Joba says, "I'll make 30 starts, pitch 200 innings!"

by Cbeck3 on Jan 27, 2009 11:54 PM EST

I saw Joba interviewed on MLB TV by Al Lieter. After asking Joba about the free agents. (Joba said he got to eat with CC. "Together we can do some damage eating! He's a great guy!") and Torre's book ("I don't pay any attention to that stuff.) Al asked him about whether he'd start or relieve. He said, "I'll start all season." I spoke to Cashman about it and I'm glad it's settled. Now I just have to concentrate on getting ready to make 30 starts or something and pitching 200 innings. I just want to give the team at least 6 innings every time I go out there.

Do you really think the Yankees would let Joba pitch 30 some starts and go anything near 200 innings!?

This will be his 3rd season. How long would you mainyain the innings limit on him?

Tweet Comment 10 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I don’t see Joba throwing more than 150 IP next season. He’s now the fifth starter and will be skipped on occasion.

Figure between 20 and 25 starts. Skipping one start a month shouldn’t be hard to do given the depth that Pettitte has now added to the back of that rotation.

Hughes will get his opportunities to start this season, too. Injuries are going to happen. It’s inevitable.

by anaconda on Jan 28, 2009 12:53 AM EST reply actions

yeah, not so fast...

I’m sure Joba would go every third day if they let him. I love the kid’s enthusiasm, but he ain’t hitting the 200 mark this year.

The Jayfiss Report ...one fan's rants

by NumberSeven on Jan 28, 2009 11:49 AM EST reply actions

You're probably right

This might get filed under ’keeping the Joba rules secret"!

If I's known I was going to live so long, I'd have taken better care of myself. Casey

by Cbeck3 on Jan 28, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions

Joba's been drinking again.

I laughed when he said he would reach 200 innings. I see 150-170 more reasonable for the regular season.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Jan 28, 2009 3:49 PM EST reply actions

I like his optimism

I hope he hits those numbers but a healthy season and 150 innings would be great in my view

I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby

by kdog on Jan 31, 2009 11:55 AM EST reply actions

I still believe

This guy should be our Mariano Rivera to John Wetteland ala ‘96. I love MO, but he’s not going to be around forever. Joba’s personality is that of a bullpen guy and he’s great at it! Let him dominate the all important 7th/8th innings until he can become our long term closer. Let CC, Wang, Burnett, Pettite and Hughes worry about eating innings!

by IBleedYankeeBlue12 on Feb 1, 2009 5:04 PM EST reply actions

[sigh...]

i will refer you here to sum up my argument.

by Travis G on Feb 2, 2009 5:17 PM EST up reply actions

Ok so then who is our setup guy?

Veras? Albaladejo? Ramirez? Marte? Come on…are any of these guys even close to Joba in the setup role? You cannot underestimate the importance of those 7th and 8th innings.

I know the bullpen was solid last year, but didn’t Joba get a sore arm in the starting role and we lost him all together? Can you really argue that his fiery temperment is more suited for a starter than a bullpen guy?

by IBleedYankeeBlue12 on Feb 2, 2009 11:23 PM EST up reply actions

The Yanks won three rings in ’98, ’99, and ’00 without the dynamite 1-2 punch in the pen. Stanton and Nelson were solid but far from dominant.

The Mo/Wettleland combo was one season. The last out caught by Charlie Hayes in the ’96 World Series also happened to be the last pitch Wetteland threw in a Yankee uniform.

Joba is a starter and he’s going to be a starter for the duration of 2009 and beyond. Find someone without his ceiling to plug into that 8th inning role. The 8th inning role has quickly become one of the most overrated in the game.

The Yanks’ rotation is now strong enough that the setup guys won’t be exposed as they were a season ago. They did their job well last year when they weren’t overworked. They lost only two games all season when trailing after 7 innings and Joba himself blew one of them (against Cleveland).

This club is loaded with arms coming out of the pen. Use them.

by anaconda on Feb 3, 2009 12:51 AM EST up reply actions

you cannot overestimate

the 7th-8th innings. what about inningd 1-6? 6 innings will always be more important than 2.

why aren’t Johan Santana, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, etc. in the bullpen? so that they can pitch a lot of innings, simple as that.

as for Joba’s temperament, he somehow succeeded as a starter his entire pro and college career until August of 08 when he was converted merely bc of innings limits. a 2.76 ERA in the AL East is phenomenal for a rookie starter. remember that 7 inning shutout in Boston? you dont want more of that?

re: his injury – it was a 100 degree night in Texas; his shoulder got a bit too hot; tendinitis happens to every pitcher now and then.

by Travis G on Feb 3, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions