Chamberlain to the Rotation?

I don’t know what I’m more excited about, the fact that the Steinbrenner era is back in New York or that Joba Chamberlain is on his way to the rotation.  Oh, sure they’re just talking right now, but if Hank is anything like his dad, Joba will be knocking someone out of the rotation within the next few weeks.

In case you have been sleeping the last 24 hours, Steinbrenner dropped a monumental bomb on the world of sports, or at least ESPN made is seem like some epic moment and I’m buying into the hype now.  In an interview with the New York Times, Steinbrenner went off, clearly frustrated with the mediocre production coming from his rotation thus far.

“I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now,” Steinbrenner told the New York Times. “There is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”

I’m just glad that someone else finally realized that this is the right move.  Stop coddling this guy and let him loose.  If he falters, reel him in, otherwise just allow him to prosper.  Sure there will be pitch counts, and some extra precautions that can be implemented to make sure that he doesn’t end up like a Dusty Baker prospect from the mid-90’s, but he’s ready.  He’s been ready.

“The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of panic or whatever,” Steinbrenner told the newspaper. “I had no say in it last year and I wouldn’t have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don’t rush him.” 

There’s the whole rule of 30 which would put him only at 130 innings this season, so if they plan to stick to this philosophy they are going to have to get creative.  In all actuality, they stunted his growth as a pitcher last season with the way they were overly zealous in protecting him.  In his first year of college ball, two years ago, he went 120 innings meaning that he should be ready to log 180 this season, instead he’s 50 off that mark.  That’s ok though, because they have enough arms to get creative and still allow him to pitch well into October.

You could see him skip starts at some point, or the Yankees could get creative and implement some type of six man rotation that would allow those at the top to go every fifth day, but at the bottom allow Chamberlain to get something like six days rest between starts. 

Yeah, I know it’s confusing, but if they don’t want his shoulder to be buried in the wall of the new Yankee Stadium they’ll have to do something like this.  Also, if they don’t want the last season in their historical home to be a total bust they’ll have to do something like this. 

They can’t win with their starters.  After one pitch wonder Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte, the rotation has been awful.  Mike Mussina just needs to hang it up along with his 5.75 ERA, and Phil Hughes (8.82) and Ian Kennedy (9.64) clearly aren’t ready.  Hence the call to action by Hank Steinbrenner.

I’m glad someone said it, because it needed to be said.  I might have been the only person in America that was up in arms when it was announced that Chamberlain would be subject to a new set of rules.  Although, I admit, it was a smart move at the time.  So is this though, and I hope that Steinbrenner uses his clout to move Cashman away from the cradle so that Chamberlain can get loose.