Around the Yankee Galaxy: Who'll be #5?

by Travis G on Feb 7, 2010 7:00 AM EST in New York Yankees News

Joba Chamberlain is looking forward to the opportunity to win the fifth starter spot -

As a competitor, you want to be out there every fifth day and get that opportunity to fight and claw for your teammates.

That's what you're there for. I want that opportunity. I have to go out there and prove it, and I understand that. Nothing is handed to me and I like it that way, because that's the way it's been my whole life and my whole career. I'm going to go get the bull by the horns and get after it in Spring Training, and see what happens.

You've got to love his attitude.

Johnny Damon should've taken the two-year, $14 million deal the Yanks offered him and will be 'lucky to get whatever he gets,' according to an unnamed AL executive.
The Tigers and Braves are among the teams still interested in Damon, who is apparently seeking a two-year, $22 million deal. Good luck there, Johnny.
If Curtis Granderson wants to bounce back from a disappointing 2009, he needn't look any further than secondbase. Robbie Cano was among the best hitters at taking outside pitchers the other way (which he failed to do in 2008). Too often, Grandy tried to pull those pitches and grounded out or popped up. If Kevin Long can fix that problem, we may see a huge year from him.
Babe Ruth was born 115 years and one day ago, but the party at his museum in Baltimore was pushed to next Saturday because of the snowstorm.
On this day in 1949, Joe DiMaggio became the first baseballer to earn six figures when he signed a $100,000 contract.
A-Rod's 500th homerun ball sold for more than DiMaggio earned that year.

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Comments

Joba wants to be out there every fifth day?

Don’t relievers pitch every couple days?

He’s supposed to think like a reliever. That doesn’t sound like a reliever!?

Oh NO!!

Rectum? Damn near killed em!

by FreeBradshaw on Feb 7, 2010 8:50 AM EST reply actions

Dude don't worry

people like Mike Francesa understand Joba’s mentality a lot better than Joba does.

When is he going to admit that people with blogs and talk shows think that he thinks like a reliever so he has to be one?

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Feb 7, 2010 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

know about his mentality any more than anybody else, but if you don’t see the difference in him on the mound as a reliever as opposed to starting you’re fooling yourself. He seems unsure of himself at times as a starter while in relief he seems much more comfortable. I’d love to see him become a great starter, but as it is right now, he IS a great reliever.

by david d on Feb 7, 2010 1:11 PM EST up reply actions

Tiger Woods is also more confident on tap ins than he is on 40 foot puts

because one is easier than the other.

Hughes has also looked much more confident and aggressive in the pen even though he has the “calm, starters demeanor.”

It is much easier for a young, power pitcher to come in and throw their fastball as hard as they can, use only one main secondary pitch, and only get 3 or 4 outs, never having to face anyone more than once.

Becoming a quality starter means you have to maintain your pitches, get the same hitter out more than once, and work through tough spots in a lineup. This is why you rarely see young kids excel in starting.

Stick with Joba and Hughes in the rotation, it will be worth it to the Yankees, although maybe not in 2010 in the sacred 8th inning.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Feb 7, 2010 1:42 PM EST up reply actions

I agree

I want BOTH of them in the starting rotation, have since they were nothing but top prospects.

by david d on Feb 7, 2010 1:51 PM EST up reply actions

Johan Santana was a pretty damn good reliever too

Rectum? Damn near killed em!

by FreeBradshaw on Feb 7, 2010 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

Joba's Dream... Yankees Nightmare???

I hope Joba excels as a starting pitcher because it would benefit us. If Joba wins the job out of ST I expect his starts to be a constant struggle for fans, management and himself.

Sooner or later I believe Joba will be moved to the pen as set-up for Mo. I believe ultimately Joba will end up as our closer when Mo retires.

I like Hughes as #5 starter, with occasional Gaudin to limit Phil’s innings, as a better solution.

by YANKEES FOREVER on Feb 7, 2010 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

what do you base

this belief that Joba will be Mo’s replacement and his set-up man until he retires?

Joba’s relief numbers from 2 and 3 years ago before he was given the opportunity to start a whole season with no restrictions? 24 innings in 2007 and 100 innings of mixed relief and starts in 2008?

Show me something that supports the reasoning behind the “Joba to the pen” mentality around here that doesn’t include 2007 please.

If Joba wins the #5 spot in ST and then gets 30-35 starts and proves that he can’t be consistent (and good), then fine, throw him in the pen. But let’s not make any rushes to judgment before the guy gets a full season with no restrictions to show what he can or can’t do.

by phonty on Feb 7, 2010 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

Johnny is still seeking 11 million per year?

lol like you said, good luck there Johnny. When will he and his agent realize that NOBODY is paying him that much? Maybe he’ll be back with the Yankees after all. He’ll have no team by March and he’ll come crawling on his knees begging them to take him back. No team will want him if he keeps this price up, so maybe it’s still possible he returns. I’m not counting on it though. If he does it’s just a bonus.

