Joba Chamberlain blew another game. Don’t stop the presses. Apparently, the only person who hasn’t gotten the news is Joe Girardi.
Javier Vazquez had every reason to smile until watching Joba Chamberlain blow his victory in the eighth inning (Photo: AP).
This game should have been about Javy Vazquez’ strong seven innings of shutout ball or Nick Swisher’s continued hot streak heading into the All Star Break, but the stubborn absurdity of Girardi once again made Joba’s ineffectiveness the headline.
Before the season started, Girardi talked about Chamberlain needing to prove that he belonged in the 8th inning, but then inexplicably installed him in the role at the start of the season. Since then, Joba has done nothing to warrant such a high profile position in the late innings, but for some reason Girardi continues to mindlessly call on the erratic right hander with the game on the line.
When Joba burst on the scene at the end of the 2007 season, he immediately became a fan favorite and had many envisioning him as either a future closer or dominant starter. Since then, however, expectations for Joba have plummeted. Unfortunately, Girardi hasn’t gotten the message. After yet another disastrous outing, it’s time for him to finally wake up.
Whether it’s moving him down in the bullpen pecking order, or demoting him to Scranton to either rebuild his mechanics or his trade value, the Yankees organization cannot allow its desire to make something out of Joba get in the way of the team’s ultimate success. If Girardi wont acknowledge the reality, then Brian Cashman needs to take control. It’s time for a new set of Joba Rules…ones that don’t have him pitching anywhere near eighth inning until he proves himself worthy of the role.
Joba’s 2010 Meltdowns
| Date | Opp | Rslt | IP | H | R |
| April 23 | LAA | L,4-6 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| May 16 | MIN | L,3-6 | 0.2 | 2 | 3 |
| May 18 | BOS | L,6-7 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| May 29 | CLE | L,11-13 | 0.1 | 4 | 4 |
| June 17 | PHI | L,1-7 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| July 10 | SEA | L,1-4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Javier Vazquez’ Pitch Breakdown
| Avg. Speed | Max Speed | Count | Strikes | Percentage | |
| Changeup | 79.6 | 83.6 | 23 | 15 | 65.2% |
| Curve | 75.4 | 83.3 | 22 | 14 | 63.6% |
| Four Seam Fastball | 89.7 | 91.6 | 42 | 24 | 57.1% |
| Slider | 84.2 | 91.1 | 7 | 2 | 28.6% |
| Two Seam Fastball | 89.4 | 91 | 23 | 22 | 95.7% |
| Inning | Pitches | Strikes | Percentage |
| 1 | 22 | 14 | 63.6% |
| 2 | 9 | 8 | 88.9% |
| 3 | 10 | 7 | 70.0% |
| 4 | 14 | 9 | 64.3% |
| 5 | 15 | 9 | 60.0% |
| 6 | 23 | 15 | 65.2% |
| 7 | 24 | 15 | 62.5% |
| Total | 117 | 77 | 65.8% |
Chan Ho to the 8th?
But seriously..Joba needs some AAA time and only as a starter I think. Still, a minor problem for the best team in beisbol!