Concerns On Chamberlain Are Legit
May 29, 2010 · Leslie Monteiro · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
A visitor watched a game at Yankee Stadium this afternoon. It was his first visit to the new ballpark.
It was quite an experience to say the least. It will never be forgotten.
It started with Alex Rodriguez’s line drive hitting David Huff’s head. It was similar to couple of years ago when Nick Blackburn took a Bobby Abreu line drive off his face.
The blood dripped all over Huff’s face. As a result of that, Huff was taken to the hospital. The Indians sent Aaron Laffey to take Huff’s place in the third inning.
It wasn’t pretty. The Yankees made Laffey look like an independent league pitcher in the fourth inning. Laffey granted free passes to couple of Yankees hitters, and the Yankees created a big inning by scoring six runs off him in that inning.
CC Sabathia did not have good stuff against his old team. He was okay at best. Girardi thought it was best to take him out with a comfortable lead after the sixth inning. He wanted his middle relievers to get some work in the seventh inning.
He used David Robertson, Sergio Mitre and Damaso Marte in that inning. Robertson and Mitre were erratic at best. Marte found a way to get the second out.
By then, Girardi decided to make a change. The Yankees manager was booed for taking Marte out. They weren’t happy he overmanged by putting many relievers in that inning.
Girardi turned the boos to cheers when he signaled Joba Chamberlain to pitch. By then, everyone felt at ease. This visitor decided to tour the stadium around.
The thought was Chamberlain would go for a four-out save. So much for that.
Chamberlain did not have it. He gave up four hits and a walk. The Indians took a 12-10 lead over the home team. For all intents and purposes, it was over. The Yankees did not have it in them to make a rousing comeback against a terrible Indians team.
By then, the audience booed their underachieving reliever. When he struck out Shinn-Soo Choo, he received a Bronx cheer follow by being booed.
It’s about time the fans called him out for his ineffectiveness. It won’t be long until the Yankees question his ability to pitch.
Yes, Chamberlain vows people with his ability to strike people out with his fastball, but it’s a good bet he will disappoint. It was not just today. It was couple of weeks ago at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees setup guy struggled against the Twins in that eighth inning. Girardi saw enough. He went with Mariano Rivera for a four-out save.
Rivera walked Jim Thome, and Jason Kubel hit a grand slam to give the Twins their first victory at the new stadium. The loss went to Chamberlain.
Go ahead and blame Girardi for over-managing that seventh inning today, but Chamberlain has a job to do. He needs to get it done.
At some point, this has to be mental for him. Chamberlain can talk all he wants about how none of this bother hm. How could it not?
The writers remind him all the time. At some point, the fans start losing their faith in him. These losses become a vivid reminder that can’t get away.
When relievers struggle at this rate, they expect to fail. It’s only natural. Chamberlain proved this is not an exception.
Talking to several guards after the game, they weren’t happy. They expressed his concern about his confidence and his stuff. Right now, he’s not scaring anyone.
Chamberlain has that Armando Benitez syndrome. He likes to be fancy in getting his outs. He wants to strike them out at a high velocity instead of just getting an out. He tends to be frustrated if he does not get help from the umpires when it comes to balls and strikes.
When he walks and gives up a hit, he loses confidence. Everything snowballs. It wasn’t surprising to see the Indians have success against Chamberlain.
Maybe we should have learned something about him. When he struggled to pitch against the Indians with all those midges in the field during a playoff game in 2007, it said a lot about his toughness. How is it Fausto Carmona found a way to win yet Chamberlain couldn’t? If Andy Pettitte pitched in that game, he would toughen up.
That’s the difference between a great pitcher and a bad pitcher right there.
At some point, the Yankees can’t pamper the guy. It’s all about results in this market.
The team assumed they found a closer of the future in Chamberlain. Fortunately for them, Mariano Rivera is good enough to pitch until he is 60 years old.
It’s hard to believe Chamberlain can be a closer when he can’t flourish as a setup guy.
This type of inconsistency is not going to cut it. In the postseason, it will be an issue.
Either he figures it out or Girardi has to find an option in the eighth inning. Problem is there are no option out there.
The Yankees will make a trade, but relievers are hard to get in the trade market.
If the Yankees want to win a championship this year, they have to win because of him not in spite of him.
Who knows if he can be that guy? Today only increases doubts than confidence.
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