And I don’t know why anybody would pay so much money for a baseball. I mean, A-Rod’s 500th should definitely have significant, but, over 100,000 dollars? It’s a baseball! That college student is lucky.

by nyyrocks29 on Feb 7, 2010 10:20 AM EST reply actions

Vince Mcmahon will give it to him

But he will have to go into the steel cage with Mankind and Sock-o in a razor blade and nails no hold bared match at wrestelmania.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.There are cracks on the roads we laid where the temple fell where secrets have gone mad.

by cashman bashman on Feb 7, 2010 6:52 PM EST up reply actions

You guys all know you would love to watch the Undertaker bury him

And then Stone Cold Steve Austin will dig him out and pour beer on him while saying OH HELL YEAH Damon should have taken the Yanks first offer.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.There are cracks on the roads we laid where the temple fell where secrets have gone mad.

by cashman bashman on Feb 7, 2010 6:54 PM EST up reply actions

This is great,maybe triple h and X-pac,and Shawn Michaels will bring back degeneration x with Damon pulling up the rear?

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.There are cracks on the roads we laid where the temple fell where secrets have gone mad.

by cashman bashman on Feb 7, 2010 6:56 PM EST up reply actions

Damon and the Yankees

If you listened to the Boras and Cashman radio interviews last week, the Yankees didn’t exactly offer Damon 2 years/14 mil, but rather they told Boras that they’d make that offer if Nick Johnson did not accept his 1 year/5.75 mil proposal. Once NJ accepted, the offer to Damon was off the table. The only contract the Yankees ever actually offered Damon was 1 year/6 mil with like 4 of the 6 mil deferred.

I don’t know what’s going to happen if Boras is still out there asking for 2/22 for Damon, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame Damon/Boras for Damon no longer being a Yankee. The Yankees never made much of an effort to bring him back, and we all know that when the Yankees want someone, they make the effort. I liken it to the 2003 offseason when Pettitte went to Houston. The Yankees just never considered him a priority.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Feb 7, 2010 10:48 AM EST reply actions

damon and joba

damon is gone and I can deal with that. he’ll end up like bobby abreu last year. someone will give him a low-ball offer sometime this week for 1 year, then if he proves he can still produce he’ll get another year. He is a replaceable part anyway.

The yankees need to finalize Joba’s role with the team. This will benefit the starters as well as the relievers. Hughes can concentrate on bridging the gap to rivera if joba is in the rotation. If Joba goes to the pen then you can test out hughes as a starter again. I think both of them are relievers though. they are both better out of the pen anyway.

by eddieo311 on Feb 7, 2010 5:11 PM EST reply actions

OH... MY... god...

that’s like saying randy couture would be better at manual labor than mma… manual laborers are a dime a dozen mma fighters are a bit harder to come by same thing with starters vs. relievers it’s easy to relieve not so much to start….. while i think hughes will eventually be the better starter by a lot i would like to see joba EARN the job not just have it handed to him but earn it and show us something.. like it or not someone will get hurt that’s when hughes steps in if he’s in the bullpen then he’ll need to be stretched out while someone from AAA takes over for awhile or if he starts in AAA then there he is first in line on reserve

by Jon F on Feb 7, 2010 5:21 PM EST up reply actions

+1

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Feb 7, 2010 5:23 PM EST up reply actions

You can teach a monkey to do just about anything

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.There are cracks on the roads we laid where the temple fell where secrets have gone mad.

by cashman bashman on Feb 7, 2010 8:29 PM EST up reply actions

Pretty much every single pitcher in history

would be better out of the bullpen. You throw as hard as you can and your best offspeed pitch over and over. They perform better because it is easier.

Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

by CasanovaWong on Feb 7, 2010 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

I was going to scold you for posting 3 times

but I’m having trouble too so I’m going to blame PSA.

Specifically Brandon since he is the newest Mod.

CMON BRANDON GET IT TOGETHER!

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Feb 7, 2010 5:24 PM EST reply actions

blame me

i deleted his redundant posts.

by Travis G on Feb 7, 2010 7:00 PM EST up reply actions

Haha I was kidding man

PSA is the shit.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Feb 7, 2010 10:12 PM EST up reply actions

oh, i know

humor doesn’t come through well in text form.

by Travis G on Feb 8, 2010 9:32 AM EST up reply actions

I think we should start up a Please Vince Sign Johnny Blog

And put the pressure on to bring back Hogan and The Rock to kick his ass.All in good fun of coarse,but maybe they beat some sense into him and he signs for $100 at the break.

I feel like a clown without my funny nose.They say that dead men don't pull triggers,I will prove em wrong.There are cracks on the roads we laid where the temple fell where secrets have gone mad.

by cashman bashman on Feb 7, 2010 6:59 PM EST reply actions