I don't get accused of negative votes without comments, you both got one for being idiots.
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Brendan.CanneyDiv-I Stud
829 days ago
Score 6+-
Can we please stop anointing this guy the title of next "Rivera" or "Clemens" already? He's pitched 8 innings.......8.
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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Don't forget to mention he's a Yankee so he sucks by definition...
Permalink
Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
829 days ago
Score 1+-
Agreed but goes without saying...
Permalink
KelsdadAll-Star
829 days ago
Score 4+-
Thankyou Brendan!!
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Niteowl049AAA-er
829 days ago
Score 2+-
Jaba could be another Karl Spooner who pitched 2 complete game shutouts in two starts in 1954 then pitched one shutout the next season and never pitched in majors after 1955.
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