Eiland: Yanks 5th Starter Race Wide Open
Via Anthony McCarron –
The training wheels are officially off Joba Chamberlain, the “Joba Rules” just a slogan rather than a strict plan to limit the Yankee pitcher’s innings. But the absence of those guidelines does not mean that Chamberlain is a cinch to be the Yanks’ fifth starter this season.
The Yankees will round out their rotation after a spring competition, according to their pitching coach, Dave Eiland.
“For me to say who’s the clear favorite – right now I can’t do that,” Eiland said Tuesday. “Time will tell. We have interesting guys, and this is going to be fun to watch. Competition brings out the best in guys, and we’ll see who pulls ahead of the pack.”
Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are the headliners in the competition, which begins in earnest when pitchers and catchers have their first workout a week from Thursday. But Eiland also stressed that Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre give the Yankees choices. Both Chamberlain and Hughes have been effective as relievers and both were in the bullpen during the Yanks’ run to last year’s World Series title.
The Yankees have long viewed Hughes the same way they do Chamberlain – as a potential impact starter – but Hughes was a revelation out of the bullpen last year. He was 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and struck out 65 in 51-1/3 innings, and batters hit only .172 against him as a reliever. As a starter, he was 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA, batters hit 104 points higher against him and he fanned 31 in 34-2/3 innings.
But the Yankees would face another “Joba Rules” situation if Hughes wins the job – he threw only 86 innings during the regular season. Eiland said there would be “some” restrictions on Hughes’ innings “but to say he’d be at the extreme of Joba would be a stretch.
“We have a plan and a number in place, but it probably won’t get the publicity it did with Joba because he’s not Joba.”
Back to Joba, I wonder…did Johnny Kucks have to fight in Spring Training to retain his starting job in 1957?
To me, it seems like the Yankees are sending a clear message to Chamberlain: You’re going to have to work, and work hard, for you to get what you want. And, perhaps that speaks volumes as to what the team thinks about his attitude last year?
Competition is often a good thing for athletes. When starting jobs were handed to the kids a couple of years ago, the results were a disaster. Let them earn it. And if the winner turns out to be Mitre, well, then a lot of us have been wrong about a lot of things!
Scout wrote:
But didn’t they earn their starting positions based on the work they did in 2007?
Unless Joba does a tank job, I’d expect him to be the #5 starter.
You would have to have a very liberal understanding of “earned” to say that Ian Kennedy had earned a spot in the rotation off of three starts in 2007 or even that Joba Chamberlain had done likewise off of 19 relief appearances (even if they were outstanding).
I think Steve’s final comment is bang on. Better dig in Big Guy.
Scout wrote:
Based on their work in the minors then majors, sure why not? They put together solid MiL campaigns, then handled themselves well after they were promoted. They aren’t the first pitchers to do this, nor will they be the last.