Here are a few New York Yankees stories floating around the Inter-Google following what was a disheartening loss to Kansas City Sunday. After reading last night's comments, I'm thrilled that I did not see the game.
- Peter Abraham breaks down where it all went wrong for Joe Girardi and the Yankee bullpen in the 8th inning. I happen to agree with Pete that using Mariano Rivera in the 8th inning, in bad weather, this early in the season would have been reckless.
- With a bullpen breakdown happening in a game started -- beautifully, apparently -- by Joba Chamberlain, inevitably some will argue Chamberlain should be in the bullpen and not the rotation. Mark Feinsand of the Daily News cuts them off at the pass with this argument.
The bottom line is that Chamberlain showed today why keeping him in the rotation is the right move. Forget the eighth inning and concentrate on the first six. Remember all those starts by Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner last season? Personally, I'd rather see what we saw from Chamberlain every five days instead of what we saw last year from those guys.
I have a really hard time arguing with that.
By the way, Joseph DelGrippo's rant on NY Baseball Digest about Joba and his innings limit is just plain stupid. I normally wouldn't bother to mention it, but it annoyed me so much I had to. Sure, Joe, let's just throw him out there on a cold, wet APRIL day in his first start of the year and let him throw until he blows out his arm. Great idea!
- Was Watching has a rather wild thought regarding the Yankees' general manager job.
- In the Yankee Universe, it is never too early for a little speculation about what next season's team will look like. Dugout Central provides exactly that today.
- Alex Rodriguez begins the next phase of his rehab from hip surgery today when he begins baseball activities (whatever that silly phrase means) today in Florida.