If there is one idea circulating this Spring Training that makes me unreasonably angry it’s the large amount of people in the media who think that the Yankees should keep Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen. I know the bullpen is a weakness, but Joba is really a starter and has several excellent pitches and needs to be given the chance to start. It’s madness to keep someone like that in the bullpen unless they are wrecked by injuries (like Kerry Wood).
So, I was very pleased when looking at Pete Abe’s excellent blog this morning to see this:
Mike and the Mad Dog were at Legends Field the last two days and interviewed assorted Yankees. Listen to the clips on WFAN.com if you want.
I listen to Mike and Chris every day and find them very entertaining. But I just listened to their interview with Brian Cashman and wanted to put my head through a wall as they discussed Joba Chamberlain. They want him to pitch the 8th inning based on the 24 innings everybody saw last season.
What they (and many other people) don’t seem to understand is that Chamberlain was brilliant as a starter in the minors last season. Not good, brilliant. He was 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA. He was considered one of the best two or three starter prospects in the game.
Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN are amusing, but usually for the wrong ways and oftentimes they are just infuriating (like when Sean Taylor was murdered and they just decided he came from a super ghetto and that he didn’t have a father, didn’t listen to people who called up with contrary evidence and were generally horrible). They represent a lot of what is wrong with the NY sports media, especially how they are so ridiculously reactionary to everything.
…
Today was going to be Andy Day #3 of 2008, but he has some (allegedly) very minor pain in his elbow so Girardi is being cautious and not starting him. I’m okay with it, though I hope it really is minor and not worth concern. I’m not sure who’s starting today in his place, but it’s not on MLB.tv so I won’t be able to see it anyway.
Which of course means Russ Ohlendorf will pitch today since I’ve been anxious to see him again.
