Hank Steinbrenner Wants Joba Chamberlain in the Rotation Right Now

Anyone who had 20 games in the "How long before Hank Steinbrenner starts micromanaging the Yankees" pool is a winner. Little Stein is unhappy with Joba Chamberlain being used as a reliever and wants to see him in the rotation sooner rather than later.

"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. 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."

That would make every single member of the Yankee front office and coaching staff an idiot since they were all in agreement that it was best for Chamberlain and the team to use him out of the bullpen to start the season. A full season in the rotation would be too many innings, or so they reasoned all winter, so Joba was to pitch the eighth inning until a later date. I don't think April 21 was that date because otherwise he's all used up in the fall when you need him most.

Steinbrenner argues that the team panicked last year when they moved Joba to the pen and they did. They were panicked because their bullpen couldn't get anyone out and the playoffs were a pipe dream without a change. This year's bullpen isn't any better and is getting run ragged because three-fifths of the rotation is struggling to get to the fifth inning. Moving Chamberlain is the right move in the long term, no doubt, but while he's in Scranton preparing as a starter, the bullpen could really become an abject mess.

If you've got faith in Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy developing then there's no reason to rush Joba's shift to the rotation. It's something the team should do and, given Mike Mussina's ultra-rapid deterioration, something they have to do, but 20 games isn't enough to throw out the whole gameplan for handling such a precious commodity.

That spells panic to me a lot more than using Joba in relief last season. As does Hank's insistence on making this a public cause celebre after a rough early schedule results in a 10-10 start.

UPDATE: Brian Cashman says not so fast to his boss.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-21-2008 @ 12:37PM

Brad M. said...

Holy cow! I never thought I'd say this, but Hank makes George look like Gandhi.

4-21-2008 @ 12:57PM

BOBGLORIOSO said...

If you think senior Stinebrenner is'nt the one calling the shots still your crazy, Stin/senior just has a great front man now, he still holds the strings and for the most part, has the meida and evrey other preson interested in the Yanks belivin that fasod. I say call Joe Torrie and se what he says.How stupid was it, to let Santanna slip throw those money saturated hands. What better person to have our young new pitchers be around. Keep the faith

4-21-2008 @ 1:33PM

Yankees Chick said...

The whole "idiot" thing really bugs me about this. Putting Joba in the bullpen last year was a GOOD idea. The 'pen sucked and they wanted to preserve his arm, not blow it out. How is that idiotic?

4-21-2008 @ 6:55PM

JTP said...

George Steinbrenner, by many accounts, has slipped severely mentally and is living a somewhat reclusive lifestyle. There was a very sad article (and I'm a Sox fan) written by a reporter last year who had a sit down meeting with George. He kept repeating the same things (as if he had rehearsed) and kept asking the same questions over and over. I don't think Mr. Steinbrenner is "calling the shots".

4-21-2008 @ 5:03PM

bigflyer said...

Chamberlain will have a dead arm by Labor Day. Steinbrenner the Younger has a dead brain now.

4-21-2008 @ 5:05PM

Miles M said...

No hesitation to go after Pavano and Wright.
When Santana is being auctioned to the lowest bidder Hughes and Kennedy become Smoltz and Maddux.
The two of them have won six career games between them. Hughes is a power pitcher that tops out at 92 on the gun and Kennedy can't break glass.
Joba into Mariano is the strength of the staff.
Hank is an idiot

4-25-2008 @ 1:38PM

notmeman55 said...

It does no good to have Joba in the pen when you're always behind.We need to have a lead to use him.

4-22-2008 @ 12:19AM

JOSE said...

EVERYBODY NEEDS TO JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATHE AND RELAX. JOBA BELONGS IN THE PEN TILL SOMEONE PROVES WORTHY OF TAKING HIS PLACE. SURE, HE THROWS 95-100 MPH, BUT THATS BECAUSE HE THROWS 1 INNING AT A TIME IN A GAME, 2 INNINGS TOPS. IF HE STARTS, HE WILL BE DONE BY AUGUST THE WAY HE THROWS. THE STARTING FRESHMEN WILL COME AROUND. HUGHES HAS TO GOOD A STUFF TO LOSE 15, 16 GAMES. AND KENNEDY IS A CRAFTY LIL RASCAL, HE WILL BE OK.ALL THIS TALK ABOUT JOBA REMINDS ME OF PEDRO MARTINEZ BROTHER, RAMON. HE ALSO COULD THROW THE BALL THRU A BRICK WALL AND THE DODGERS BLEW HIS ARM OUT. WHY CAUSE THEY HAD NO PITCHING THEN, HE THREW HARD AND HE WEIGHED 160 POUNDS WET... DO NOT PANIC HANK THESE BOYS KNOW THAT WITH BEING A YANKEE YOU HAVE TO HAVE COJONES AND LOTS OF PRIDE... I THINK THEY HAVE BOTH.. GO YANKS08...

4-22-2008 @ 11:17PM

Manning824 said...

The Yanks should trade to the Cubs A Rod who they do not appreciate to the pitching rich Cubs and the Cubs should gve the Yanks Lilly, Marquis and either Theriot or Cedeno.

Both teams benefit.

4-22-2008 @ 1:23AM

George B Vieto said...

Keep Joba in the bullpen. Making him a starter is a dumb move. Hank was probably angry when he said idiot about Joba staying in the bullpen.

4-22-2008 @ 2:12AM

tonkyhonker said...

You are correct about George's health and you can't buy (good health) that for any amount of monies. And, lately he's been slip sliding away into a semi dreamland behind those shades he now wears all the time. It reminds me of my uncle who had a series of mini strokes and eventually he was sittin listening to the game on his portable radio on the park bench saying, ".....fly away ay ay ay" And, he is THAT AGE and having to raise Hank (all over again, wheew) is a bit stressful, to say the least. But, if I had a kid like Hank, I would beat him severely about the head and shoulders with a number 21 pool stick (a baseball bat's too good for his sorry ass)and then order him to get Joe T, on the phone and figure out what to do....fast! Fast, or he's fired....